NFL Game Of The Week: Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Rams

The 6-2 Titans will travel to SoFi Stadium Sunday to take on the 7-1 Rams. Tennessee will be without star running back Derrick Henry, lost for the season following Sunday's win. 

The Titans beat Indianapolis 34-31 Sunday for their fourth straight win, padding their lead in the AFC West to three games. Henry suffered a foot injury in the first quarter that at first seemed innocuous. He was looked at by team trainers on the sideline, but returned to play, finishing with 68 yards on 29 carries. But after the game it was revealed that doctors believe he suffered a Jones fracture, requiring season-ending surgery. Now every pundit in the land is proclaiming the Titans are done, Adrian Peterson is being signed to the practice squad, Mike Vrabel is calling Bill Belichick for tips, and Ryan Tanehill is preparing to throw 50 times a game. Funny how quickly things can change in the NFL. 

Just how valuable is Henry to the Titans? To start, since 2019 they are 18-3 when he rushes for more than 100 yards in a game, 8-10 when he doesn't. Henry was the NFL's leading rusher in 2019 and 2020, and his 937 rushing yards and 10 TDS lead all backs this year. The Titans are averaging 147.6 yards per game on the ground in 2021, good for fourth in the league. So the answer is, he's very valuable. 

The Titans signed Peterson to their practice squad on Monday, with a plan to promote him to the 53-man roster. Peterson spent last season with Detroit, rushing for 604 yards and seven touchdowns on 156 carries.  How many carries Peterson will get is unclear, as Henry's backup Jeremy McNichols is also in the picture. McNichols is a fifth year back out of Boise State, originally drafted by the 49ers in 2017. Primarily used as a pass-catcher with Henry as the featured back, he has 38 yards on seven carries this season, along with 21 receptions for 203 yards and a TD. 

Are the Titans done? You'd hope Ryan Tannehill and his receiving core don't think so. Tannehill threw for 265 yards and three TDs (along with two picks) in Sunday's Winn. A.J. Brown was on the other side of a lot of those throws, finishing with 10 receptions for 155 yards and a TD. Brown's 35 catches and 509 receiving yards lead the team. Tennessee is averaging 229.1 yards passing yards per game, 21st in the league. Tannehill has completed 172 of 262 passes this season (60.6%) with 10 TDs and seven INTs. His 2002 passing yards are good seventh in the league. 

Chester Rogers (14 REC, 186 YDS, 1 TD) Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (14 REC, 141 YDS 2 TD) and Tight end MyCole Pruitt (10 REC, 127 YDS, 2 TD) make up a a group of receivers who are theoretically about to see a lot more action with Henry out. Veteran Julio Jones (17 REC, 301 YDS) is also in the mix, but is listed as questionable for Sunday. Jones has been battling a hamstring injury and has yet to catch a touchdown pass this season. McNichols' 203 receiving yards are third on the team, and if the Titans decide to go with Peterson as their featured back, look for him to continue to be utilized as a dual blocking and receiving threat. Los Angeles is vulnerable against the pass, giving up 264.1 yards per game though the air  (21st). The Titans have a chance to immediately come out and make the case that they can win without Henry. 

The Titans defense has done well against the run, giving up 100.8 yards per game, good for 8th in the league. Their problems area is against the pass, where they rank 24th. This will be an issue against a Rams team that enters averaging 301.8 yards per game through the air, good for fourth. Linebacker David Long Jr.'s 40 solo tackles lead the team. Safety Kevin Byrd has a team-leading four interceptions. 

How are the Rams racking up all these receiving yards? Look to Matthew Stafford. Acquired in a trade with Detroit in the offseason, the veteran QB has completed 188 of 273 passes for 2,477 yards with 22 TDs and just four picks. He's currently ranked second in both passing yards and touchdowns passes in the league. Cooper Kupp is his favorite target, having hauled in 63 receptions for 924 yards and 10 TDs, all best on the team and best in the league. Robert Woods (38 REC, 458 YDS, 2 TD) Van Jefferson (39 REC, 392 YDS, 2 TD) and Tyler Higbee (36 REC,  273, 2 TD) are a few other targets Tennessee will have got contend with on Sunday. 

The Rams are also solid on the ground, with Darrell Henderson Jr. (110 ATT, 507 YDS, 5 TD) and Sony Michel (65 ATT, 251, 1 TD) leading the way. It's gonna be a long day for the Tennessee defense. 

Like the Titans, the Rams defense has done better against the run, giving up 103.4 yards per game (11th) than they have against the pass. Safety Jordan Fuller leads the team with 36 solo tackles. Jalen Ramsey, Taylor Rapp, and Troy Reader are three Rams with two INTs a piece. And there's always DT Aaron Donald to contend with. Donald has 32 tackles this season (13 solo), and he should able to lead the charge up front to slow down who ever ends up getting the bulk of the carries for the Titans. Newly acquired Von Miller has 19 tackles and 4.5 sacks this season with Denver, but he's listed as questionable for Sunday's game. The Rams will look to work him in slowly in order to maximize his potential for what looks like a guaranteed playoff run. 

Prediction 

I'm not convinced Tennessee's season is over, but they'd have a tough time beating the Rams even with their star back on the field. L.A. simply has too many weapons on offense. 

Rams 31-Titans 21.