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Thursday, November 17, 2022
Tennessee vs. Green Bay Prediction: Packers Look for More Momentum Against Titans on TNF
Our NFL experts predict, pick and preview the Tennessee Titans vs. Green Bay Packers Thursday night game, with kickoff time, TV channel and spread.
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Tennessee vs. Green Bay: Packers Look for More Momentum Against Titans on TNF
Both the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers finished the 2021 NFL regular season as No. 1 seeds. Entering their "Thursday Night Football" matchup, the Titans are in the mix for the top spot all over again, jumping out to a comfortable two-game lead in the AFC South.Those Packers? They're simply fighting for playoff survival.
With their backs against the wall at Lambeau Field, Aaron Rodgers and Co. are coming off their best win of the year, snapping a five-game losing streak with a 31-28 overtime win against the Dallas Cowboys. Still, that only raised their record up to 4-6; they're a whopping four-and-a-half games behind the Vikings in the NFC North and have already lost to them once this season. Barring a historic collapse, they'll be relegated to a wild-card team at best this year, forced to fight for the Super Bowl on the road.
Even that is in doubt, with the Packers a game-and-a-half behind the 49ers for the seventh and final spot. Their schedule includes four teams with winning records over the final seven games, including the 6-3 Titans, the 8-1 Vikings a second time, along with the 8-1 Eagles. There's little to no margin for error.
Can the Packers keep their offense rolling behind their former MVP, setting up back-to-back wins? Or will the perennially underrated Titans keep rolling behind their running game of Derrick Henry and the emergence of receiving threat Nick Westbrook-Ikhine?
Thursday Night Football: Tennessee (6-3) at Green Bay (4-6)
Kickoff: Thursday, Nov. 17 at 8:15 p.m. ET
Broadcast Outlet: Prime Video
Live Stream: fuboTV (only available in Nashville and Green Bay markets)
Spread: Packers -3
Tickets: As low as $48 on SITickets.com*
Three Things to Watch
1. Has Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense rounded the corner?
It's no secret Rodgers has struggled in 2022; through the first nine weeks, he threw more interceptions (seven) than any full season since 2016. In a Week 9 loss against the Lions, Rodgers threw three picks in a game for the first time since December 2017 against Carolina, a game in which he returned after months on the sidelines with a broken clavicle.
"I felt like that was the bottom," Rodgers said last week about the Lions game. "And it was only up from there. I think a lot of the battles that we face are between I and I, between the person that can go out there and dominate and knows that they can and the little voice in your head that tries to knock you out of that confident perch around you."
Rodgers' confidence has indeed been rocked in a transition year, losing favorite target Davante Adams as the Packers' passing attack dropped from eighth to 16th in the NFL. But that offense finally showed signs of life against the Cowboys. Rookie wide receiver Christian Watson, a second-round pick, had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, pulling in two crucial fourth-quarter touchdown catches that brought the Packers back from a 28-14 deficit.
"Just have to win with speed across the field," Watson said of his last of three TD catches overall. "And that's what I did."
Rodgers referred to Watson getting an "800-pound gorilla off his back" while his emergence opened up lanes for supporting cast members, including Sammy Watkins (three catches for the first time since Week 2).
Can the Titans' defense keep pace? Just 25th this season against the pass, two of their three losses this season have come against the league's premier quarterbacks: Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Their third loss came against Daniel Jones of the Giants, who, despite being a polarizing figure in terms of on-field success, has a passer rating just a tick behind Rodgers (93.0 vs. 92.7).
It leaves the door open for the reigning, back-to-back league MVP to make a statement. How you lean on this game depends on whether you think he can push through it.
2. Derrick Henry vs. Packers' run defense
Henry remains a force, piling up 923 rushing yards to lead the AFC. The Titans are 4-1 when he goes over 100 yards on the ground in a game and 2-2 this season when he doesn't; it's a simple offense designed around the success of a future Hall of Famer.
Henry did have a hiccup this past weekend against the Broncos defense, posting just 2.9 yards per carry and 53 rushing yards overall. While the Titans still won, 17-10, the road bump was somewhat expected; Denver's got the second-best total defense in the league (290.4 ypg) and limits opponents to a league-best 4.6 yards per play.
The Packers' defense? They're not so stout. Ranked just 26th against the run, they're allowing nearly 141 yards per game while allowing 100-plus to backs like the Bears' David Montgomery and the Jets' Breece Hall.
As talented as Hall showed himself to be before a season-ending injury? Henry's a long ways better. Expect the Packers' defense to have their hands full, especially on a cold night where the run will be front and center (temperatures at game time are expected to dip near 20 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. How will the other quarterback play?
When Henry's struggles left the Titans in trouble, it was the return of oft-criticized quarterback Ryan Tannehill who bailed him out. A successful return from an ankle injury included a turnover-free performance combined with two impressive touchdown passes to blossoming wide receiver target Westbrook-Ikhine.
While Tannehill shined, backup Malik Willis lost a fumble, the latest mistake after a rough two-week stretch with him under center (135 passing yards, an interception, and a 42.3 percent completion rate). It feels like Tannehill's position is secure for the foreseeable future.
Can he build upon that performance with a passing offense that's still finding their footing (31st in the NFL) after losing lead target A.J. Brown to the Eagles in an offseason trade? Westbrook-Ikhine was the first receiver to post a 100-yard game all season; no one on the roster has more than 24 catches over halfway through the season.
Developing a more multi-dimensional offense may be key to getting the Titans over the hump and winning playoff games in January. Tannehill has been an effective game manager but may need to do more against the Packers' third-ranked pass defense if Henry gets bottled up.
Final Analysis
It felt like, for the Packers, the second half of the Cowboys game was an inflection point. With their season on the brink, the team started clicking and rescued themselves from what felt like near-certain playoff elimination.
The Titans felt inconsistent in their latest effort against the lowly Broncos; Henry's slump may be a case of bad timing here. Add in the comfy confines of Lambeau Field and it feels like Rodgers has an opening to get this Green Bay Packers organization back on track.
P.S.: I would keep an eye out for how Rodgers does with his thumb injury, an issue he's been dealing with for over a month. It seems like he's played through it well but aggravated it during the Cowboys game and was listed as a DNP if the Packers were to practice Monday.
Prediction: Green Bay 24, Titans 21
