The shorthanded and terrible Titans travel to the Motor City on Sunday to meet an equally shorthanded but excellent Lions team. Can basement-dwelling Tennessee pull the upset against the powerhouse Detroit Lions, or will they continue the slide? Detroit is coming off an emotional win over the Vikings, which ensured at least a tie for the NFC North. Tennessee, meanwhile, would be winless if not for a win against Miami back in Week 4. The Titans are coming off a perfunctory beatdown by Bills Mafia in Buffalo. Which short-staffed team can come away with the win?
Shorthanded Titans and Lions Meet in The Motor City in Week 8
Lions Offense vs. Titans Defense
The high-powered Detroit offense has been hitting on all cylinders this season, with an average of 30 points per game. Quarterback Jared Goff has hit a new level in 2024, improving his accuracy by a whopping six percentage points from last season. He hasn’t thrown an interception in three games and has two games with a completion percentage better than 85%. They are bolstered by an impressive running attack and receiving corps. It will take a herculean effort from the Titans to stop this amount of firepower.
OL vs. DL Matchups to Watch
The Lions have one of the best offensive lines in football, sporting arguably the best offensive tackle in Penei Sewell. His talent is commensurate with his salary. Sewell has dominated since his rookie season, coming out of Oregon as a top-ten selection. On the other side is veteran Taylor Decker, who has also earned every penny of his outsized contract. Detroit has heavily invested in the line, as the right side features players with an overall PFF score in the 80s. Center Frank Ragnow is a highly regarded player for his position, scoring no less than a 77 PFF grade in six consecutive seasons.
Tennessee counters the mighty Lions’ blocking unit with some heavy hitters themselves. Star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has been dealing with an elbow injury and is subject to trade speculation but has played well when healthy. Rookie nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat is the weekly apple in NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger’s eye. He has made splash plays seemingly every week this season. Sebastian Joseph-Day is another lineman who has played well for the league’s top-ranked defense. Harold Landry is back up to his old tricks alongside the inconsistent Arden Key. It will be a win for the shorthanded Titans if they meet the Lions to a draw.
Skill-on-Skill Matchups to Watch
If there ever was a get-right game for the Lions’ skill players, this is the perfect chance for them. Tennessee will most likely be missing its top two corners, with L’Jarius Sneed missing two practices this week and Chidobe Awuzie on IR. Amon-Ra St. Brown poses a gigantic threat as one of the best receivers in football. He’ll most likely be lined up against Roger McCreary or Jarvis Brownlee. Jr. The wounded Titans’ secondary has been doing yeoman’s work, but this week presents a speed threat that has not been seen since Miami’s fleet of deep threats.
The Titans traded away one of their best defensive players as they made a like-for-like swap this week. Ernest Jones IV was sent to the Seahawks in exchange for Jerome Baker and a midround draft selection. Kenneth Murray and Baker and the safeties will have a tough time corraling “Sonic and Knuckles,” aka the irrepressible duo David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Young and embattled receiver Jameson Williams will miss this week due to a PES suspension, which takes away a deep threat for Jared Goff.
Titans Offense vs. Lions Defense
Tennessee’s offense has struggled to consistently break the 20-point barrier, breaking the mark only once against the struggling Dolphins. Will Levis is hurt and unlikely to play until next week? It’s clear that Mason Rudolph isn’t the answer, and the Titans rely heavily on the run game to carry the day.
OL vs. DL Matchups to Watch
The key matchup will be whoever the Titans decide to trot out at right tackle against likely James Houston or Josh Paschall. Detroit hasn’t made a significant trade to replace the injured Aidan Hutchinson quite yet, relying on internal options. They should make a move or two to further bolster a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Without Hutchinson, the Lions’ front doesn’t seem as imposing, but given the horrendous Titans’ offensive line situation, it’s still a mismatch.
Skill-on-Skill Matchups to Watch
On paper, the Lions’ talented secondary should hilariously eviscerate the weakened Titans’ skill-player corps. DeAndre Hopkins was rightfully traded to the Chiefs since Tennessee isn’t going anywhere this season. Calvin Ridley is dealing with a foot injury and could be out on Sunday. Detroit has arguably the best safety duo in football, with sophomore Brian Branch elevating his play to another level after a standout rookie campaign. Kerby Joseph is no slouch, either. Tennessee’s only hope is to exploit Terrion Arnold, who has been inconsistent like many rookie cornerbacks. Tyler Boyd and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will be relied upon as the safety valves alongside Tony Pollard. Can the shorthanded Titans draw up a winning combination when they meet the Lions’ stop unit?
Odds and Ends
The Titans lead the all-time series by 10-3. They have played six times since the turn of the century and have been on an Olympic cycle since 2008. Tennessee has won six consecutive matchups between these two teams, and the average scoreline has been 34 to 20. Neither current coaching staff has seen the other very much until Sunday, but a few current players share a bond between the two franchises. Kindle Vildor, Quandre Diggs, Kyle Peko, and Kalif Raymond are those athletes.
Uniforms
🚨BRITCHES REPORT 🚨: The @Titans will be decked out in white jerseys with light blue britches and all white socks in Sunday’s game at the @Lions. 👖 pic.twitter.com/ypc0A4PrSr
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) October 23, 2024
Referee Report
Carl Cheffers is the referee for Sunday’s @Titans vs @Lions game. 🦓
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) October 21, 2024
Cheffers is the most experienced head referee in the league, with 17 seasons as the head official and 25 seasons overall. However, his crew might be the most inexperienced, with only field judge Eugene Hall having more than 10 seasons. The good news is that five of the six on-field officials return to the same crew from last season, so their idiosyncrasies are well in tune with each other. CC’s crew is only one of three to have a former NFL player on it, side judge Nate Jones. Cheffers has three Super Bowls on his CV as a head referee. He has presided over two Super Bowls involving the Chiefs (1-1) and the infamous 28-3 comeback for the Patriots.
The referee has seen the Titans nine times in 17 seasons, with the most recent occasion coming during the 2022 season. His crew has called the league’s fewest accepted penalties in six games, 54. The road team has drawn the ire of his staff by a margin of 31-23. Interestingly, 18 of the 54 accepted penalties have been either offensive or defensive holding. The offensive lines and defensive backs must be on the lookout and get their technique right with his crew in town.
Betting
According to Caesar’s Palace, the Lions are a whopping 11.5-point favorites over the Titans at a -110 money line. The over/under total has been set at an even 45 points. Tennessee is a +460 underdog to pull off the upset, while the heavily favored Lions are at -650.
Detroit is 5-1 ATS, while Tennessee is 1-5 ATS, which matches their actual records in real life. The Titans have gone over three times and under twice with a push on their record. Detroit went three consecutive games under the projected total before ripping off a run of three successive contests going over. If the Lions wanted to do so with all their advantages, they could name their score against the hapless Titans. To our knowledge, Dan Campbell and company don’t hold any ill will towards Tennessee, unlike their lust for merciless revenge against Dallas. Expect the Lions to grab the lead early and play towards a satisfactory conclusion for both sides.
Main Photo: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
