Titans’ Tony Pollard, Texans’ Joe Mixon top fantasy options in Week 12

The Titans and Texans face off in Houston on Sunday and both teams boast players who are worthy of starting on your fantasy rosters in Week 12.

The Tennessee Titans head to the Lone Star state on Sunday to face division rival Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. The Texans sit atop the AFC South division with ease and will likely have no issue making the playoffs. The Titans are third in the AFC South but have a division-heavy schedule to end the season which could change things a bit.

The Titans, while it’s been slow, are making progress and beginning to look better each week. There have been a lot of challenges and obstacles to overcome, but even in last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Titans looked better than they have all season.

This week, the Titans’ stout defense faces a dynamic Houston offense that is capable of making big plays. But the Houston defense isn’t as tough as some the Titans’ have faced recently, which provides an opportunity for Will Levis & Co. to move the ball down the field.

Let’s take a quick peek at the fantasy options these two teams provide in Week 12.

Despite missing time with an ankle injury, Joe Mixon has been lighting up the fantasy scoreboard. Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, he rushed for over 100 yards and three touchdowns, plus added two receptions for 44 more yards. He has exceeded 100 rushing yards in six of eight games with the Texans and has a total of 11 touchdowns this season. He is the eighth ranked running back in the league, despite missing time.

Against the Titans in Week 12, he is poised for another strong game. The Titans’ have allowed 13 scrimmage touchdowns to running backs, tied for fourth-most in the NFL. He’s not only going to get his ground yards this week, but he will find the end zone.

Tony Pollard is the Titans’ number one back. That’s not a secret and it’s not going to change anytime soon. Tyjae Spears has been a nice compliment to Pollard on the field, gaining solid yards when needed. But after the Titans’ loss to the Vikings on Sunday, Spears entered the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol. He remains questionable against the Texans, and in games when he hasn’t played, Pollard averages 24 touches per game. It’s still a tough matchup behind a flimsy offensive line, but Pollard will get his touches this week and could find the end zone at some point.

Prior to landing on injured reserve for five weeks with a hamstring injury, Nico Collins was taking the league by storm and sitting at the top of the receiver rankings. Since then, the rankings have changed without him on the field, but his return against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday definitely gave the team a boost. He was a bit rusty, which is expected, and the Titans’ secondary might prove to be a difficult matchup, but by the end of the game when the Titans’ defenders are fatigued, look for him to make his mark.

After DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, Calvin Ridley became the undisputed WR1. Over the last four games, he has 358 receiving yards and two touchdowns and would have had a third had it not been called back for a penalty last week. The Texans’ secondary allows the most touchdowns to wide receivers and gives up over 150 receiving yards per game to wideouts.

Will Levis looks much improved since his return as well, racking up 295 passing yards in Week 11, which bodes well for Ridley going forward. If Levis and Ridley can consistently be on the same page, it could prove to be a solid combination.

Let’s be real; the Titans’ offense is inconsistent at best. Yes, Will Levis played well last week, but on the road against a division rival? It’s going to be a tough test. The Texans’ defense is projected to have the second-most fantasy points in Week 12 behind the Denver Broncos, who are playing Las Vegas. Will Levis is likely to turn the ball over; he has only one game this season where he hasn’t thrown an interception. Plus, the Titans are still trying to find their footing during this rebuild, especially at the right tackle position. If the Texans attack from that side, they’ll have no trouble disrupting the Titans’ offense and having a nice fantasy outing this week.

Titans’ injury report: Arden Key, Roger McCreary, Jeffery Simmons return

The Tennessee Titans saw multiple starters return to practice on Thursday — here is the daily injury report.

The Tennessee Titans were back on the practice field on Thursday and welcomed some starters back after sitting out Wednesday’s session.

 

Outside linebacker Arden Key, cornerback Roger McCreary and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons all were full participants and running back Tony Pollard was limited. This is a positive sign for Key and McCreary who sat out Wednesday due to injury. 

The same cannot be said about cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and tackle Leroy Watson, as both players missed their second day of practice heading into Week 11. They were joined on the sideline by defensive back Justin Hardee, who was limited on Wednesday with a groin injury. 

The Titans will wrap up their practice week on Friday and release their final injury report. 

The Titans complete Thursday injury report is below.

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), OT Leroy Watson (back), CB Justin Hardee (groin)

Limited participant: RB Tony Pollard (NIR/rest)

Full participant: DT Jeffery Simmon (NIR/rest). CB Roger McCteary (knee), OLB Arden Key (back)

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Titans’ injury report: 6 starters sit out practice

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field Wednesday and released their first injury report for the week.

The Titans seemed to be making progress on the injury front heading into their 27-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. With the week’s first practice on hand, it will be the first chance to see if some ailing players could return this week.

The most notable injury remains cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. His quad injury has kept him out for an extended period. Heading into Wednesday, Sneed has not practiced in any capacity since the injury. Unfortunately, Sneed has continued to be sidelined.

Multiple starters joined him on the sideline, including defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, outside linebacker Arden Key, Cornerback Roger McCreary, running back Tony Pollard, and tackle Leroy Watson IV.

Defensive Back Justin Hardee was limited with a groin injury. 

The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest), RB Tony Pollard (NIR/rest), OT Leroy Watson (back), CB Roger McCreary (knee), OLB Arden Key (back)

Limited Participant: DB Justin Hardee (groin)

Full participants: N/A

Everything to know from Chargers’ win over Titans

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 27-17 win over the Titans.

The Chargers beat the Titans on Sunday afternoon, improving to 6-3.

Here’s our recap of the Week 10 win.

It was over when…

The Chargers scored their third touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up by 17 points.

Notable number

Of the Chargers’ six wins, five have come by double digits.

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: Herbert only passed for 164 yards but still looked sharp in that department, finishing 14 of 18, with two going for over 30 yards and no turnovers. He also did an excellent job of using his legs when needed to pick up yards.
  2. RB Gus Edwards: Edwards returned to the field and was efficient on the ground after missing the last five games with an injury. He had 55 yards on ten carries.
  3. Defense: 7 sacks

Quick hits

  • Herbert failed to surpass 200 passing yards for the first time since Week 4. But he was still effective by navigating the pocket well, avoiding sacks, making crisp throws to his receivers, and continuing to take care of the football.
  • Herbert was also impressive as a runner, juking multiple Titans defenders, including former Chargers Kenneth Murray and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
  • The ground game came alive after taking a backseat the past few weeks, and Edwards provided the jolt as he averaged 5.5 yards per carry on ten attempts. J.K. Dobbins had 15 yards on 50 rushes.
  • Jesse Minter’s unit lived in the backfield and compiled seven sacks. Credit goes to Joey Bosa, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree for stepping up with Khalil Mack on the sideline for nearly the entire game.
  • Daiyan Henley led the way with 14 tackles.
  • Speaking of tackles, the Chargers struggled with missed tackles, which has been a slight issue on the defensive side of the ball this season. The Titans averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
  • Derius Davis provided the special teams spark with a 56-yard kickoff return.

What’s next?

The Chargers host the Bengals next Sunday night, Nov. 11, at 5:20 pm PT.

Titans’ Will Levis, Tyjae Spears practice in full, L’Jarius Sneed sits again

The Titans’ injury report after Thursday’s practice ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the Chargers on Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans have seen their fair share of injuries this season. The offensive line is in a shambles after losing Lloyd Cushenberry for the season. With Dillon Radunz also injured, it moved Daniel Brunskill to guard and Corey Levin became the center. Safety Quandre Diggs is also gone for the season, and for the umpteenth straight practice, L’Jarius Sneed continues to nurse a quad injury.

This week, though, the Titans are seeing progress with some of the nagging injuries players have been playing through. Will Levis was a full participant on Thursday, T’Vondre Sweat is not on the injury report, and Tyjae Spears practiced in full. There were a couple of new injuries, but only two players sat out of Thursday’s practice.

The Titans’ Thursday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), RB Tony Pollard (foot)

Limited participants: WR Tyler Boyd (shoulder), S Amani Hooker (groin), DT Jeffery Simmons (hamstring), G Dillon Radunz (foot), RB Julius Chestnut (foot), TE Nick Vannett (neck)

Full participant: WR Calvin Ridley (shoulder), QB Will Levis (shoulder), S Mike Edwards (NIR-Rest), RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring), CB Tre Avery (hamstring)

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Titans vs. Chargers: 3 causes for concern in Week 10

The Tennessee Titans square off in a Sunday battle against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. Here are three reasons for concern.

The Tennessee Titans head west on Sunday to face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Riding the momentum of their overtime win over the New England Patriots last week, the Titans look to continue their winning ways on the road.

But the 5-3 Chargers have their own agenda on Sunday, and they aren’t going down without a fight. The Chargers’ defense is tougher than the Patriots’ defense, and their offense is led by a more experienced quarterback in Justin Herbert than the Titans’ faced in Drake Maye.

This week’s matchup is different in a lot of ways, and while any team can win on any day, there are three causes for concern for the Titans heading into Week 10.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Continued quarterback controversy

Even though Mason Rudolph was the quarterback in both of the Titans’ victories, head coach Brian Callahan still says that Will Levis will play if he’s healthy. Levis has been sidelined with a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins. He returned after the bye week and failed to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, and he’s been on the injury report ever since.

The biggest problem with this scenario this week is that Lloyd Cushenberry, the Titans’ reliable center, is done for the season with an Achilles injury. So on top of not being sure who will be throwing the ball on Sunday, the Titans don’t know who will play center either. If Dillon Radunz is healthy, Daniel Brunskill gets the nod. If not, we see Corey Levin again, which did not go well last week.

The Titans’ offense has some critical questions to answer before kickoff on Sunday, and preparing for a game in these circumstances is less than ideal.

Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Injuries continue to pile up

As mentioned above, Lloyd Cushenberry left last week’s game with an Achilles injury and his season is over. But he’s not the only one who’s dealing with an injury. The Titans have a slew of players on both sides of the ball with some kind of injury. Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley have been playing through injury, and so have Amani Hooker and T’Vondre Sweat. Three of the four offensive players on injured reserve are offensive linemen, and there are five additional players with a questionable status.

On defense, there are six players on injured reserve and two more with a questionable designation.

The Titans can barely field a team at this point, and while they managed to eke out a win last week, it’s not likely to be the same story this week

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Chargers are not the Patriots

The Chargers are a much more established team than the Patriots. The Titans managed to overcome the Patriots in overtime, but the Chargers’ defense is much stronger. The Titans’ offensive line is in shambles, and they don’t know who the quarterback will be. The Chargers will exploit that and do everything they can to get to the quarterback. And, depending on who the quarterback is, they might find success.

L’Jarius Sneed sitting out with injury for a couple of weeks has paved the way for Amani Hooker and Mike Brown to make some plays, but the Titans would really like to get Sneed back on the field. The defensive front, save for T’Vondre Sweat, is relatively healthy, and the Titans will rely heavily on their strongest piece. But they can’t do it all, either.

The Chargers are one of those teams that is hard to gauge this season because of who they’ve played. Still, it won’t be an easy task for the Titans to walk away with a win on the road. We’ll see if they’re up to the task on Sunday.

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Titans injury report: L’Jarius Sneed sits out again

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field Wednesday and released their first injury report for the week.

The Tennessee Titans are banged up as they prepare to take the field Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10 action. Prior to hitting the field to start preparations for this one, the Titans made a couple of injury-related roster moves. 

The team officially placed center Lloyd Cushenberry (Achilles) and safety Quandre Diggs (foot) on injured reserve, likely ending their seasons. To fill one of the roster spots, the Titans signed veteran safety Mike Edwards, who was in Tennessee Wednesday for a physical. 


Once they hit the field, eyes were on the players who sat out the Week 9 victory due to injury to see if there was any chance of a return to action. Unfortunately, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed continued to be sidelined with his quad injury. He was joined on the sideline by defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

Quarterback Will Levis, guard Dillon Radunz, and running back Tony Pollard led the group of eight players that were limited, which included newly acquired safety Mike Edwards. 

Cornerback Tre Avery returned as a full participant with his hamstring injury. 

The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest)

Limited Participant: RB Tony Pollard (foot), WR Tyler Boyd (shoulder), WR Calvin Ridley (NIR/rest), S Armani Hooker (groin), G Dillon Radunz (foot), QB Will Levis (shoulder), RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring), S Mike Edwards (NIR/rest)

Full participants: CB Tre Avery (hamstring)

5 Titans players to watch in Week 10 vs. Chargers

The Chargers return home to face a Titans team that lacks a lot of top-tier talent, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Coming off consecutive victories, the Chargers return to home to face the 2-6 Titans in Week 10. The AFC South has struggled, primarily due to below-average play from the quarterback position.

Tennessee is coming off its second win of the season, albeit against a poor Patriots team. Here are some Titans players that the Chargers will still need to keep their eye on this Sunday to avoid a possible upset.

RB Tony Pollard

Tennessee was expected to have a split backfield this season, but Pollard has completely taken over the job. He’s looked like the 2022 version of himself as he seems to be fully healthy after a gruesome leg injury nearly 24 months ago. Pollard ranks 10th in the NFL in rushing with 622 yards, and he’s added on 135 receiving yards and three total touchdowns as well. The veteran is com

WR Calvin Ridley

Now that DeAndre Hopkins is gone, Ridley is the Titans’ only legitimate threat through the air. In fact, he’s the only Titan with more than 200 receiving yards. In eight games, the 2018 first-rounder has 27 catches for 399 yards and a touchdown. If the Chargers’ cornerback crew is able to slow down Ridley, they should have no problems limiting this Titans offense.

DL Jeffery Simmons

For years now, Simmons has been one of the game’s premier defensive linemen. Despite the team’s lack of success this season, he has still been excellent in every aspect. Simmons is the primary guy that the Chargers offensive line will have to account on every play this weekend. He’s been elite in stopping the run and has added in 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble as well.

S Amani Hooker

Hooker has quietly become one of the league’s most underrated safeties. He’s become a real playmaker for this defense throughout the season. Hooker has three interceptions, seven pass deflections, and two forced fumbles across eight starts. He may be asked to do even more moving forward, as the Titans lost fellow safety Quandre Diggs for the season last weekend.

CB L’Jarius Sneed

Chargers fans are familiar with this name, as Sneed spent four seasons with the Chiefs. He was traded to the Titans this past offseason and eventually signed to a four-year, $76.4 million extension. So far, the deal has looked like a bust. Pro Football Focus has rated him as one of the worst corners in the NFL this season. He’s played just five games due to injuries, but even when he’s been active, the veteran has been ineffective. With how hot the Chargers offense has been lately, look for Justin Herbert to attack Sneed’s side early and often, no matter who he’s guarding.

Titans’ L’Jarius Sneed out, Tony Pollard questionable vs Patriots

The Tennessee Titans released their final injury report for Week 9 and see multiple starters questionable for the meeting with the New England Patriots.

The Tennessee Titans will return home to Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sunday to take on the New England Patriots in Week 9 action. 

Coming off an embarrassing loss against the Lions, the Titans are banged up and could see multiple starters on the sideline against the Lions. 

Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad) is out this week. He will be joined on the sidelines by guard Andrew Rupcich (tricep), who will likely be placed on injured reserve prior to kickoff. The Titans had hoped to have running back Tyjae Spears back this week, but he will also miss another game with his hamstring injury. 

Quarterback Will Levis will headline the list of questionable players for this week and there are a lot of them. Starters Tyler Boyd, Amani Hooker, Tony Pollard, Dillon Radunz, T’Vondre Sweat and reserve Tre Avery are all battling injury and may not go against the Patriots. Full injury reports for both the Titans and Patriots can be found below.

Tennessee Titans

Out: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), OG Andrew Rupcich (tricep), RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring)

Doubtful: None

Questionable: QB Will Levis (shoulder), DT T’Vondre Sweat (hip), CB Tre Avery (hamstring), WR Tyler Boyd (shoulder), S Amani Hooker (groin), RB Tony Pollard (foot), OG Dillon Radunz (foot)

New England Patriots

Out: None

Doubtful: None

Questionable: CB Alex Austin (ankle), S Kyle Dugger (ankle), LB Christian Elliss (abdomen), OG Michael Jordan (ankle), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle/shoulder), QB Drake Maye (concussion), DT Jaquelin Roy (neck), LB Sione Takitaki (knee)

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Titans’ injury report: Six starters miss practice

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field Thursday and saw six starters sidelined with injury.

The Tennessee Titans were back on the practice field on Thursday and again have a huge list of walking wounded as they prepare for their Week 9 battle with the New England Patriots. 

In all, six starters sat out practice due to injury and their availability for the week is unknown. Tyler Boyd, Amani Hooker, Tony Pollard, Dillon Radunz, L’Jarius Sneed, and T’Vondre Sweat all missed practice for a second day. They were joined by reserves Tyjae Spears, Andrew Rupcich, and Tre Avery on the sidelines. 

Quarterback was again a limited participant, but was seen throwing for a second straight practice. This is a positive step after not attempting a pass last week. 

Calvin Ridley and Jeffery Simmons both returned to practice in full. 

The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), RB Tony Pollard (foot), WR Tyler Boyd (shoulder), S Amani Hooker (groin), G Dillon Radunz (foot), NT T’Vondre Sweat (hip), OL Andrew Rupcich (triceps), CB Tre Avery (hamstring), RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring)

Limited participants: QB Will Levis (shoulder)

Full participant: WR Calvin Ridley (shoulder), DT Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest)