As the Chargers gear up for their toughest run of the season, they host the Tennessee Titans in Week 10. This game is a must-win but for different reasons than normal. The Titans are the weakest opponent the Chargers will face until late December after they face teams like the Ravens, Bengals, and Chiefs. If they head into that stretch with a record barely above .500, it will feel like digging out of a hole to get to the playoffs against these contenders. The Chargers are guaranteed to lose one or two in their tough stretch, so they can’t afford to lose one to one of the league’s bottom feeders.
There is no shortage of injury news going into this game, probably the most important variable. For the Titans, OL Dillon Radunz is questionable, while superstar CB L’Jarius Sneed will not suit up against the Bolts. The Chargers have a long list on the injury report. The players listed as questionable are Joey Bosa, Gus Edwards, Khalil Mack, Denzel Perryman, Trey Pipkins, and Stone Smartt. On top of this, former Titan Kristian Fulton is doubtful for Sunday’s game. The Chargers are at a disadvantage when it comes to injury, but it is possible that it may not matter heading into Sunday.
More injury news for Tennessee is that QB Will Levis will return to the backfield on Sunday. Levis has struggled this season, sporting a 26.8 QBR on the season. This means former Steeler Mason Rudolph will return to the bench, a move that many Titans fans are unhappy with. Levis has had turnover problems when he played, something Rudolph was more careful of. However, Levis will be quarterbacking this offense against the number one scoring defense in the NFL. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but only time will tell.
A big part of this elite defense is the former Titans sprinkled around the unit. FS Elijah Molden has been the unsung hero of the Chargers this season, with three interceptions. DT Taeir Tart is having a comeback year after being passed around by teams like the Titans and Dolphins. Kristian Fulton is also having a bounce-back year, becoming one of LA’s top corners on the roster. These guys will surely play at a higher level, showing their former team what they’re missing out on. The matchup between the Titans’ offense and the Chargers’ defense should be a massacre, but nobody knows exactly how it will pan out.
This should also be a great game for the Chargers offensive weapons. Should Trey Pipkins suit up, Justin Herbert will have a fully healthy line and a lot of time in the pocket. He’ll be able to hit guys like Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston against the depleted Titans secondary. Veteran WR DJ Chark Jr. will make his Chargers debut and maybe find himself as the primary option outside for Herbert, something this roster has been missing. Hayden Hurst is also slated to return to the field, filling out the Chargers’ TE room. JK Dobbins could be joined by his counterpart Gus Edwards, bringing back the one-two punch of this run-game. Edwards’ return could also include more reps for rookie Kimani Vidal than last time the two former Ravens were healthy. For the Chargers offense, it seems like everything is coming together just in time for this Titans game.
Finally, this could be one of the biggest ways for Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers to show how different a team they are now. Last season, Brandon Staley’s Chargers heartbreakingly lost to the Titans. The Chargers should never have lost that Titans game. Now, they face a very similar team with the same number of wins Staley had all last season. If the Chargers can dominate the Titans, they can ride that momentum through the next month against postseason teams and maybe have a good record heading into the next calendar year.