Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - CROSSOVER WEDNESDAY - Titans v Packers: Titans Ugly Offense, Green Bay's Turnaround & Game Predictions

Episode Date: November 16, 2022

The Tennessee Titans take on the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football this week and both teams are trying to see what kind of team they can ultimately be. The Packers are trying to catch momentum and go one a second half run. The Titans are trying to right the ship on offense to buoy the teams playoff hopes. This is a Scooby Doo game. Next, how will the Titans contain rookie stud WR Christian Watson and how will the Green Bay defense plan to limit Derrick Henry! Finally, Tyler & Peter give their predictions on who will win this game and what the score may be!!Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFLBuilt BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!PrizePicksFirst time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDONSimpliSafeWith Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnNFL to learn more.BlueNileMake your moment sparkle with Blue Nile. Go to BlueNile.com and use code lockedon to save fifty dollars on your purchase of five-hundred dollars or more.BetterHelpThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/LockedOn and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, a big primetime matchup on Thursday night football between the Tennessee Titans and the Green Bay Packers lies ahead. It's time for a crossover Wednesday to break down this game with Peter Bukowski from Locked on Packers. The biggest storyline for each team, what are matchups we are looking for, and then our game and score predictions. Can't wait to dive into it on a crossover Wednesday edition

of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome inside another Locked on NFL Crossover Edition. It is Locked On Packers and Locked On Titans. I'm Peter Bukowski with Locked On Packers.

Tyler Rowland with Locked On Titans for a Thursday night tilt between the Packers and the Titans. Two teams that want to run the ball, that want to rough you up in the trenches. And we might have snow. We might have freezing rain. We might have all kinds of fun stuff at Lambeau field. This is going to be a good one. Today's episode brought to you by our friends at prize picks.

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That's prizepicks.com with the promo code LOCKEDON. Tyler Rowland, Locked on Titans. This is a 6-3 football team that I don't think you or I think is a 6-3 football team. But maybe you do more than I do. What is the biggest story facing this team? Coming off a win against the hapless Denver Broncos, what is the biggest story facing this team right now? against the hapless Denver Broncos.

What is the biggest story facing this team right now? Well, I think for the Titans, it's just a repeat over and over of where we're at in the season. The Titans, like you said, are 6-3. They don't really look like a 6-3 football team when you look at the numbers. Even when you look at the film, especially of the offense, it's perplexing because you look at a team like Denver, who's like the best defense in the league and the worst offense.

Well, the Titans might be the second best defense in the league and then the second worst offense, but the Titans are 6-3 and the Broncos are 3-7 or whatever. All I can say to you there is coaching. But the reality is I think the big story for Titans fans right now is frustration with the offensive side of the ball because while the Titans Titans offense is poor, I mean, 32nd, 31st, whatever you want to call it, every Titans fan, even, you know, the most pessimistic of them all, which some people

might say I am the most pessimistic you could be as a real Titans fan. There is hope there. Like, when you have a healthy group of wide receivers, no, it's not a world-beating group, but Traylon Burks is a talented rookie who's done some good things. Nick Westbrook-Akina, who had two touchdowns, went over 100 yards on five catches against the Broncos, has the ability to make some plays. Robert Woods, of course, a savvy vet who can't maybe be what he once was, but can sit down in zones and move the chain. Same thing with Austin Hooper. Him and

Robert Woods are very similar, just at different positions. Chigokonkwo, the Titans' young rookie tight end who's incredibly explosive. He was the fastest tight end in the NFL draft this year. There are only two tight ends in the NFL with multiple catches of 40 yards or more. One of them is TJ Hawkinson, who's a pro bowler, and the other is Chig Okonkwo. Wow. He's gotten one catch in the last two games, one against the Chiefs and then one against the Broncos.

He went for 40 yards in both of those. That was the only catch he had. He had five targets total in those games. So although the offensive line isn't great, there are some backups there. Although the wide receiver group hasn't been healthy or great so far this year, same thing with the tight ends,

there is, there are ingredients available to make a better meal than what the Titans are getting week to week. And I say all of this to say the Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing is absolutely disgusting, quite frankly. It's bizarre. And in a press conference this week, Mike Vrabel, with a straight face,

told the Nashville media that the only thing that he cares about from his offensive coordinator is making sure that the quarterback can hear the play call. As long as the OC gets the play call to the quarterback, he's done his job. Now, Mike Vrabel is a historic, legendary liar when it comes to dealing with the media. Like he is clearly,

he may not be in the Belichick coaching tree, but he clearly learned from him as a player. He half-truths, outright lies. I mean, that's what Vrabel does when he talks to the media. It's the reality there. So I'm sure he's being facetious. But I do think it does give you a window into the low expectations he has. And I think Titans fans, while being happy they're 6-3,

also realize that if the offensive game planning and the offensive coordination doesn't get better, then this team is just going to waste another year of great defense and Derrick Henry's prime. And no matter how many games they win in the regular season or who they beat, they're going to get smoked in the playoffs or lose in the first round in the playoffs unless the offensive coordinator starts to do just logical things to make the offense better, like target your best playmakers and things like that.

So I think the biggest storyline for the Titans is, are they going to do that? I don't know. We'll see. I have a lot of stats that I want to throw at you later and try and have you make sense of them for me because this offense, like none of it makes sense to me. And so I'm going to, you're going to have to try and explain it to me like I'm five Ty, but in Green Bay, there's a little bit of the same just because Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback

and this offense has been bad most of the season. But then that brings us to what happened on Sunday. The Packers go out and get a win against one of the best teams in football that was relatively healthy. They put 31 points on a great Cowboys defense, albeit without Anthony Barr. So that means Micah Parsons has to spend more time as an off-ball linebacker, less time rushing the passer.

I actually think for as good as Dan Quinn has been this year as a coordinator, that was a pretty big misstep. I'd much rather them just play a backup linebacker and let Micah Parsons go hunt quarterbacks. Very happy that he did what he did because it made life much easier on the Packers and Aaron Rodgers to get this passing game going. But then that brings us to this question. Who are they?

Are they the team that early in the season was winning games despite not playing their best? You go in and you beat Tampa. You beat the Bears. And you beat the Cowboys. Or are you the team that is blowing double-dig digit leads to the Giants, the Washington Commanders and the Lions game? Like what what what team are you moving forward? Because you get to decide now, right? I mean, the Packers get to decide.

Are you the team that just beat the Cowboys or are you this other team? They're dealing with injuries just like Tennessee is dealing with injuries. They're dealing with a short week just like Tennessee is dealing with a short week. They have to decide if they still think this season is worth fighting for. And I was really heartened to see them in the fourth quarter. Now they had the ball, so it's not quite the same, but going into the fourth quarter, they're down 14 Cowboys franchise history, 195 and Oh, with a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. 195, I'll say it again, 195 and 0. Wow.

And now they're 195 and 1. And I told, we have a weekly guest on, I told Elisa, our pal yesterday, I said, I actually felt, even when they were down 28-14, that they could come back because Christianian watson and what he could be and i think that's that is right now a huge story in in this short week can he build on that because you're talking about a guy the first packers receiver rookie receiver with three touchdowns in a game since james lofton 1978 and only the second rookie receiver to have three touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. The other, the guy named Randy Moss.

So this is pretty good company that Christian Watson is in. Watson actually kind of compares to a little bit. I have a video of Christian Watson. Just freak speed, vertical threats, lanky body type. There is no Randy Moss. This guy looks like Moss a little bit. Randy Moss had ridiculous hands, adversity catches. It's different. There is difference. But there are little bit. Randy Moss had ridiculous hands. Right. It's different. There is difference,

but there are little things there, you know, there are some, there are some strings to pull for sure. So there's, there's a lot that that's interesting about this game to me. And, and I think that,

that, well, let me, let me ask you before, before we, we get to some other things here. What is the most interesting thing to you, story-wise, about this game?

Not just the Titans or the Packers, but just the one thing where you're like, I'm really excited to see this thing. Well, I think it's about learning who these teams are. Yeah. Because I think that there are two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum. The Titans have a 6-3 record,

but it doesn't really seem like they're as good of a team as their record is. The Packers look like a pretty good team who just had some clunky things happen to them early, and they look like a team who's better than their record is. This game is either a step in the direction of, wow, the Titans are better than we thought they were, or it's going to be a step in the direction of, uh-oh, here come the Packers. So that to me is the biggest storyline is this is a Scooby-Doo game. Let's call it that. It's a Scooby-Doo game because at the end, we're going to rip the mask off and see who

these teams really are. Clip that one out. I love it. I absolutely love it. And there may be some spooky things that happen for sure. Short week, spooky things tend to happen. Today's episode brought to you by our friends at Blue Nile. As the original online jeweler, Blue Nile offers the largest selection of independently graded diamonds and pieces priced significantly below traditional

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And one more, let me indulge our listeners here in my show, because I have to. Thanks for making Locked on Packers and Locked on Titans your first listen every day. For your second listen, check out Locked on Sports today. From the games that matter the most to the biggest stories in sports, go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes with the local experts and insights only Locked on can provide. Locked on Sports today. I host it. Tyler's on it.

He comes on. We have a great time. Available on the Odyssey app, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts. All right, deep breath after that one. Let's get into the X's and O's here. I want to set you up this way because I was pouring over the numbers. here I want to I want to set you up this way because I was pouring over the numbers and I'm looking at this and I'm going okay they're they're last in yards per drive they're second last in net yards per drive bottom of the league in in so many of these offensive statistics the only team

that throws for fewer passing yards per game than the Titans are the Justin Fields Chicago Bears so but they're sort of a middle of the pack scoring offense let me phrase it this way um how red zone offense um it changes pretty consistently. But I do believe at this time, the Titans are still number one in the NFL in red zone offensive percentage. And when we say red zone offense, just meaning how many times you score a touchdown when you get into the red zone.

So basically, the Titans aren't getting many chances in the red zone, but they're converting them right now. 60 or 76.2% red zone conversion rate. That's number one in the NFL, despite only having 21 red zone opportunities, which is second to last in the NFL. So basically the Titans have a great third down defense. They get you off the field. Again, the numbers change quite consistently, but throughout most of the season, the Titans have been the number one third down defense in the NFL. So they get people off the field consistently. They're solid in the red zone, if not tops in the NFL, they're solid in the red zone. And then on the offensive side of the ball, they don't turn over the ball. And if they get you to the red zone, they are going to score a touchdown. So they're taking advantage of their opportunities.

And the defense has just been incredible. I mean, a lot of the answers that we're going to come back to here with the Titans are just the defense is incredible. And at the end of the day, you can look at the passing numbers and look at the Titans past defense, which I think by yardage is like 31st in the league. You can look at all that if you want to. But at the end past defense, which I think by yardage is like 31st in the league. You can look at all that if you want to, but at the end of the day, that's not a real representation of the Titans defense. The representation that you want is 214 pressures on the year, 19 more pressures than second place. And the Titans have already had their bye. So the Titans get far more pressure on teams' quarterbacks than any team in the NFL.

So despite the just paltry pedestrian offense that truly is as bad as it sounds, for how terrible the offense is, the defense is that great. So for the offense, though, simply, yeah, once they get to the red zone, they score and they get opportunities because the defense gets people off the field. Only two teams punt on more than half of their possessions. The Titans are one of them.

And the only other team that does it, they played on Sunday. They are the worst team in the league, avoiding three and outs. They go three and out on over 30 percent of their offensive possessions like the the offense i could i could just go through these numbers all day i was looking at them going how is this team have six wins and to your point it is that this defense has just been really unbelievable this season especially with all the injuries to do it

when you've had issue you know harold landryry, um, out for the season, right? He had 12 sacks last year, right? Not playing Bud Dupree in and out of the lineup. Uh, you have Jeffrey Simmons in and out of the lineup. Um, it just, the sort of the list goes on and on Imani hooker out of the, in and out of the lineup. Um, Christian Fulton. I mean, all these guys have had these injuries and yet they've been able to sustain it because

guys like Danico Autry have been really good. And you're, you're getting like Mario Edwards, just like revitalizing his career in Tennessee. Looks like a different, like unrecognizable that guy. I watch the Titans going and I'm just like, wait,

is that the, is that the same guy, the same guy that was, that was with the Raiders and the giants and the saints and the bears and the, and the Jaguars. And now that like, this is like his 18th team for a reason. And now all of a sudden he looks like not just a starter, but an above average starter. It is, I can't explain it other than what you said at the top. Oh, Hey, well, uh, Kobe can't explain.

Uh, and that's coaching. Yeah. Yeah, well, that's what it really comes down to is, you know, I say the answer is red zone, you know, all this stuff, the third down defense, the pressure, all that. But at the end of the day, it comes out of Mike Vrabel is just an incredible, incredible coach managing the game, leading men, which I think, you know, we get into the weeds of the film and the numbers and all that.

But at the end of the day, it's a game played by people. And that's why we have this analytics first on field intuition conversation and blah, blah, blah. At the end of the day, you just can't discount the people aspect of a game like this. And I think Mike Grable is tops of the league with a guy like, you know, John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, in terms of that kind of coach. What's also interesting is they are 15th in yards per drive, but fifth in points per drive. So there's a little bit of bend, but don't break. Right. And, and part of that is you can give up some yards, but then when you're creating pressure, like they do, you get sacks, you get turnovers, you get fumbles because you're putting

this pressure on opposing offenses and and i think that's that what's also interesting is they don't blitz no not at all they're one of them i think they're one of percent yeah they're one of um the the number that i saw they bliss less than 20 which is yep um one of the lowest numbers six just yeah only a handful of teams um blitz that infrequently they've been at the bottom of the league all year because they don't have to because they can just get home with their guys four even their backup front four right well that's the other thing is is they are deep it's not just mario edwards and jeffrey simmons and didico autry it's it's you know, DeMarcus Walker and DeMarcus Walker, Sam, Oakway and no new flowers. Yeah. Rashad Weaver. I mean,

it's unbelievable really. And so I need to know from you, I mean, I noticed early in the week and, and you mentioned Mike Brable, a notorious liar of these guys that, that had been missing time on Monty Hooker, Bud Dupree, Jeffrey Simmons, who right now, as we record this late on Tuesday night, who do you expect to be available that has been out for the Titans? With the understanding that this is just sort of like

informed speculation and we'll see when we see. Yeah, no worries there. I do want to say quickly, just for fun, just to highlight how the Titans just love to lie. Like last week on're resting Derrick Henry today. And they made up the wrong thing. You know, everybody freaked out. Like if they would have put, like, wrist or shoulder, nobody would have batted a nod.

But it's just a great example. But the Titans missed five starters on defense last week. Number one cornerback Christian Fulton, maybe the best defensive player in the entire NFL this year, Jeffrey Simmons. They were missing Amani Hooker, one of the better safeties in the NFL. They were also missing Bud Dupree, who, I mean, shocker that they were missing Bud Dupree. Talk about setting money on fire. Oh, but they're so good when he's on the field.

Well, they would be good with any NFL level starter because the guy replacing him is a bum. So, you know, not bum. I hate when, you know, it's just fun to say bum. But, you know, replacement level players. But anyway, I digress. So the Titans were without five starters. The only person I don't expect to play in the game is Bud Dupree. Wow.

I would expect Jeffrey Simmons back, Christian Fulton, Amani Hooker. They were playing. They were practicing. So Christian Fulton, Amani Hooker. They were playing. They were practicing. So Christian Fulton almost played in the game last week. It was a game-time decision. So out of all of those starters for the Titans, the only one that I think won't play in the game is Bud Dupree, and that's great news for Titans fans.

What about this Packers offense would scare you if you're the Titans? I would say Christian Watson. I would say just because so far this year, bigger wide receivers like that have gotten great matchups with the Titans. So on one side, you're going to have Christian Fulton in the slot. You're probably going to have Roger McCreary. If not, you're going to have Elijah Molden. At the other cornerback spot, you're either going to have Roger McCreary

if he's not in the slot, or you're going to have Terrence Mitchell as kind of a journeyman in the NFL. And while they've had their moments, I think a guy like Christian Watson with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball, which you know where it's going to be and how that can work out. I think if you can get Watson off of Fulton and get him on Mitchell or McCreary, you're going to have yourself a day because Mack Hollins went for 10 catches, 158 yards and a touchdown on Terrence Mitchell. Guys like Alec Pierce dominated on Terrence Mitchell. Daini

Brown dominated that matchup when it was Caleb Farley, just that third cornerback spot on the outside of the formation. If you can get Watson matched up with Mitchell or McCreary enough, could be a very good day for Baby Moss. So what's interesting is the Titans are by DVOA, so defense adjusted value over average.

This is basically how you are adjusting for opponent, the worst set team in the league, defending the deep ball. And I think the reason that that hasn't come back to bite them based on at least what I've watched is because they just don't give quarterbacks time to set up and throw deep. Yeah. And so if the Packers can run the ball effectively, which is going to be really hard because this is the number one team in adjusted line yards, they win at the line of scrimmage consistently.

Right. But if the, if the Packers can get to their play action game, Packers scored on, on the Christian Watson, two of those touchdowns are play action plays. So if you can get to those plays, I think you have an opportunity with the speed of someone like Watson.

It looks like Randall Cobb could be back for this game, although he's not a deep threat, but, but could, you know, create some issues in the middle of the field where your safeties are going. Okay. Do I, do I cut this crosser with the understanding that there could be something in behind and I need my corner to replace and all that stuff. That's where I think green Bay to your point, the Christian Watson point,

if you're the Packers and you're looking at, okay, the offensive personnel against this defensive personnel, you have to create some variance. You have to create some shots. I think that's where they have to find ways to manufacture some offense, the same way they did against the Cowboys. And if they can run the ball,

at least a little bit effectively, that makes it so much easier to play action into all of that good stuff that they want to do down the field. And that Aaron Rogers is just so good at. Well, that's what they need to do. They need, they need to at least a couple of times, leave in some blockers to ensure that they have enough time to take those deep shots. Cause I think if you put the Titans in a position to guard those deep shots, a couple of times a game, you're going to get a PI. You're going to get a deep completion. You're going to get an explosive play, but you got to give yourself enough time. So I think

that'll, that'll be something that the Packers have to find a way to build into the offensive game plan. It's just a couple of shot plays with maybe max protection to make sure you can get the ball off and give your guy a chance. And AJ Dillon had a big blitz pickup on a, on a play last week where that gave Aaron Rodgers a little extra time. Mercedes Lewis is someone they love to leave in as a, like a, basically a six offensive lineman. He's basically a six offensive lineman for them anyway. Um, and so that, that is something that I think we will definitely see. Um, and, and I think the degree to which it works is, is ultimately going to decide this game, frankly, but online, let's talk about it. Your number one source for all of your sports betting info, is ultimately going to decide this game, frankly. Bet online.

Let's talk about it. Your number one source for all of your sports betting info, stats, news, and analysis. I remember the last time I talked to our buddy Tyler when we did Packers-Titans. He hit big on taking the Packers in a game that the Packers absolutely boat raced the Titans back in 2020. I saw it coming.

I know the Titans, Okay. I know. And I am part owner in the Packers. So I feel like I know the Packers pretty well. See, there you go. All of the, that's why this is a great show for you to listen to. If you want to try and make some money on the gambling side of this, we're always the fastest and easiest way to get you the information and bet online is the fastest and easiest way to get your bets in and then get your money out. If you want to do that bet online where the game starts. And Ty, if you indulge me one more time, thanks for making Locked on Packers your first listen. For your next listen, check out Locked on Sports. Today, my show.

Please, thank you. The biggest stories in sports, plus instant reactions, big game recaps, and the take of the day, which has been in the relatively recent past, has been Tyler's take, by the way. Locked on Sports today, available on the Odyssey app, YouTube, and wherever you get podcasts. One of my favorite ones of those Tyler was Luke with the Vikings saying, I believe, I believe I'm drinking the Kool-Aid.

And then like, they haven't lost for three straight weeks since he's done that. And I just like this guy, Vikings fans having hope. It is the weirdest thing. I don't understand it. But right. It was like the Jaguars fans acting like they were going to be awesome at the beginning of the year. Remember that?

Unbelievable. I mean, locked on, even posted a video trying to dunk on me because I laughed at the Jags at before the season. Well, who's laughing now? Locked on. Who's laughing now? Nick Angst that. Yeah.

Take that, Nick. All right. So it's prediction time. And this is, I have picked against the Packers. I picked against the Packers with the Bills. I picked the Packers to beat the Lions, but I picked against them a couple times now over the last couple of weeks. And I just, I don't think I can do a show on Tuesday like I did.

And a show on Monday, like I did when I, when I actually called the Titans frauds and then I walked it back a little bit and pick the Titans. I just can't do it. So I'm going to take the Packers in this one, but in a low scoring kind of game, I think this is a, this is a 20, like the Titans. Every game this season has been 21, 17.

And I feel like this is going to be another 21, 17 game, but, but the Packers get the win. This game opened at, at Packers giving two. And I think it's up to three already. And I wouldn't be surprised if,

if we got the hook at some point here, especially with, with some of these guys coming back for green Bay, I think they're able to run the ball just enough to set up that play action and then load up to stop Derek Henry. I don't have supreme confidence that Joe Barry is going to do the thing that he needs to do. And that is just like, make sure Derek Henry doesn't beat them. But the one thing that gives me a little bit of hope is he said the first tape he watched in green Bay to get a feel for this team and the defense and all that stuff was Packers Titans, because he felt like that was there. Or maybe Matt LaFleur said this was the best defensive

performance of that season. It's the most complete game the Packers have played in the Matt LaFleur era. So of course you're going to watch that game. Obviously if the Packers recreate that, it'll be a long day for Tennessee. It probably will not be quite that impressive, but I think the Packers can do enough and score enough to win. Yeah. Well, I think that's great tape to watch because schematically speaking, something that the Packers did in that game is number one, we're always going to have five guys on the line of scrimmage. We're going to clog you up in the middle. Your wide zone scheme where you're inside trio, the center and the guard, execute the double team.

Somebody gets up to the second level on a backer, and you open up these holes for Henry. We're not doing it. We're going to make your offensive tackles be the guys who climb up to the second level because your interior trio is going to be dealing with one-on-ones with our down linemen. Even when the Titans went super base, heavy base with multiple tight ends, the Packers said,

fine, we're going to put four guys with their hands in the dirt on the ground, have two guys on the outside, and have one backer in the middle, a 6'1", basically like what the Patriots started running against. I forget who the Patriots ran that against. The Rams. The Rams, yeah, exactly, the wide zone. So the Packers did that. And even when they only had five guys on the line of scrimmage,

they'd take that second backer, the second off-ball backer, and they'd walk him up like a yard or two in front of the line of scrimmage. Number one, you're able to get quick penetration, and you're preventing the Titans from getting to the second level, which is how the offense executes. So if Joe Barry watched that, I know it was Mike Pettin at the time, right, as a DC. If Joe Barry watched that and he decides to go with that game plan again,

it does give me concern. And quite frankly, I've been thinking about it all week. And I think he will return to that because the Broncos did a little bit of that this week. Just clawed the interior of the Titans offensive line and you ruined, the best part of the Titans offensive line is their interior trio.

The tackles, rookie NPF, journeymanman Dennis Daly they're not the better players right Taylor Luan from my Packers listeners he's out out for the year so so and probably maybe out for career I think there's a good chance he retires and just works on his media career which is very successful yeah on the podcast yeah yeah he's he's great he's great uh, I think that the Packers have the game plan already written within the annals of, of Packer history for what to do. And this Titans passing offense is even less explosive than it was then. So that team had AJ Brown, that team had Johnny Smith was on that team too. Right. Uh, if it was 2020, then I believe Corey Davis would still be around.

Johnny Smith, it was right before they left because they left after 2020, not 2019. So to me, with a watered-down Titans offense compared to what we've seen before in the plan already written, I do believe in the Titans defense. You said earlier they're frauds, maybe at the end of the day, overall, whatever. But pass rush will travel. Wait, to be clear, the defense is not fraudulent.

Right, right. The 6-3 record is fraudulent. And that's why even though they may have a fraudulent record, they may not be as good of a team as the record says, they still have the ability to win any game any day if the pass rush truly does dominate them. 100%. I just wanted to get one question from you about the Packers here.

The offensive line struggles early on these show injuries. I know you're too good of a host. It's too natural for you, but Hey, whatever. I'll oblige. I love talking. What's up with the Packers offensive line before I make my prediction, where's the health Bakhtiari, Jenkins, DNPs, and the estimated. What's the offensive line like right now? That's rest. That's rest.

Now, we can't be sure with Bakhtiari. Right. Because last time he missed a game, it was right up until game time. And then the next week, the same thing happened with Elton Jenkins. Now, that was a different set of injuries. That was not a re-inflammation of the knee. Bakhtiari is still this bulky knee. We don't know. I actually think the rest and not really practicing this week is going to help get David Bakhtiari, um, to game time. Um, and then guys like Josh Myers, he's

top 10 in things like pro football, focus, pass block, um, win rate, ESPN's past block, win rate, John Runyon jr. Um, in past block grade, one of the top guards in the league. I love Runyon. I love Runyon out of the draft. Yes. He's a really pass on people like him. I picked him for the Packers in round four in every mock draft.

I did every single one. I was like, no, he's a Packer. Just write it in ink now. And then Josh Nyman, what an unbelievable story, Ty. Right. This guy is by ESPN's pass block win rate, the number one offensive tackle in football this year. David Bakhtiari is third.

When David Bakhtiari has played, he's been David Bakhtiari. Right. That's the beauty of it. But, and that's to be expected. Yash Naiman is a, he's 6'7". He's a dancing bear. He's an unbelievable athlete with incredible length. He is right now second in run block win rate.

He, because they get him on the move. They're doing these pinball runs where he can go and hit guys in space. And he has just been unbelievable. His growth as a player has been truly something to watch. And it's the kind of thing that there, there have to be teams around the league going, how do the Packers keep doing with, with,

with these guys? I'm sure the Titans are one of them. They need some offensive linemen. That would be great for, for the Titans. I guess at the end of the day, if the Titans defensive line dominates the Packers offensive line, then the Titans can win the game.

Because in my opinion, other than quarterback play, pass rush is the most important element of football. I'd take a good pass rush over a good coverage unit any day of the week, eight days of the week, all day. I'm a pass rush guy. So if the Titans pass rush can dominate the matchup, then they'll win. But I just think the Packers can, like I talked about, max protect, take those shots down the field, swing passes, make the Titans defensive backs on the perimeter,

tackle, swing passes to Aaron Jones. Even if the Packers don't run the ball well, I think their passing game can still have some success. If the Titans don't run the ball well, they're cooked because this ain't the Denver Broncos. I know Titans fans are going, well, they didn't run that. Well, this ain't the Broncos. Okay?

So to me, at the end of the day, I trust the Packers passing offense more than I trust the Titans passing offense. So I got Titans 24 to 17 in this game. I haven't seen the Titans score over 17 points since NOM. So I don't believe that they can and honestly I'm just trying to be optimistic I think there's a chance it's you know 24-13 something like that I love the Packers betting wise in this matchup but I'll go 24-17 Packers listen I you know I picked against the Packers last week

and Marcus Mosher was on this was on this show he absolutely nailed it I think he had 24- but he or 27 24 but he said Aaron Rodgers late Mason Crosby field goal nailed it he nailed it Marcus is very good at at his work he is listen we we've we follow our teams very closely I just the Packers have been very they've been inscrutable this season and so it is very hard to to get a handle on them. But I think you're right. I look at this game and I see a pretty big quarterback advantage for one

team. And I see a pretty big offensive line advantage, just like not, not matchups, but just offensive line for offensive line. Just talent. You look at some of the underlying numbers. You can,

you can, you don't have to squint too hard to see that the Titans by in terms of pass protection are the worst offensive line in the league. You look at pro football focuses grades, you look at pass block win rate, the worst pass block. Yeah. The worst pass blocking team in football with a quarterback who struggles if it's not clean against Aaron Rodgers and an offensive line that's, that's playing really well in pass protection, I have a hard time betting against Aaron Rodgers in a situation like that. Can I just say it's funny that you say the worst pass blocking offensive line in the league, which they're definitely up there, a quarterback who struggles when he doesn't

have a clean pocket. And let me add in bottom of the barrel, bottom of the barrel, NFL play calling, and maybe the worst group of wide receivers in the NFL. So add all that together and you get what you get with the Titans offense. But other than that, the passing game is really a nice, it's really nice. Um, we're going to have a lot of fun and we'll be back.

You and I are both going to be live on our YouTube channels after the game to have some fun with this one. The shows will go out very late in your podcast's feed. Come check us out there. Thanks for making both of us your first listen every day. Stay locked on Packers. Stay locked on Titans. Let's go.