Tennessee Titans score prediction vs. Los Angeles Chargers: Our NFL Week 2 projection is in

Two teams that faced two very different kinds of disappointing defeats in Week 1 will meet in Week 2 when the Tennessee Titans host the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Titans (0-1) will battle the Chargers (0-1) at Nissan Stadium on Sunday (noon, CBS) in a matchup of two playoff hopefuls that lost by less than a field goal in their season openers. The Titans lost an ugly, low-scoring affair against the New Orleans Saints 16-15, failing to find the end zone despite three trips to the red zone as quarterback Ryan Tannehill struggled. The Chargers lost a back-and-forth 36-34 affair with the Miami Dolphins in a game where there were seven lead changes.

Both squads were a play or two away from starting their years with a win. Now the two teams that play so differently are going to have to win the clash of styles to avoid starting 0-2 and falling two steps behind the conference's contenders before October arrives.

Here are The Tennessean's scouting report and prediction for Sunday's game.

Titans offense vs. Chargers defense

The Chargers defense may be exactly what the ailing Titans passing offense needs. Or maybe it's vice versa.

No quarterback had less success last week than Tannehill. He threw three interceptions with no touchdowns and posted a league-low passer rating of 28.8. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was on the flip side of the production spectrum, throwing for a league-high 466 yards and three touchdowns and averaging more than 10 yards per attempt.

This matchup should come down to four players, though, and Tannehill isn't one of them. Chargers edge defenders Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa combined for 10 quarterback hurries versus the Dolphins. Titans left tackle Andre Dillard surrendered six pressures versus the Saints and right tackle Chris Hubbard let up one. If Mack and Bosa have quick access through the pocket, the Titans might not even have the chance to correct their passing woes.

That said, the Chargers allowed the most yards per carry in the NFL last season. The unit limited the Dolphins to just 3.5 yards per carry Sunday, but the Dolphins also don't have a running back like Derrick Henry. They might not even have a running back like Titans rookie Tyjae Spears, who was explosive enough to average 7 yards per touch in his debut.

Advantage: The Chargers have more top-end talent, but if the Titans can get Henry going downhill they'll have a minuscule advantage.

Titans defense vs. Chargers offense

Few teams have ever flummoxed Chargers QB Justin Herbert like the Titans did last year. The Titans intercepted Herbert twice, held him without a touchdown and kept his passer rating below 70, something that's only happened three times in Herbert's career. And that was against an injury-depleted Titans defense that allowed the most passing yards in football.

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler and star receiver Mike Williams both played through injuries in Week 1, and any limitations on them help the Titans offense. But top Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton also played through an injury in Week 1 and safety Amani Hooker went in the concussion protocol following the Saints game.

The Chargers offense is a threat every time it's on the field. Herbert is one of the league's best passers, he has an embarrassment of riches on the perimeter and new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did an excellent job of getting the run game involved in Week 1. But the Titans have one of the NFL's best run defenses and the pass rush was incredibly effective against the Saints, especially when coming from Swiss Army Knife contributors Arden Key and Denico Autry.

Advantage: This one's tough, but the Chargers probably deserve the nod.

Prediction: Titans 20, Chargers 17

It's just hard to disregard the memory of last year's game. The Titans nearly won on the road with Tannehill playing on one foot and six defensive starters missing. Teams change year over year, but the Titans changed enough for the better to be able to take this one at home.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans prediction vs Chargers: Projecting score for Tennessee NFL Week 2