NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The Tennessee Titans (4-8) are massive underdogs (-13.5) Monday night in Miami (9-3).
On paper, it looks like a horrific matchup for the Titans who have struggled to score points on the road all season. Tennessee is 0-7 away from Nissan Stadium this season and has not scored over 16 points in any one of those games. Meanwhile, Miami is averaging 32 points per game and 6.9 yards per play, the most in the NFL.
Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel knows the challenge of preparing for the Dolphins prolific speed.
“Well, we certainly won’t be able to replicate all the speed. I think that being in the right spots and being sound and all those things, that will play into the fact that once they have the ball in their hand, we’re going to need some extra people to help and to take great angles and use your leverage and your help, and all those different things that we talk about when tackling,” Vrabel said.
Miami is especially fast on the outside with receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Both receivers are having monstrous seasons and Hill has to be considered an MVP candidate.
In 2023, Hill so far has 93 receptions, 1,481 yards, and 12 touchdowns, while also averaging 15.9 yards per catch.
Waddle, on the other hand, has 57 receptions, 743 yards, and three touchdowns, while averaging 13 yards per catch.
The Titans will be without starting cornerback Kristian Fulton because of a hamstring injury suffered last Sunday against Indianapolis. Star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons will also miss the game for the Titans with a knee injury.
Pressuring quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could be the Titans best path to victory. In the Dolphins three losses Tagovailoa has been sacked 10 times. Ball security has also been an issue for the Miami quarterback this year; he has 10 interceptions and 10 fumbles, so if the Titans are going to defend Hill and Waddle, it has to start with getting after Tagovailoa.
Of course, the best way to defend them is keeping them on the sideline. If there was a good time for Derrick Henry’s first 200-yard game of the season, this would be it for the Titans.
“I think that’s going to be the easy thing, to say it,” Vrabel said. “We’re going to have to go out there and do it against a good defense, so hopefully we can drive it and possess it, and then if not, we’ll have to go defend whenever we have to and try to create some turnovers, but yeah, I mean they average 32 points a game for a reason.”
Special teams is the other area to keep your eyes on in this one. Things went so poorly against the Colts that the Titans fired Special Teams Coordinator Craig Auckerman and lost punter Ryan Stonehouse for the season to a knee injury. Tom Quinn will make his debut Monday night as the Titans interim Special Teams Coordinator and Ty Zentner makes his debut as the Titans punter and place holder.