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

Storylines don't get much better than the one tied to the Tennessee Titans' 2015 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The first two draft picks will square off in a battle of rookie quarterbacks, and they'll each be representing 2-14 teams from last season. 

ESPN shared an interesting stat regarding Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston:

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Combined ages on Sunday of Winston, Mariota: 43Y, 203D– youngest for QBs in game since merger http://t.co/vVtoIy8JGa pic.twitter.com/ywnVi7Rm60

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 10, 2015"

The Titans have decided to plan for the future by putting a lot of young players in starting roles. That's why patience will be key in the early going. Mistakes will be made by this unit, and they'll come against the Buccaneers.

However, have the Titans improved enough to overcome adversity to make respectable progress in Ken Whisenhunt's second season as head coach? 

Here's what the Titans' game plan should be as they kick off 2015 on the road against the Buccaneers.

Offensive Game Plan

There will be plenty of opportunities to score points in this game as the Titans are playing statistically one of the worst defenses from 2014. 

It seems the Titans chose to hide a lot of what they plan to do with Mariota in the preseason. He'll likely be put into designed plays for him to run. It won't be the focal point of his game, but we'll see it occasionally. The Titans have to figure out ways to make the offense tailored around Mariota's strengths, something they failed to do effectively with Jake Locker.

To do this, the running game needs to establish some credibility early in the game. That will allow Mariota to move around more freely on play-action and shotgun formations. 

Here's what the Titans have available to them at running back heading into this matchup:

Player	Career Rush Attempts	Careers Rush Yards	Career TD	Experience
Dexter McCluster	192	792	7	5
Bishop Sankey	152	569	2	1
Terrance West	171	673	5	1
Antonio Andrews	0	0	0	1

The Titans simply don't have the weapons on the outside to beat the Buccaneers purely through the air. They're going to have to win this game on the ground with their stable of young running backs. 

The size that the Titans do have on the outside is largely unproven. Who knows how quick of an impact Dorial Green-Beckham can have. If he lives up to the early hype, then it could completely transform this offense into a high-scoring machine. 

Justin Hunter is still trying to validate his high draft pick from two seasons ago. 

It's anyone's guess which running back will see the most significant amount of playing time, but it looks like Bishop Sankey will see the most touches by default.

Some may have had high hopes for Antonio Andrews heading into Week 1, but he will be limited because of a hamstring injury, per Terry McCormick of 247Sports.

Andrews is listed as questionable, per Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official website:

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RB Antonio Andrews and CB Perrish Cox both listed as questionable for Sunday's game for @titans

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 11, 2015"

When the Titans do throw the ball, they have to employ a lot of quick routes with Kendall Wright and Harry Douglas. Mariota has proved that he's extremely accurate with those types of throws. 

Getting the ball out of Mariota's hands quickly will be the key, along with a balanced rushing attack. Mariota is very tough to beat when he has manageable third-down yardage. 

Defensive Game Plan

The biggest threat facing the Titans defense is the Buccaneers' passing game, and the Titans will be without Jason McCourty. It's going to force Blidi Wreh-Wilson into a tough role of most likely defending Mike Evans. He has to show dramatic improvement from last season if the Titans are going to keep the score low.

It's worth noting that Evans is currently listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, according to Josh Alper of NBC Sports. He'll most likely play, even with limited practicing. 

Forcing turnovers will go a long way to having a successful day on defense. The Buccaneers are going to gain their fair share of yardage with the two outside weapons of Evans and Vincent Jackson.

Winston will also have no problem tucking it and running if the Titans are caught napping. They have to be aware of Winston's ability to move the chains with his feet. Guys such as Derrick Morgan and Avery Williamson will be critical to keeping Winston contained. 

Doug Martin is a guy who has enjoyed some success in the NFL, but last season was one to forget. He seems poised to bounce back in 2015. 

Shutting down Martin and Charles Sims will make life so much easier for the Titans secondary. It has to win this battle at the line of scrimmage. 

Then there's perhaps the biggest weakness for this Buccaneers team: its offensive line. The Titans need to exploit this weakness, and their chances look good with Dick LeBeau basically running the defense. These blitzes need to be designed to not only put pressure on Winston but also confuse him into making bad decisions. 

"The way the college game is, [quarterbacks] get to see all the looks, but I don't think he has seen all the looks that he is going to see in the NFL," LeBeau told Wyatt (h/t Yahoo Sports's Scott Garbarini).

This area is the equalizer for the Titans and why this game will most likely come down to the last seconds. Morgan, Brian Orakpo and Jurrell Casey could be in for big games statistically.

Key Players and Matchups

Perrish Cox is a major key to the Titans defense and containing Vincent Jackson. He's currently listed as questionable, but Whisenhunt expects Cox to play.

"

Whisenhunt said he expects CB Perrish Cox to play on Sunday for @titans

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 11, 2015"

The Titans would be in a world of hurt if Cox is unable to play. They're going to heavily depend on him to shut down one side of the field and force Winston to look elsewhere.

Another key defensive figure for the Titans will be Morgan and how he's progressed in the offseason. He showed moderate glimpses last season of being an effective outside linebacker after transitioning from defensive end. Can he be effective in pass coverage while also putting pressure on Winston in the backfield?

Morgan may be in for a breakout year now that he's playing under LeBeau's complex defense. 

On offense, it all comes down to Mariota and how prepared he is to deal with the NFL stage against an opposing crowd. He has looked the part in the preseason, and he has said all the right things. 

His decision-making has to be razor-sharp. This team just isn't talented enough to overcome costly turnovers in its own territory. If Mariota avoids big mistakes, he'll put his team in a great spot to win.

Mariota will need help from his running game, and it starts with Sankey. Can he begin to change the overwhelming belief that the Titans drafted him too high a season ago?

As for the Buccaneers, Jackson and Evans are primed to have big games against a Titans secondary that has a lot to prove. It's missing its proven veteran in McCourty. We will see if Winston can make the most out of having these two guys at his disposal on the outside.

The Buccaneers are not a scary team on defense, but Gerald McCoy is a guy to keep an eye on. He's very capable of getting into the backfield early and often.

Alterraun Verner will look to get back at his old team and get the Mariota era off to a rocky start. He's a serviceable cornerback who is capable of making a key interception if Mariota makes a mistake in his direction.

Final Prediction

This game has all the makings for being a pure toss-up. Each side can make an intriguing case for why its team will win. It's almost scary how many similarities these two teams have coming in.

The fact that this game is in Tampa also tilts the matchup in the Buccaneers' favor. Those fans will be rowdy with a new franchise quarterback.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

In the end, the McCourty injury is the big X-factor that breaks the toss-up. Covering the outside will be too much for the Titans secondary to handle. It also looks like Cox will not be 100 percent as he's dealing with a hip injury. 

Winston will have people buzzing after this game, but Mariota will enjoy more sustained success in 2015.

Another factor working against the Titans is their rushing attack. It will perhaps get better as the 2015 season unfolds, but it'll have some growing pains in the season opener. It's unlikely the team will eclipse the century mark in rushing yards, and that will make things much more difficult for Mariota. 

The Buccaneers just have more veterans and the home-field advantage to lean on. That's why they win this game.

Prediction: Titans 20, Bucs 27

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.