Four Downs: Raiders at Titans – A Chance for First Place?

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by Terry McCormick
TitanInsider.com

Could it be?

If the Tennessee Titans can somehow defeat the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, not only would it give them back-to-back wins in a season for the first time since 2013, but it would also give them a share of first place in the AFC South with a trip to Houston upcoming the following week to break that tie. The Titans, 1-1, could move into a share of the division lead after the Texans fell to 2-1 with their shutout loss at New England Thursday night.

A win Sunday also would give the Titans their first home win over a team not named the Jacksonville Jaguars for the first time since 2013.

So while it is only week three, it’s pretty safe to say that this week against Oakland is a statement game or the Titans and a chance to show that the dark days of the past couple of years might finally be fading.

Here is what the Titans need to do to win on Sunday.

First down: Use the tight end

Delanie Walker came up big in the win over the Lions, who had trouble covering the tight end. He also came up hurting and didn’t practice Friday due to a hamstring injury. The Raiders have had some of the same issues covering tight ends that the Lions have had, so the Titans have to hope that Walker can be effective even at less than 100 percent. Otherwise, cue Jace Amaro, Anthony Fasano and Phillip Supernaw to pick up the slack on Sunday.

Second down: Get pressure to help the DBs

The Titans managed to help their somewhat shaky secondary last week by getting pressure on Matthew Stafford and ringing up four sacks against the Lions. The Raiders boast receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree as well as underrated tight end Clive Walford, so the secondary will have an even taller order than a week ago. Pressure, both with and without blitzing, is a must to slow down Derek Carr and the Raiders offense and give the Titans a chance to win the game.

Third down: Run effectively, run often

The Titans pretty much broadcast it to the world that they want to run the football as much as possible. That said, they need consistency in moving the chains with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry sharing the load. The offensive line graded out pretty well against Detroit, but now works in a new right guard, possibly even newcomer Josh Klein, who has only been with the team three weeks, with Chance Warmack out following hand surgery. How well and how quickly the o-line meshes will be a significant issue to watch, because the Titans need to control the ball and the clock to keep the Raiders offense at bay.

Fourth down: Win on special teams

Special teams struggled with penalties last week, as they were a big part of the Titans poor field position with five drives starting inside their own 10. The Titans have to avoid those kinds of mistakes this week in order to win the game.

Untimed down: Hope for some Marcus magic

Marcus Mariota showed poise and moxie well beyond his years in Sunday’s comeback at Detroit, directing a pair of fourth-quarter TD drives and going 9-of-9 on the game winner. The Titans keep saying they want to re-establish a homefield advantage that dried up several years ago. The best way to do that might be to hang in the game long enough to give Mariota a chance to pull it out in the fourth quarter.

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