The Titans home opener won’t be an easy one as Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers come to Nissan Stadium. Here are the Titans keys to victory.
First down
Get the passing game in sync. The Titans were terrible in the passing game. Ryan Tannehill was off the mark on more throws than just his three interceptions. The throws were imbalanced too much toward DeAndre Hopkins, with Treylon Burks and Chig Okonkwo barely involved. That needs to be more balanced.
Second down
Run the ball. Mike Vrabel once wore a hat that said something to this effect, but the Titans got away from that in the opener vs. the Saints. Derrick Henry had just 15 carries for 63 yards and the Titans had twice as many passes called as runs. Henry showed he is still the Titans most effective weapon. He needs to be the featured back. Besides, running the ball might help keep Joey Bosa from wreaking havoc on Tannehill.
Third down
Pressure Herbert. The Titans defensive front was the one aspect of Sunday’s game that was truly impactful. They will need to have even more of that this week to slow down Herbert and the high-powered Chargers offense.
Fourth down
Find a way. As bad as the Titans played in the opener, they were literally one play away from breaking their now eight-game losing streak. It could have been Tannehill hitting either Tyjae Spears or Okonkwo instead of overthrowing them. Or it could have been the fumble/no fumble by Derek Carr that Kevin Byard returned for a TD, but to no avail, thanks to a questionable call. Either way, this team needs to find some way to get back in the win column.