The inactives are out for today’s game at Nissan Stadium between the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons and here they are:
ATLANTA FALCONS: LB Allen Bradford, DE Malliciah Goodman, C Gino Gradkowski, WR Justin Hardy, OT Bryce Harris, CB Dezmen Southward, LB Philip Wheeler
TENNESSEE TITANS: CB Perrish Cox, WR Harry Douglas, S Michael Griffin, NT Sammie Hill, QB Marcus Mariota, G Quinton Spain, RB Terrance West
No notable injuries for the Falcons, so all the inactives are evaluation-based.
That is certainly not the case for the Titans. After Mariota did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, it was clear to me he would not play, and Zach Mettenberger was duly announced as the starter on Friday. Cox and Douglas were also ruled out, with Rico Richardson being elevated from the practice squad on Saturday so the Titans would have four receivers available to play. Griffin and Hill were both questionable to play; I really thought there was a chance Hill would return to the lineup this week after practicing, but alas.
The injuries make what I already thought was a difficult task for the Titans defense even more formidable. Atlanta’s offensive line personnel isn’t great, but Jake Matthews is playing a lot better in his second season, Andy Levitre fits in a zone scheme, and the line is doing a very nice job of working together. That’s a difficult task for a Titans defense that has been poor against the run this season and with some linebackers that have shown susceptibility to play-action. They’re also doing a nice job of moving Julio Jones around and getting him open in different ways. Coty Sensabaugh isn’t going to cover him when he lines up in the slot, at least not likely. This could be a really big game for the Falcons offense.
Defensively, Atlanta does not have nearly the same defensive front as Buffalo or Miami, so the Titans should have a shot in pass protection. I’d add the run game to that, but the run game is starting to feel a lot like last year’s run game to me: bad in its own right, and due to problems of its own making and irrespective of the quality of the opponent. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Zach Mettenberger make a couple plays down the field, most likely to the middle of the field and perhaps to Delanie Walker. Desmond Trufant is a good corner, and my doubts about the Titans’ outside receivers I consider well-established by now, but Atlanta’s safeties don’t scare me. What the Titans really could use from their offense, though, is sustaining drives, and that’s pretty much the opposite of how Zach Mettenberger has played in the NFL.
The Falcons are now favored by 5 points, which is probably a point or two less than I had it pegged mentally when the inactives came out. Mettenberger could put up points, but Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, Julio, and company should put up more. A 31-21-type game wouldn’t surprise me at all, and this is another game where the Titans could get rolled like they were last week.
Recap after the game, snap report Monday, and maaaaaaaaaaybe I’ll make the time to write something this week.
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