6 burning questions for Titans ahead of Week 16 game vs. 49ers

The Tennessee Titans will have little time to reflect on their disappointing 19-13 loss in Pittsburgh on Sunday. They’ll turn right around and host the red-hot San Francisco 49ers on “Thursday Night Football.”

The 49ers are currently riding a two-game win streak in the series, with the Titans’ last win at home against San Francisco coming in November 2005.

Despite losing three out of their last four, Tennessee still holds a one-game lead and the tiebreaker over a second-place Indianapolis Colts team that is making a lot of noise behind superstar running back, Jonathan Taylor.

The Titans are still without Derrick Henry, but they are inching ever closer to getting their MVP back for the playoffs, and they can clinch the AFC South with a win over the 49ers on Thursday, combined with a Colts loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

In advance of their matchup, here are five questions to keep tabs on leading up to and throughout the Titans and 49ers contest in Week 16.

Can the Titans get something going on offense?

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The Titans have struggled to replicate their scoring output without Derrick Henry in the lineup. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has perhaps suffered the most in Henry’s absence combined with key injuries in the wide receiver corps.

And it’s no surprise that in the Titans’ last three losses, they have managed to score just 13 points in each contest. Tennessee looked fairly solid in the first half against the Steelers. Ideally, you would like to see them convert the two field goals into touchdowns because the wheels completely fell off in the second half of the game.

Tannehill completed just 12 passes for 37 yards over the final two quarters, while the Titans committed three of their four turnovers.

Making matters worse, the Titans failed to protect Tannehill once again, as we was sacked four times. That cannot happen against a 49ers defense that has 36 sacks, tied for the ninth-most in the NFL.

Can the Titans limit the turnovers?

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The Titans’ meltdown at Heinz Field was in large part due to the ineffective offense down the stretch and four costly turnovers overall. Mike Vrabel’s squad has committed 13 turnovers in its last four games, which simply cannot happen if the Titans have aspirations for a deep playoff run.

Against the Steelers, Anthony Firkser’s fumble early in the second quarter, Racey McMath’s fumble in the third quarter, Tannehill’s interception early in the fourth quarter, and the botch snapped between Ben Jones and Tannehill rounded out the turnovers for the Titans, all of which set Pittsburgh up with great field position.

They enter Thursday’s matchup with a -7 turnover differential and tied for the second-most giveaways in the NFL. Simply put, the Titans have to take care of the football.

Which wide receivers will be available?

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That said, the success of the offense will largely be dependent upon the health of the Titans’ wide receivers.

Julio Jones exited Sunday’s game with another hamstring injury and did not return. Based on his previous run-ins with hamstring injuries this season, the odds wouldn’t seem to favor the Titans having Julio in their back pocket.

Perhaps some good news on the A.J. Brown front — the Titans wide receiver was moved to the team’s “Designated for Return from Injured Reserve” list on Monday afternoon, potentially setting the stage for him to return on Thursday.

However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports that because of the quick turnaround with the game being on Thursday, it’s considered “a stretch” for Brown to return against the Niners.

While nothing has been finalized yet, it could be tough sledding yet again for the Titans offense without Jones and Brown.

How will Titans' ground game fare against 49ers' run defense?

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D’Onta Foreman has been everything the Titans could have asked for and more after he was elevated from the practice squad in Henry’s absence.

It took a couple of weeks to get going, but Foreman has rushed for 155 yards on 35 carries over the last two weeks, including 108 yards on 22 carries against Pittsburgh.

Tennessee also has a pair of 200-yard rushing games over its last three.

Of course, the Steelers’ run defense was the second-worst entering the contest, but the Titans still had to go out and execute. That’s exactly what Foreman did, and he also contributed with a couple of key catches.

He’ll have a much taller task against the 12th-ranked 49ers run defense, which is allowing just 108.6 yards per game.

Can Titans' defense keep playing at an elite level?

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Even without multiple starters, the Titans’ defense has been playing at an elite level this season, and especially the last two weeks. Tennessee has been particularly good against the run in 2021, ranking second in the NFL.

Without an end to their offensive woes in sight, the Titans need yet another great performance like the one we saw in Week 15 if they’re going to right the ship following Sunday’s loss.

The Niners come into this game red-hot on offense, with San Fran averaging 29.1 points per contest over its last six, and five of those games have resulted in wins.

Tennessee’s defense won’t only have a tough task in keeping San Fran’s offense in check, but it’ll have to do so enough to overcome the Titans’ unreliable offense that isn’t providing any support in the points column.

Will the short week help or hurt the Titans?

Syndication: The Tennessean

The good news is that the Titans can erase Sunday’s disappointing loss with a win on Thursday. The bad news is that the Titans play again on Thursday.

The shorter duration between games condenses the recovery times for banged-up players, allows less time for preparation, and can be difficult to transition the focus from one team to the next.

Since the league introduced “Thursday Night Football” in 2006, the Titans are 11-12 in such games, with their last win coming against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 season.

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