Falcons vs. Titans: Full Tennessee Game Preview
It's somewhat rare that two teams meet in the regular season after meeting earlier in the preseason, but that's exactly what the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons will do at Nissan Stadium Sunday.
The Falcons defeated the Titans 31-24 in the preseason opener in Atlanta.
This matchup features two teams going in different directions, with the Titans just looking for a win anywhere they can get it. Many thought it would come last week against a struggling Miami Dolphins team, but the Titans ended up playing their worst game of the year.
Now they'll try to salvage at least one win on this four-game homestand. It will be nearly impossible to recover from dropping half of their home games in four straight contests.
As crazy as it sounds, the Titans still have a slight chance of making things interesting in a terrible AFC South where everyone looks bad as well.
Now the Titans will have to pull off a big upset to avoid dropping to 1-5 and forcing the 2015 season into disaster mode.
Week 6 Results and Recap
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The lopsided 38-10 loss to the Dolphins has to rank near the top of the list of worst losses in the Ken Whisenhunt era, and that's saying a lot.
Despite their struggles entering the game, the Titans were widely considered a comfortable favorite. It wasn't so much based on how well the Titans were playing but how bad the Dolphins were believed to be.
The Dolphins silenced all of that by bringing more heart and desire to win than the Titans did. It was a complete no-show for the Titans. To add salt onto the wound, Tennessee lost Marcus Mariota to his first significant injury of his young career.
It's still anyone's guess if Mariota can tough it out and play through what has been reported as a Grade 2 MCL sprain, per Nashville's 104.5 The Zone:
"We're getting into the latest in Marcus Mariota's knee injury. He suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain, and his status for Sunday is up in the air.
— Wake Up Zone (@WUZ1045) October 20, 2015"
The run game once again struggled to find an identity, and the defense couldn't stop Ryan Tannehill from making the big throws in key moments.
A win over the Dolphins wouldn't have done much to make any serious believers out of this Titans team, but a loss shattered any hopes that Tennessee can turn a corner in 2015.
Here is an updated look at the AFC South, with the average Colts continuing to lead by default:
News and Notes
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What Is Mariota's Status Against the Falcons?
The million dollar question on everyone's mind is if Mariota will be able to play. There's no definitive answer on this, but the smart move would be to keep him out at least one week.
Things will get much worse in Tennessee if Mariota is rushed back onto the field too early and aggravates the injury further. If this happens, the team is running the risk of losing its prized investment for a huge chunk of his rookie season.
Mariota reportedly has swelling on his knee, per Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com:
"Marcus Mariota said he had some swelling in his knee on Monday. He had similar injury at oregon
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) October 21, 2015"
There's obviously enough of an injury to be concerned about his well-being with just a week of recovery. The last thing the Titans can let happen is for Mariota to go down the same injury-plagued road that Jake Locker went down. Mariota may be more talented than Locker, but going down that road spells disaster for his confidence in the future.
You also can't forget that Zach Mettenberger is fully capable of filling in for a few games. If the Titans were a possible playoff team, then rushing Mariota back would make a little more sense. This isn't a playoff team with or without Mariota, so protecting the franchise quarterback makes the most sense.
With that in mind, there's a decent chance Mariota plays against the Falcons.
Can the High-Ranked Titans Defense Stop the Falcons Offense?
You can't help but scratch your head when you see that the Titans ranked third in total defense and have the top-ranked passing defense.
That No. 1-ranked pass defense is somewhat misleading due to the Titans facing some inexperienced quarterbacks, such as Johnny Manziel and Tyrod Taylor.
The real test will now come this week as the Titans will have to stop the electrifying duo of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. If they can stop that pair, or even contain it, then maybe we can call them legit.
If the defense lives up to its impressive rankings statistically, then the Titans will have a chance to pull off an upset and get control of the tailspin they're in.
Offensive Line Still Can't Protect the QB
Despite all of the attention that the Titans paid to the offensive line over recent years, they still can't seem to protect their quarterback. That's an awful combination when you have a rookie quarterback. They've given up the fourth-most sacks in the NFL at 20.
Conversely, the Titans will face a Falcons defense that is tied for last in total sacks with just seven, so this might be the week that Tennessee finally gives the quarterback some adequate time to go through his progressions.
We really don't know how good the offense may be until the offense has time to actually develop. There has also been no running game to balance everything out.
Don't be surprised if the Falcons copy the same strategy that other defenses have used on the Titans, which is being aggressive in rushing the quarterback. They may not have the same success, but the Titans better come prepared to protect whoever lines up under center.
Mariota will not be mobile if he does play, and Mettenberger definitely won't be confused as a scrambling quarterback. Another blowout loss is in the cards if the Titans don't show some improvement in pass protection.
Latest Injury News
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| Player | Position | Injury |
| Marcus Mariota | QB | Knee |
| Perrish Cox | CB | Hamstring |
| Harry Douglas | WR | Ribs |
| Michael Griffin | S | Knee |
| Dexter McCluster | RB | Illness |
| Avery Williamson | LB | Hamstring |
| Sammie Hill | NT | Knee |
Some new names have popped up on the injury report following the loss to the Dolphins, with Perrish Cox being the most concerning one after Marcus Mariota.
Cox played through the injury against the Dolphins, but his not being 100 percent is still concerning for a secondary that has a difficult task of stopping a talented Falcons receiving corps.
As for Mariota, it's fair to call it a 50-50 chance on whether he plays. He wasn't a participant in practice on Wednesday, which could just mean the Titans are resting him.
It wouldn't be wise for this coaching staff to rush Mariota back into the fray if there's even a slight chance that the injury could become worse. Disaster would be an understatement if he were to miss the remainder of the season because the team rushed him back too soon.
Sammie Hill could end up making his season debut after dealing with a knee injury. He would provide some valuable depth and support in stopping the run against a revamped Falcons rushing attack led by Devonta Freeman.
It's also likely that the Titans will get Avery Williamson back, which is huge. He's become a solid part of the defense at middle linebacker in his second season.
Former Falcon Harry Douglas is dealing with bruised ribs, according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. His absence would leave the offense strapped for weapons at wide receiver and almost certainly force the running game to take control. Even if he does play, it will be difficult for him to have much of an impact with such a painful injury.
All injury information courtesy of TitansOnline.com.
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Key Matchups
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Titans Secondary vs. Julio Jones
You always take what happens in the preseason with a grain of salt, but Julio Jones looked unstoppable in his short action against the Titans in early August.
This has the potential of getting out of hand quickly if the Titans can't contain Jones. He's going to get his yards regardless. If the Titans can make things difficult for Matt Ryan to deliver the ball to Jones consistently, then they'll have a sliver of hope to stay in the game.
Jones had four catches on four targets and a touchdown in the preseason meeting. He would've gone for much more if it had been a regular-season game.
Jason McCourty will have to show why he's the veteran leader of this secondary to keep the Titans from giving up 30-plus points.
Titans Rush Defense vs. Devonta Freeman
Another offensive juggernaut that the Titans will have to contain is Devonta Freeman, who's leading the NFL in touchdowns. He's burst onto the NFL scene in 2015, and he's in for another big day against a Titans rush defense that has struggled to stop far less talented rushers.
Crazier things have happened, but this defense is going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to keep the Falcons from running up the score before halftime. It has that kind of potential when you look at this game on paper.
Bottling up the run game will at least give the Titans a fighting chance to force Ryan into some difficult throws.
Freeman is fresh off a 100-yard performance on just 13 carries in a loss to the Saints. Perhaps the likes of Jurrell Casey and the return of Sammie Hill can figure out a way to make the Falcons one-dimensional.
Titans Quarterback vs. Falcons Secondary
The one area that the Titans may be able to make some hay is passing the ball on a Falcons secondary that is giving up nearly 300 yards per game. Atlanta is ranked near the bottom of the league in defending the pass.
Believe it or not, this may serve Mettenberger better than a banged-up Mariota who certainly won't be able to threaten teams with his ability to run.
Both of these quarterbacks will be doomed if the offensive line continues to provide little time for routes to develop. Passing plays have had no time to develop, which has left Mariota to get pummeled far too often.
The Titans can make throws against the Falcons secondary if there's time to make those throws. Whoever plays quarterback will most likely have to have a 300-yard day to keep up with the Falcons on the scoreboard. There's no way the Titans win in a low-scoring affair.
Again, it will come down to pass protection. If it is finally decent, then the Titans may end up putting up a fair amount of points in order to keep the score close.
Matchup X-Factors
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Matchup X-Factor: Dorial Green-Beckham
The Titans are in desperate need for someone to have a breakout game on offense. With Harry Douglas possibly in line to miss a game against his former team, this could be a perfect opportunity for Dorial Green-Beckham.
He is quietly making steady progress as an NFL receiver. His physical traits are through the roof, but he hasn't gotten enough targets to make an impact thus far. He should get numerous targets against the Falcons, though, and be a matchup nightmare for their 31st-ranked secondary.
This offense needs to give Green-Beckham plenty of looks to control the flow of the game and open up space for Titans rushers. Getting a player like him into a position to take over the game with his size will balance out the scales to give the Titans a chance to win a high-scoring affair.
Underrated X-Factor: Jason McCourty
McCourty will need to have one of the better games of his NFL career to give the Titans a chance at the upset. He's most likely going to line up against Julio Jones, who's always capable of putting up numbers you would only see in a video game.
The head of the snake will be cut off if McCourty keeps Jones from putting a big stamp on the box score. The Falcons still have other formidable weapons, but Jones is the elite talent who makes the Falcons so tough to stop.
A Titans win over the Falcons will almost certainly mean a standout performance from McCourty.
Prediction: Falcons 34, Titans 20
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The bad dream had a great chance to come to an end last week against a horrendous Dolphins team, but now it's likely that the bad dream will turn into a nightmare.
It will be difficult for the Titans to come up with a game plan on defense to stop a balanced passing offense led by veteran quarterback Matt Ryan. He may not be elite, but he's as close as you can get.
Ryan is primed for a 300-yard performance, and he'll do it with relative ease. The few times he will face pressure from a formidable Titans pass rush, he'll make the veteran play to not turn the ball over.
The Titans won't have an answer for Julio Jones. He will have another big day, and the rest of the Falcons receiving corps shouldn't be overlooked.
Atlanta won't need Devonta Freeman as much as usual. He will get some important first downs in short-yardage situations, but the Falcons pass offense will ultimately pick apart the Titans.
This game does have the potential to be somewhat high-scoring on both sides. The Falcons secondary is beatable, and their pass rush is nothing to be terrified of. It won't be saying much, but the offensive line for the Titans finally protects well enough for the offense to move the ball into the opposition's territory on a regular basis.
Expect Dorial Green-Beckham to put up the most complete game of his young career with plenty of targets coming his way. Kendall Wright should also have another respectable outing.
This prediction is being made with the assumption that Mariota will suit up but not be 100 percent. No matter who starts at quarterback, the defense will have trouble containing the Falcons enough to put the Titans in a favorable spot to pull off an upset.
Prediction: Falcons 34, Titans 20
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