The Tennessee Titans are coming to town, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will need to beat them to get back on track.
The Bucs and the Titans are 3-5, but Tampa Bay remains in a bad division and could get back into contention with a win on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Titans have officially handed over the reigns to rookie quarterback Will Levis, and he’ll be hoping to be the second rookie in two weeks to decimate the Bucs defense.
We sat down with Titans Wire editor Mike Moraitis to go behind enemy lines and discuss Levis, Tennessee’s strengths and weaknesses and players that may have flown under the radar this year that Bucs fans may need to look out for. Check out our discussion below:
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Moraitis: They’re thrilled. It was a move that simply had to be made after Levis has looked better than Ryan Tannehill in two games. There’s no question Levis has provided a spark, and he’s renewed hope in the future, also.
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Moraitis: The theme of the Titans’ season has been inconsistency. Sometimes the defense looks elite, but other times it’s the opposite. The pass-rush can be dominant one minute and then disappear the next. Coverage has been poor all season long and the run defense has been terrible over the last four games. On offense, pass protection has been bad overall and run-blocking has been inconsistent, which has no doubt limited the offense.
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Moraitis: With it being the most consistent part of the offense this season, the ground game has been Tennessee’s biggest strength on that side of the ball. However, Levis’ play has elevated the passing attack and it could challenge the rushing attack moving forward. The offensive line – and more specifically, pass protection – is by far Tennessee’s biggest weakness on offense. Now that the run defense has struggled, the pass rush is Tennessee’s biggest strength on defense and is capable of taking games over. However, the group up front hasn’t been able to do that consistently. Coverage remains the Titans’ biggest weakness on defense, but the run defense has begun to challenge that.
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Moraitis: Well, having the personnel certainly helps, but Vrabel stresses fundamentals and winning in the trenches. His hard-nosed style as a player has definitely translated to his approach as a coach.
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Moraitis: Running back Tyjae Spears remains a part-time player in the offense behind Derrick Henry, but he’s made the most of his limited opportunities. He’s an electric player who can impact the game, both on the ground and through the air.
(AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Moraitis: I think Levis takes advantage of the Bucs’ lackluster pass defense and has a career-best game in terms of yardage. Tampa Bay will have success against the Titans’ inconsistent defense, but not enough to win this game. Titans 27, Bucs 24.
