Go beyond the scoreboard
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Breaking down how the Chargers (7-6) and the Tennessee Titans (7-6) match up heading into their game at 1:25 p.m. PST on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The game will be shown on CBS (Ch. 2) and streamed on Paramount+ and NFL+.
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When Chargers have the ball
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throws a pass while pressured by Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on Sunday night.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A week ago, the return of Mike Williams from an ankle injury helped lead to Justin Herbert’s most productive passing game of 2022 in the Chargers’ 23-17 victory over Miami. Herbert now gets a shot at a banged-up Tennessee defense that ranks 31st against the pass.
Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence threw for a career-high 368 yards against the Titans last weekend, becoming the seventh quarterback to top the 300-yard mark against this defense. Patrick Mahomes torched Tennessee for 446 yards in Week 9.
With No. 2 tight end Donald Parham Jr. coming back from a hamstring injury, Herbert will start the game with all of his projected targets heading into this season available for the first time.
The Chargers have not had success scoring touchdowns from the red zone lately, but if they want to keep playoff hopes alive, that must change with run game.
Despite their struggles against the pass, the Titans are 12th in points allowed. The Chargers have scored as many as four touchdowns in a game only once this season — a 34-24 win at Houston in Week 4. They’ve also still scored more points in the second quarter (156) than they have in all the rest of the quarters and overtime combined (139).
The Chargers average only 7.4 points after halftime, which ranks 28th. Tennessee’s defense is tied for 22nd in second-half points allowed (11.3).
Still, if his protection holds up, Herbert could be looking at another big day and perhaps more balanced scoreboard production.
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When Titans have the ball
Titans running back Derrick Henry, the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,119 yards, carries the ball during a 36-22 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. Tennessee has lost three straight.
(Mark Zaleski / Associated Press)
Against Miami’s speed, the Chargers played a more physical style of defense that flustered the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tennessee offers a significantly different challenge. The Titans typically play more bully ball, relying on the legs of running back Derrick Henry, the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,119 yards. Henry leads the league with 275 carries, 122 more than the Chargers’ top rusher, Austin Ekeler.
The Chargers have struggled — mightily at times — defending the run. But it’s notable that only one of Henry’s six 100-yard games this season has come over the last five weeks as he has been carrying the ball less.
The Chargers defeated the Dolphins in a statement win that renewed their playoff hopes. Can they pick up another critical win Sunday against the Titans?
“He’s the engine of that team, whether it’s running the ball, whether it’s catching the football,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said. “He’s very difficult to tackle in space, where they can kind of clear some things out for him. He just does it all at a high level.”
Tennessee’s passing offense is 29th in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill ranks in the bottom half of most of the main quarterback statistics but is tied for seventh at 7.8 yards per attempt.
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When they kick
Rookie Cameron Dicker has made 26 of 27 attempts — 13 of 14 on field goals, 12 of 12 on extra points — in six games with the Chargers. His lone miss was a 52-yard try in Week 13 at Las Vegas. Veteran Randy Bullock is 12 of 14 on field-goal attempts and 22 of 22 on extra-point attempts for the Titans.
Jeff Miller’s prediction: This is the latest biggest game of the season for the Chargers, who are vying for one of the AFC’s final playoff berths. A victory would significantly boost their chances heading into a final stretch of three games against very beatable opponents. The last two weeks have featured wild misses in this space. It’s time to start a late season push for the playoffs by getting this one correct.
CHARGERS 27, TITANS 20
