The Tennessee Titans will embark on their most notable matchup of the 2022 campaign on Sunday when they travel to Lincoln Financial Field in Week 13 to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
For starters, the Titans facing wide receiver A.J. Brown for the first time is in and of itself a reason why fans had this one circled on their calendar. There’s no doubt emotions will be running high simply because of that.
But this is also an important measuring-stick game for the Titans, as they face a 10-1 Eagles team that is arguably the best in the NFL.
There are a lot of doubts about Tennessee’s ability to make noise in 2022, which is aided by the fact that the Titans have only beat one team with a winning record this season.
That came in Week 5 against the Washington Commanders, who were 1-3 going into that contest.
With the game just days away, let’s take a look at some burning questions for Tennessee.
Will Ben Jones' (potential) return spark the run game?
Derrick Henry has had no room to run these last three games, with The King failing to hit the century mark and averaging 2.8, 3.1 and 2.2 yards per carry in those contests.
The Titans draw a pretty favorable matchup against an Eagles defense that ranks 18th against the run. The caveat here, though, is that Philly has been without rookie defensive lineman Jordan Davis, who has been a big difference-maker against the run for the Eagles, the last four weeks.
However, Davis is eligible to come off injured reserve this week, so keep an eye on that.
While many fans are hitting the panic button on Tennessee’s ground game, that is a bit premature considering center Ben Jones hasn’t been available these last two games due to a concussion.
Jones’ status remains up in the air for Week 13, but there’s a good chance he returns after a two-game absence, the first of his career. Hopefully the veteran can return and provide a boost for this group upfront.
There are multiple reasons why the Titans must get the rushing attack going. For one, it’ll help keep an elite offense off the field, but it’s also the best way to attack Philly, with the Eagles sporting the No. 2 pass defense in the NFL.
The only way to soften that up is to establish the ground game and work off play-action once that’s accomplished, which is Tennessee’s bread-and-butter when the offense is at its best.
Will Denico Autry play?
Another player the Titans missed badly in Week 12 was defensive lineman Denico Autry, who missed his first game since joining the Titans in 2021 because of a knee injury.
No timeline has been given for Autry’s return, so his status is very much up in the air going into Week 13.
The Titans need to put as much pressure as possible on quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to give themselves the best chance to limit a potent Eagles offense. Tennessee’s chances of doing so will be severely impacted if the defensive lineman doesn’t play on Sunday.
Can Titans limit A.J. Brown, Eagles' offense?
The Eagles’ offense has no shortage of firepower, with an electric quarterback and MVP candidate in Jalen Hurts, and two very good players in wide receiver DeVonta Smith and running back Miles Sanders.
And then, of course, we have wide receiver A.J. Brown, the former Titan who is Hurts’ No. 1 option and one of the better wideouts in the NFL.
The only thing that could make a loss to the Eagles worse is if Brown shines. He has become a villain among Titans fans after seemingly wanting out of Tennessee before being traded, followed by some Twitter spats and trolling.
The man who was acquired with one of the picks the Eagles dealt for Brown, Treylon Burks, will inevitably have a brighter spotlight on him for this game. How sweet it would be if the Titans win and Burks has a big hand in it.
Tennessee’s defense has a lot to account for in this game against an Eagles offense that ranks third in points and rushing, and 17th in passing, which is misleading because Philly can be explosive through the air, also.
Even if they can limit Sanders and somehow find a way to slow down Smith and Brown, the Titans still have to account for the legs of an athletic signal-caller, which might be the toughest task of them all, and one the Titans traditionally struggle with.
The Titans don’t have an offense capable of winning a shootout, but the defense has been excellent this season and has proven it can limit great offenses before, so there’s hope yet.
Will Titans go back to Randy Bullock if healthy?
With Randy Bullock missing his second straight game in Week 12, the Titans deployed rookie kicker Caleb Shudak, who made three of his four field goals and one extra point.
Shudak did offer the bigger leg on kickoffs we were expecting, but none of his field goal attempts were beyond 38 yards, so the jury is still out on his ability to make longer kicks.
The concern also, of course, is Shudak succumbing to pressure in a big spot. If he plays in Week 13, there will be a ton of that for a rookie kicker on the road, especially if he’s forced to kick a late field goal that decides the game.
But it’s possible Shudak won’t even play in this game, as Bullock has yet to be ruled out and has a chance to return. However, we still don’t know if the Titans’ plan is to move to their rookie kicker regardless of Bullock’s health, which would be a risky proposition if that’s the case.
Shudak may very well be the long-term answer for Tennessee, but Bullock’s experience is invaluable in a situation like the one Shudak might be facing Sunday.
