Can you draw up a worse start to the 2022 season for the Tennessee Titans? If you can, I don’t want to see it. The Titans blew a week one lead and lost to the Giants at home and then got absolutely taken apart by the Bills in week two. Making matters worse? A handful of key injuries at some big positions have the potential to handicap Tennessee for the rest of the season.
Pass rusher Harold Landry is already out for the year. Left tackle Taylor Lewan appears set to be out for an extended amount of time. Pass rusher Bud Dupree is banged up. Top cornerback Kristian Fulton missed Monday’s game and is trying to work back from a hamstring issue.
Among other injuries, those are just the highlights.
Now at 0-2, Mike Vrabel doesn’t have time to wait on these guys to get back. He’s got to figure out how to get one in the win column, and he welcomes a dangerous Las Vegas Raiders team on Sunday.
The Raiders enter this one also with an 0-2 mark. They dropped a heartbreaker to the Cardinals last week, and the Chargers narrowly beat them in week one.
The Titans enter as two point underdogs here — that number has held up pretty much all week long. The total currently sits at 45.5, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Las Vegas was missing five starters during Wednesday’s practice, including slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. Derek Carr has quickly found chemistry with his old buddy Davante Adams, who came over from Green Bay in a blockbuster trade this offseason. Tight end Darren Waller is still going strong, but the Vegas run game has gotten off to a slow start.
Speaking of slow starts, the Tennessee offensive line isn’t doing much ahead of Derrick Henry, and things might get worse without Lewan in the lineup. Rookie receiver Treylon Burks has been the lone bright spot in the offense, helping to prop up a passing game that has struggled out of the gates.
Ryan Tannehill has to bounce back from a dreadful game in Buffalo. As things currently stand, he might have to carry this offense with the lack of a run game.
These two desperate teams will face off at noon in Nashville. Fox will have the coverage.
