Tennessee travels to sunny California to tangle with the rampaging Chargers attack under Jim Harbaugh on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Like most weekends, Southern California has plenty to do, so there won’t be a shortage of options for the Titans to seek entertainment. They could visit the newly erected and spiffy Intuit Dome (home of the Clippers) next door to the palatial SoFi Stadium.
The Chargers are winners of three out of four contests and are a force to be reckoned with. Tennessee presents a reprieve for the Inglewood outfit as it begins a gauntlet of six consecutive games against playoff contenders afterward. The Titans are simply looking for anything positive to take from an atrocious 2024 to date.
Rampaging Chargers Tangle With Tennessee In Week 10
Chargers Offense vs. Tennessee Defense
The Chargers will present a similar challenge for the Titans’ defensive front to the one in Detroit. They feature two young and exceptionally talented bookends. Rashawn Slater is a franchise-level left tackle, while Joe Alt is battling to be the best rookie OT. Alt was heavily linked to the Titans during the draft process before the Chargers took him just before Tennessee’s selection.
It should be a fascinating trench battle that pits former Charger Sebastian Joseph-Day, T’Vondre Sweat and Jeffery Simmons against LA’s interior. Slater battling the rejuvenated Arden Key, who was almost traded, is another crucial matchup. Alt will get to face veteran Harold Landry.
Tennessee’s young secondary faces a rebuilt skill position unit that lost many veterans, replacing them with younger talents like the inconsistent Quentin Johnston, standout rookie Ladd McConkey and leading rusher JK Dobbins. Former Tennessee Volunteer Josh Palmer presents a giant challenge as well.
Linebacker Kenneth Murray knows the Chargers’ offense well, as he played there for three seasons before signing with Tennessee. Mike Brown takes over for the injured Quandre Diggs but will likely rotate with Mike Edwards, who was signed this week. Amani Hooker will be tasked with guiding the secondary along that features youngsters like JBJ, Roger McCreary, and Darrell Baker Jr.
Tennessee Offense vs. Chargers Defense
The Titans’ offensive line took a significant hit when center Lloyd Cushenberry injured his Achilles on Sunday against the Patriots. Coach Brian Callahan confirmed that Daniel Brunskill will start at center, and Dillon Radunz will slide back in at right guard if healthy. It will be a slog for the Titans’ offense as they face one of the best fronts in the league. Khalil Mack was injured last week and hasn’t practiced yet, so his status is unknown.
On the other side will be Joey Bosa, returning to form after missing multiple weeks due to injury. The Chargers’ interior duo of Morgan Fox and Tuli Tuipulotu have combined for seven sacks. Former Titans pass rusher Bud Dupree will also be licking his chops to get revenge. Right tackle has been a sieve all season for the Titans, so if LA is wise, they would relentlessly target that side.
LA has the skill position players on defense to make life miserable for the short-staffed Titans, who are missing Treylon Burks, Tyjae Spears and DeAndre Hopkins. This leaves Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard and Chig Okonkwo as the primary weapons.
Fortunately, it appears that former Titan Kristian Fulton is on track to miss the game. However, another former Titan defender, Elijah Molden, is playing like one of the best safeties in the league. Linebackers Dayian Henley and Denzel Perryman are a good duo, although Perryman’s status is unclear due to injury. Derwin James is still Derwin James.
Odds and Ends
The Chargers lead the all-time series by 29-19-1 over Tennessee. They have played 13 times since 2004, with the Chargers winning 10 of the 13 games. At one point, the Chargers won seven consecutive times in the series. The teams have split the series at two apiece since Los Angeles became their new home.
In Tennessee’s seven visits to the Golden State since 2004, the average margin has been 28 to 16 in favor of LA. Several notable players, including Charlie Whitehurst, Dexter McCluster, Jared Cook, Lorenzo Neal, and Hall of Fame receiver Charlie Joiner, have crossed the divide between the two.
Uniforms
🚨BRITCHES REPORT 🚨: The @Titans will be decked out in white jerseys and white britches, with navy blue socks, in Sunday’s game at the @Chargers. pic.twitter.com/zYIASdneIx
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) November 6, 2024
Referee Referendum
Referee for Titans at Chargers — Craig Wrolstad
https://t.co/MOgVub6goa #TENvsLAC pic.twitter.com/Njeg6bgreT— Fᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ Zᴇʙʀᴀs🇺🇦 (@footballzebras) November 5, 2024
Wrolstad is a veteran of 22 seasons as an official, serving 11 seasons at his current post of head referee. While he is an older official, his crew trends toward the younger side. Only one crew member has more than 10 years of experience. The remaining five have less than double digits, with three having less than four seasons.
Wrolstad’s crew is in the upper half of all crews in terms of penalties called, with 109 in eight games. Of those 109, his staff has called 54 on the home team and 55 on the away team, so there’s hardly an advantage for either team.
Like previous referees on the Titans’ docket, Wrolstad’s crew’s flag share is a majority of the offensive holding variety, with 22 total flagged calls. The subsequent most flagged calls are false starts, so both offensive lines and quarterbacks must be on their toes. Wrolstad has officiated Tennessee games seven times in his career as head referee.
Interestingly, Frank Steratore is on his staff. Steratore is the cousin of retired NFL officials Gene and Tony. He does not come without some controversy.
Betting
According to Caesar’s Sportsbook, Los Angeles is favored by 7.5 points with a money line of -115. The over/under total is set at an even 39 points. The Chargers are 5-2 ATS with one push, while the Titans are 1-8 ATS, mirroring their actual record. LA has gone under in seven of eight tries, while the Titans are more successful at going over, with four successes in eight attempts.
Recommendation: Bet the under on the total. The rampaging Chargers cover the spread as they tangle with the hapless Tennessee offense in Week 10.
Main Photo Courtesy of Andrew Nelles – Imagn Images – The Tennesseean
