The Titans head into the home stretch of their regular season and now host the Miami Dolphins, who suddenly have put things together and found playoff life that did not necessarily exist early in the season.
The Dolphins are much like the Steelers and 49ers, teetering on the cusp of the playoffs. And like those teams and the Titans, every game is vital down the stretch. So the Titans can expect to get Miami’s best shot Sunday.
First down
Take care of the football. The Titans have been their own worst enemy in losing three of four games before the Thursday night vs the 49ers. In losses to the Texans, Patriots and Steelers, Tennessee is minus-13 in the takeaway/giveaway column.
Second down
Dominate with defense. The Titans defense has become a strength of the team over the course of the season, especially with the dominance up front. The big thing is whether they can force some turnovers and create some short field chances for the offense, which has been inconsistent.
Third down
Run, run and run some more. The Titans have found something with D’Onta Foreman filling in for Derrick Henry. The Titans need to rely on the run and keep the ball in good down and distances to make play action effective.
Fourth down
Regain some offensive confidence. The Titans haven’t appeared very confident on offense in recent weeks. Whether that is true or not, sometimes perception is reality. The lack of explosive plays in the passing game has been a problem, and with the return of A.J. Brown, perhaps both the confidence and explosiveness has a chance to return.
-- Terry McCormick