While just about everything has gone wrong on offense for the Tennessee Titans this season, their defense has been quite the opposite, with the unit being the biggest reason this team is 5-2 right now.
The best part of Tennessee’s defense has been its front, which is led by Jeffery Simmons, who has emerged as one of the very best players at his position the last few years.
The Titans are going to need everything they can get from that front in the Week 9 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that sports superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an elite offense.
Thanks to the very different natures of their respective 5-2 starts, the Titans are massive underdogs going into this game, with the Chiefs a whopping 12-point favorite, per Tipico Sportsbook.
Simmons is well aware that there aren’t many out there giving the Titans a chance to win this game, and he says that just gives him extra motivation.
“They have a good team. We know them. They know us,” Simmons said on Thursday. “They haven’t changed. And honestly, we might be missing a couple pieces, but we haven’t changed, and the same with them. They still got Mahomes, they still got Travis Kelce. They want to get the ball to Travis Kelce a lot, and I mean, they got Mahomes back there, who is really a good player. Man, I live for games like this where no one expects us to go in and get a big win. I’m juiced up every game, but games like this just mean a little more to me, because I know what type of team I have, we have here in Tennessee.”
With the way the Titans’ offense has struggled this season, this team can’t afford to get into a shootout, making the performance of the defense vital.
On that front, Simmons says he’s “very confident” the Titans’ defensive front can “dominate” the Chiefs’ offensive line, something we saw it do during the 2021 matchup between these two teams, when Tennessee bludgeoned Mahomes en route to a 27-3 win.
“I know especially that our front four, when we go out there… I watch tape. So I’m looking at the offensive linemen that we have to play against, and I’m very confident that we can go out there and dominate them,” he said. “Like I said, they know us, we know them. I’m looking forward to the matchup upfront. Whoever it may be. [Joe] Thuney or Trey Smith at the guard position. But I’m very confident in our defense going out there and having a great day.”
While Tennessee’s pass-rush remains its biggest strength on defense, the unit will be without outside linebacker Harold Landry, who suffered a torn ACL prior to the start of the season. Landry had one sack in each of the last two regular-season meetings with the Chiefs.
However, Tennessee’s pass-rush has been effective even without Landry, as second-year pro Rashad Weaver has stepped up, Denico Autry is in the midst of another great season, and Teair Tart looks to be taking that next step.
Veteran Bud Dupree has been a big difference-maker when on the field, but staying healthy has been an issue since he arrived in Nashville and he’s questionable with an illness for Week 9.
Simmons did not practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday, but he followed the same path last week before playing and dominating in Week 8 against the Houston Texans.
Big Jeff certainly doesn’t sound like someone who intends on sitting this one out.
