It’s been roughly two calendar years since the Tennessee Titans won back-to-back games. That would be Weeks 11 and 12 in 2022. Off a 20-17 overtime victory last Sunday over the Patriots, Brian Callahan’s club heads west to SoFi Stadium to take on the improved Los Angeles Chargers.
The Bolts sit in second place in the AFC West with a 5-3 record, which is significant considering this team won only five games in 2023. New head coach Jim Harbaugh’s club features a tough ground attack and a formidable defense. It’s safe to say that this doesn’t figure to be a high-scoring affair.
All-Time Series Record
Here’s another one of those original AFL series' that dates back to 1960. That year, it was actually the Houston Oilers facing the Los Angeles Chargers. The latter made the City of Angels its original home, and then moved to San Diego in 1961. These franchises met in the first two AFL Championship Games, with the Oilers prevailing in both contests.
Including playoffs, the Bolts own a 29-19-1 overall edge in the standings. This will be the third consecutive year the two teams will meet. The Titans came up with a 27-24 overtime victory last season in Nashville (Week 2). In 2022, it was the Chargers who came up with a three-point win, 17-14, at SoFi Stadium.
Quarterbacks: Tale of the Tape
Will Levis will be back in the starting lineup for the first time since Week 6. That resulted in 20-17 home loss to the rival Colts. He connected on only 16-of-27 passes for 95 yards, one score and one interception. It has been a disappointing year for the strong-armed signal-caller. He has twice as many turnovers (10) as touchdowns passes (5), and has been sacked 15 times. Can the offensive line keep him out of harm’s way?
During his first four NFL seasons, when healthy, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has put up huge individual numbers. It’s been a different story for Chargers’ signal-caller Justin Herbert this season, and that’s not a bad thing. The five-year pro has hit on 65.0 percent of his passes for a modest 1,725 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s been sacked 21 times, but has committed only two turnovers in eight outings.
Defensive Analysis
Coordinator Dennard Wilson’s unit remains the top defense in the league in terms of fewest total yards and passing yards per game. However, this hasn’t been the same group in the second half of contests. The Titans have given up 213 points—125 of those in the final 30 minutes (and overtime). Tennessee has given up 20 offensive TDs, and the run defense has been mediocre. That could be bad news versus the Chargers.
The turnaround has been astounding. The Bolts are allowing a ridiculous 12.6 points per game, best in the league, and have surrendered only 10 offensive touchdowns in eight outings. In Week 3 at Pittsburgh, the Steelers were the only team this season to reach the 20-point mark against this club. Veteran Khalil Mack has 4.5 of the team’s 24 sacks. A club that forced only 21 turnovers in 2023 has 13 takeaways this season.
Keys to the Game
Titans: Eight games into the season, and Callahan’s club has yet to play a “clean” game in terms of avoiding turnovers. Levis and Rudolph have combined for 11 interceptions, serving up at least one pick in each outing this year. There have also been six lost fumbles by the club, and Tennessee’s 17 turnovers are the second-highest total in the league. That could be very bad news against these opportunistic Bolts.
Chargers: Tennessee’s defense will get a heavy dose of power football from Harbaugh’s team. Entering Week 10, the Chargers ranked only 20th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (114.5 average), however former Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins is having a big year. Injuries were a big factor in recent years, but he’s played in all eight games in 2024 and has totaled 126 carries for 620 yards and six touchdowns.
Titans Player to Watch
Wideout Calvin Ridley leads Callahan’s club in targets (59), catches (27), and receiving yards (399). However, he has reached the end zone only twice in 2024, and one of those was via a run. In fact, only two players have more than one touchdown reception this season for Tennessee. Tight end Nick Vannett has a pair of scoring grabs this season. However, wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has emerged as a go-to target for both Levis and Mason Rudolph in terms of the end zone.
The former undrafted free agent has caught only 10 passes in eight games, but he leads the club with four TD grabs. That ties his career-high set back in 2021 in his second season with the Titans. Westbrook-Ikhine has also scored in four consecutive games. It’s worth noting that the Chargers have allowed seven TD passes this season.