Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker suffered a hip injury that could put him out anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Sitting at 3-1, the Titans are losing their leader at a tough time. Can they continue winning?
Well, the next three games are going to be very tough ones as they face the Kansas City Chiefs (4-0), Seattle Seahawks (4-0) and the San Francisco 49ers (2-2). I won’t say that these games are completely lost causes, but the Titans will be lucky to come out of that stretch at 4-3.
To give them the best chance at winning, there are two big aspects of their game that will need to continue to dominate. First of all, the run game must be at the forefront of the offense. The Titans are averaging just a shade under 120.0 rushing yards per game as a team this year, good for 14th in the league.
Chris Johnson is going to have to step it up big time. Currently averaging only 3.3 yards per carry, he’s not looking like he is in the midst of a contract year — which he most certainly is. He will have to break off a few of those signature 50-plus yard runs and get himself in the end zone for the Titans to continue winning.
With that said, backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be asked to simply manage the game — which most believe he can do. He shouldn’t be asked to win the games, but merely manage them. Johnson and the run game will have to dictate the majority of the offense.
Defensively, the Titans just need to keep doing what they are doing right now. They are a physical unit and rank in the top 10 in both passing and rushing yards allowed — in fact, 10th on the dot in both areas respectively. Tennesse is giving up just 15.75 points per game through four weeks. If that trend continues, I think they have a shot to keep winning until Locker continues.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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