Raiders vs. Titans: What's the Game Plan for Tennessee?

If the Tennessee Titans are ever going to get over the hump, then they're going to have to start winning games at home. They're currently on a 10-game losing streak at the friendly confines of their own stadium, which is just four losses shy of tying the NFL record. They'll have to beat an up-and-coming Oakland Raiders team to end the purgatory at home.

This is a much-improved Raiders squad from the last time these two teams met in 2013. The Raiders seem to have their quarterback of the future in Derek Carr, and they have the receivers to back him up. They also have a young but talented Latavius Murray at running back.

It will be another stiff test for a Titans defense that deserves a lot of credit for keeping the team from getting blown out of the stadium every week. They've kept the Titans competitive in games despite the offense regularly struggling to score more than 14 points.

When you're stuck in a losing funk like Tennessee is stuck in at the moment, coaches have to start shaking things up. You can't keep being stubborn in sticking with strategies that just aren't working. It's important that the Titans start building upon something that will ultimately benefit the team going into next season.

Despite a current three-game losing streak, the Raiders still have plenty to play for, as they're only one game out of a playoff spot.

Here are the respective offense and defensive game plans that interim head coach Mike Mularkey should employ as he tries to get his second win since taking over for Ken Whisenhunt.

Offensive Game Plan

It's hard to win games in the NFL when you're consistently failing to eclipse 14 points, no matter how good your defense may be playing. That's where the Titans find themselves, and they desperately have to find some answers offensively if they're going to avoid a second straight 2-14 season. 

There aren't many things to be scared of when looking over the Raiders defense, which ranks 29th overall, but Khalil Mack is certainly one of them. He will get plenty of opportunities to exploit the pass-protection issues that Tennessee has had for much of the season.

Another obstacle the Titans are facing on offense is their inability to make completions on the perimeter. They're almost exclusively a middle-of-the-field passing offense, which is why Delanie Walker is having such an impressive season.

Walker needs to keep getting his targets, but so do the rest of the tight ends. The Titans just don't have the talent at wide receiver to have their offense revolve around that unit. Even with the return of Kendall Wright, it will be difficult for Marcus Mariota to find much success throwing outside the numbers.

Mariota's quarterback rating averages below a four when throwing 20 yards or farther, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com:

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Marcus Mariota QBR by area. https://t.co/Lv8SyEQGBb pic.twitter.com/Am75CAbdPg

— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) November 27, 2015 "

This is mainly due to the pass-protection struggles Mariota has faced and also due to there being a lack of a true vertical threat outside of Dorial Green-Beckham. Mariota is much more successful when he throws in the middle of the field, and the game plan needs to keep revolving around that strategy. This means getting the tight ends involved and also finding ways to get Wright open in space. 

It does help that Wright is returning from a knee injury. He'll make his return to the lineup after missing the last three games, per Jason Wolf of the Tennessean:

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#Titans WR Kendall Wright expected to play Sunday vs #Raiders. Missed last 3 with sprained knee. https://t.co/MZcl35ovqT via @Tennessean

— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) November 26, 2015"

Wright will get plenty of attention from the Oakland defense, which may open things up more for Green-Beckham.

Expect Mariota to throw the ball early and often to try to extend the defense. Teams have no reason to respect the Tennessee passing game, so Mariota has to change that belief. 

The Raiders are not considered one of the NFL's elite defenses, so the Titans should have their opportunities to finally put a fair amount of points on the board. They need to be aggressive and use their best offensive player on the field, which is Mariota.

Running the ball with Antonio Andrews and David Cobb will still be important to create balance. Andrews is a very capable running back when he's put in favorable situations where defenses aren't teeing off on him. That has seemed to be the case over the last two weeks. He needs to be the guy the Titans turn to when they have a lead to protect and want to gain the advantage in time of possession.

Cobb is looking at getting more carries than the four he got in his season debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

In the end, it will be Mariota who will have to put the Titans back into the win column, and this is one of the few favorable matchups left on the schedule. He has to keep growing up fast and give a reason to be optimistic about the future by delivering a win for the home fans. 

Defensive Game Plan

The Titans are in for another tough challenge against a passing offense that deserves its respect. Carr isn't a quarterback you should overlook simply because he doesn't have much experience. He's quickly evolving into one of the better young quarterbacks in the league.

However, you wouldn't notice how promising the future is for this Raiders offense if you've only watched the unit the last three weeks. The Raiders have struggled against average defenses, and Amari Cooper has hit somewhat of a midseason rookie slump.

With the Tennessee secondary slowly getting back to full strength with the returns of Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Perrish Cox, strong games from them will be the key to prolonging the recent offensive woes of the Raiders.

Even in the ugly loss to the Jaguars in Week 11, the Titans still did well overall on containing Blake Bortles, another up-and-coming quarterback. 

Being aggressive with many different blitz packages is how the Titans have been so formidable on defense, and they don't need to turn away from that strategy now. It's working very well and helping prop up a secondary that has some weaknesses. 

The duo of Cooper and Michael Crabtree will eat this secondary alive if the pass rush doesn't apply consistent pressure on Carr. To the Titans' benefit, the Raiders' passing offense almost exclusively runs through these two players. No other player has more than 15 catches on the Oakland roster. 

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press/Associated Press

Brian Orakpo is quietly having a great first season in a Titans uniform. Look for Orakpo to put constant pressure on Carr, along with the rest of the Titans' defensive front. 

Prediction

This is a true toss-up game that can be argued to go both ways. The Raiders were playing very well up until three weeks ago. They've hit a speed bump in their season but still have a lot more to play for than the Titans currently do.

Until the Titans prove they can win close games, then there's no reason to expect them to win one this week against the Raiders.

The Titans will find themselves in another one-possession game that's there to be taken. Mariota will throw the ball very well and put up his best numbers since the win over the New Orleans Saints. He'll benefit greatly from Wright returning and find his tight ends regularly.

It should also be a fairly successful day for Andrews in terms of average yardage, but it will continue to be difficult to find much running room, as the Raiders defense will key in on loading up the box and force Tennessee to win by passing. 

The Raiders are not the same putrid Raiders team that we've come to know over the past decade. They've slowly developed into a respectable team that is due to break out of their offensive slumber they've been in recently.

Cooper is well beyond his years as a rookie receiver, and he'll give the Titans fits just like other elite receivers have done to Tennessee in prior games. He may not have reached elite status just yet, but he's still good enough to put up big numbers against shaky secondaries. 

Crabtree will be a challenge to stop as a complimentary receiver, and that will be all the Raiders need to score just enough points.

Statistics don't always tell the whole story, and the Titans secondary has benefited greatly from how well the defense pressures the opposing quarterback. Don't let the numbers fool you—this is still a secondary that can't be trusted in crunch-time situations.

It will come down to a final possession, but the Raiders' passing combination of Cooper and Crabtree will be too much to handle. The Titans stay on the fast track of another top-two draft pick, and the conversation of who the new head coach should be will begin to heat up.

Prediction: Raiders 21, Titans 17