Finding Hope and Concern for Titans in Week 8 vs Bengals

Concern

Joe Burrow vs The Titans Cornerbacks

Joe Burrow isn’t playing like the best quarterback in the NFL, he’s not even playing like the best rookie quarterback in the NFL. But right now, he and the Bengals offense are throwing the ball. A lot. That should scare Tennessee.

As it stands today, no team has thrown the ball more on a per-game basis, with the exception of the Dallas Cowboys, than Tennessee’s Week 8 opponent. Sitting at nine total touchdown passes and 5.7 yards per attempt, they’re throwing the ball at a below-average efficiency, but with how the Titans are playing on defense– it might not matter.

The Titans pass defense is one that’s made good quarterbacks look great in 2020, and great quarterbacks look exceptional. Even in throwing three interceptions, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is coming off one of his most accurate, highest volume passing performances in Week 7 against the Titans. It’s a similar story for quarterbacks like Gardner Minshew and Kirk Cousins from weeks prior. Even with turnovers plaguing their box scores, some of their best games of the season came against the Titans pass defense.

Now, the Titans will face their most pass-happy opponent of the year. And when they take the field against talented receivers like Tyler Boyd and the rookie Tee Higgins, they might be doing it shorthanded, with two defensive backs being ruled as out for Sunday’s game.

Burrow hasn’t been playing at an elite level in 2020, but he’s more than capable of taking over a game if the defense isn’t playing well enough. If the secondary doesn’t come to play, it could be a long afternoon on Sunday.