Two AFC teams jostling for relevancy face off when the Titans and Chargers travel to London to play at Wembley Stadium.
The Chargers lead the all time series 26-14-1, and have won 10 of their last 11 against Tennessee.
The Titans are coming off a 21-0 blowout loss to the Ravens. They beat the Eagles 26-23 in week 4, and lost 13-12 to the Bills in week 5.
The Chargers are coming off a 38-14 romping of the Cleveland Browns. They beat the 49ers 29-27 in week 4, and beat the Raiders 26-10 in week 5.
The Chargers are 6.5 point favourites at home on Bovada, and an O/U total has not been posted yet.
The Titans offense was an eyesore last week. Marcus Mariota actually absorbed more sacks than he had completions in the game. Mariota went 10/15 for 117 yards, and was constantly under duress. He was sacked 11 times for a total of 66 yards, which is absolutely extraordinary in today’s NFL.
Tajae Sharp was the Titans leading receiver with 2 catches for 33 yards, while tight end Anthony Firkser caught 2 balls for 25 yards. The Titans only rushed for a total of 55 yards, 21 of which came on a Mariota scamper. Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry combined for 12 carries for 30 yards. As mentioned earlier, the O line allowed 11 sacks, most of which were coverage sacks, as Titans receivers struggled to find separation all day. Tennessee only totalled 7 first downs, and Brett Kern punted 9 times.
Considering the fact that Baltimore almost doubled up the time of possession on Tennessee, the defense did not play terrible. They struggled to get pressure up front, and let Joe Flacco nickel and dime them up and down the field. Baltimore ran the ball over 30 times, eating up clock on their way to 123 yards on the ground. Kevin Byard did pick up an interception on a tipped ball, but the coverage all around was fairly soft.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
OG Quinton Spain (shoulder) – questionable
EDGE Derrick Morgan (shoulder) – questionable
DT Bennie Logan (elbow) – questionable
The Chargers pretty much dominated Cleveland in all facets, jumping out to a 21-6 lead by halftime. Philip Rivers only threw the ball 20 times, completing 11 for 207 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT. Tyrell Williams only had 3 catches, but made the most of them, beating Cleveland over the top consistently for 2 touchdowns of 45 and 29 yards.
Keenan Allen caught 4 balls for 62 yards, and also rushed 4 times for 41 yards. The Chargers ran the ball 36 times for 246 yards as a team, with Melvin Gordon leading the way with 18 carries for 132 yards and 3 TDs. The Browns didn’t generate much pressure when LA did throw the ball, but the Chargers only allowed 1 sack, and consistently opened running lanes for Gordon and Austin Ekeler.
The defense played very solid with the lead, picking Baker Mayfield off twice, and sacking him 5 times. Desmond King had both interceptions, but the Chargers secondary continued to show some susceptibility.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
OT Joe Barksdale (knee) – questionable
LB Jatavis Brown (groin) – questionable
Woof. The Titans offense can’t possibly be that bad again right? Well considering they’re among the league’s worst, averaging 14.5 points per game, I wouldn’t say it’s out of the question. Marcus Mariota was under pressure on pretty much every drop back he had against Baltimore, and the Chargers have the capability to take advantage of the suspect Tennessee O line. Tennessee’s receivers may look at the Chargers secondary as a step down from Baltimore, which they are, but still have playmakers capable of shutting down the Titans receivers.
Don’t look now but the Chargers are 4-2 with their 2 losses coming to the Chiefs and Rams, who most claim as the 2 best teams in the NFL. Philip Rivers is playing like an MVP candidate, and Melvin Gordon is playing up to his lofty draft status. Tennessee’s defense isn’t bad, but the Chargers have the firepower to take advantage where they can. I’m gonna take the Chargers to cover at home.
We believe their offense is among the best in the league, and Tennessee doesn’t have the capability to keep up on the scoreboard. This game opened at -6, and I could see it getting up to 7 or 7.5 before next weekend, so if you want a piece of LAC, I’d do it ASAP.
Final Pick: Chargers (-6.5)
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