The Green Bay Packers will attempt to run the win streak to two games and get to 2-1 after three weeks when Matt LaFleur’s team travels to Nashville to play the winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
It’s currently unclear if Jordan Love — who is listed as questionable — will play. He practiced all week and appears on track to play, but it’s possible the Packers will decide to sit him for another week to make sure his knee is strong enough for the rest of the season.
Regardless of if Love starts or it’s Malik Willis for another week, the Packers
Here are five keys to the Packers beating the Titans on the road in Week 3:
Force Will Levis into more mistakes
Few quarterbacks have been as careless with the football to start the 2024 season as Levis, who has thrown three interceptions and lost a pair of fumbles through two games. The Packers enter Week 3 leading the NFL in interceptions and takeaways. The key to continuing both trends will be pressure. Levis has made bone-headed decisions amidst chaos, which can be partly blamed on the ineffectiveness of the Titans offensive line but also Levis’ Jay Cutler-like playstyle. As was the case with Cutler, forcing Levis to make decisions under pressure is the big key. Get disruption around him and Levis will try to make a play or two that isn’t there on Sunday.
Turn big plays into points
The Titans have already turned the ball over five times and allowed two blocked punts. More than likely, the Packers are going to get a short field or a chance to drastically change the game’s momentum at some point. They must convert these opportunities. The Packers have turned six takeaways into only nine points, in large part due to issues turning red-zone trips into touchdowns. When the Titans inevitably open a door on Sunday, the Packers must take advantage. A blocked punt for a touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown ruined Week 1 for the Titans, and a terrible fumble in the red zone and a blocked punt helped the Jets escape in Week 2.
Beat the blitz
A secret ingredient to the Titans’ stingy start on defense? Remarkable results blitzing the quarterback. On 17 dropbacks featuring blitzes from the Titans, opponents have completed only 5-of-17 passes for 28 yards. Here’s where the difference between Malik Willis and Jordan Love could be huge in determining the outcome. Love will be better suited for diagnosing blitzes pre-snap and getting the Packers into the right protections and plays, especially in a road environment. That said, it’s possible Willis’ legs and escapability could be assets against a blitz-happy defense. Either way, the Packers must have answers when Dennard Wilson brings extra pressure.
Illusion of complexity
Matt LaFleur’s foundational principle on offense will be required against the NFL’s No. 1 defense in yards allowed per play. The Packers need to mix another well-designed run game with a passing plan that can attack when the Titans commit more resources to stopping the run. And it all needs to look similar pre-snap to keep a tough and experienced defense on their toes. Unlike last week, the Packers probably won’t be able to line up and run the ball 50 times against the Titans. Can LaFleur get the ground game going early and give the Packers offense — regardless of who is playing quarterback — a chance to attack downfield in the play-action game?
Force passing situations, end drives with sacks
The Titans have run the football 33 times and passed the ball 18 times on first down this season. This offense wants to run the ball on early downs to set up manageable down and distances for a young, inexperienced quarterback. The Packers must keep Tony Pollard contained on first and second down and get Will Levis into obvious passing situations. The Titans are really struggling to protect the quarterback, especially from the right side of the offensive line. After attempting to keep Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson in the pocket the last two weeks, Sunday’s showdown in Nashville should be an opportunity for Rashan Gary and the rest of the defensive front to pin their ears back and attack. The Titans have allowed an NFL-high five sacks on third down so far in 2024. Turnovers are great, but sacks on third down are nearly as good as a takeaway.
