The 0-3 Tennessee Titans travel to Florida to face the 1-2 Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Titans are struggling horribly this season and they haven’t figured out how to fix the turnover issue. The Dolphins sole win was their season opener, but now they’ve lost starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to injured reserve with yet another concussion.
In a game where Tennessee is favored, they desperately need a win to boost morale. In order to do that, Will Levis has to stop turning the ball over. It’s a team effort to make that happen, he needs protection and available skill players to give the ball to. But that is the Titans’ biggest hinderance right now.
The Dolphins will have a new face under center with questions swirling about the health of Tua and if he will return this season, or ever. Still, they have some talented players that will be problematic for the Titans defense, and the Titans have a knack for shooting themselves in the foot.
That said, there are three causes for concern for the Titans entering their Week 4 matchup against the Dolphins.
Will Levis is still the quarterback
Let’s be real, Will Levis isn’t having a good season. He’s responsible for all eight of the Titans’ turnovers, and you can’t blame all 15 sacks on the offensive line. Brian Callahan and players in the locker room have come out in support of Levis and believe him to be the right choice. But if he continues to turn the ball over and cost the Titans games, how long will it take for Callahan to replace him with Mason Rudolph? Levis’ play is a concern and will guide the outcome of the game, regardless of who wins.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
The Green Bay Packers destroyed the Titans over the middle last week. If Miami watches that film and uses Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle over the middle, similar to what is shown below, the Titans will have a massive problem on their hands.
Im not an expert, but Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle across the middle may be a problem for this #Titans defense this week pic.twitter.com/XR8bQoFFIA
— JT Ruhnke (@jt_ruhnke) September 26, 2024
Both receivers are dynamic players, and with a backup quarterback under center, the deep ball won’t be utilized as often. The Titans have to tighten up the middle on defense.
Defensive fatigue is real
The Titans defensive depth is incredibly slim, and the effect of that is starting to show on the field. The defensive players are taking more snaps than they would if they had healthy teammates, which is putting more wear and tear on their bodies. The more this happens, the faster they will tire out. At some point, it doesn’t matter which team is across the line of scrimmage because if the defense is too tired to stop anyone, the game is over before it starts.
That’s probably not the case this week, but the Titans have to figure out ways to get their defensive guys more rest. Their fatigue will still rear its head by the end of the game and could even be what costs the Titans a win if Will Levis hasn’t already thrown the game away.