Tennessee Titans: Three Titans to Watch VS Green Bay Packers

July 29, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Michael Preston (14) catches a pass during training camp workout at the Titans training facility at Baptist Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

The (5-9) Tennessee Titans go to Lambeau Field this weekend to meet up with the (10-4) Green Bay Packers in a matchup that will have Titans fans peeking through the fingers of their hands as they cover their eyes. The Titans won in an ugly game against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football but will now be heading north, to the frozen tundra, something that has never been good for the Titans. Not only that, but they’re facing the Packers.

It could be an ugly game for the Titans, especially if their offense continues to struggle. Here’s three Titans performances I’ll be keying in on Sunday:

WR Michael Preston

All the defenses are keying in on Kenny Britt, seems as he’s the big threat. They’re also watching the ever dangerous Nate Washington. This game could be a big one for Preston. Titans leading receiver Kendall Wright suffered some cracked ribs against the Jets on Monday and probably won’t take the field Sunday. Preston has played in two games and seen the attention increase in his second game, where he saw three targets, two of which he caught for a total of 31 yards. He’s a big target who has yet to drop a pass. He could be key for an offense minus TE Jared Cook and possibly without Damian Williams and Kendall Wright.

OLB Zach Brown

Surprise, surprise. A guy I was originally questioning when the Titans drafted him instead of an O-lineman in the 2nd round of this past draft has really turned into a great asset for the Titans. Brown has 4.5 sacks on the season with two of them coming from the last game. He seems to be everything the Titans hoped he would be and should be used to pressure Aaron Rodgers. His success at getting to the QB Sunday could go a long ways towards the Titans success as a defense.

QB Jake Locker

Locker had a rough game against the Jets Monday. He made some mistakes that left some shaking their heads, but even worse, it resulted in overreaction from nearly everyone watching. The fact that he was playing against one of the best defenses in the league didn’t seem to get as much attention. In fact, the Jets are the second best pass defense in the league. With the Packers, he get a defense ranked 14th, which should prove a little easier for him, though they are turnover hungry. The Titans are a long shot to win this game, but if anybody can will them to do it, it’s Locker. His performance is key.

The Titans are big underdogs headed into this game, but they do make a horrible habit of coming on strong in the second half of seasons despite being out of playoff contention. Slop feast of a season or not, the Titans are still in this game. Especially considering the fact that their defense has really come together the last few weeks. Who’d have thunk blitzing could be an effective defensive technique?

The Colts beat the Packers. Why not the Titans?

You can find me on Twitter @JustinLStewart