The Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers battle it out on Sunday for a Week 9 contest at Nissan Stadium. The Chargers are 5-3 on the season and are big favorites to take down the 1-7 Titans on the road this Sunday.
The Bolts are coming off their biggest win of the season in blowout style at home against the Minnesota Vikings, 37-10. Los Angeles dominated that game from start to finish and saw some crucial players come back from injury. That really propelled the Chargers in that game, seeing the likes of Joe Alt, Denzel Perryman, Khalil Mack, and Trey Pipkins playing. Derwin James, Tarheeb Still, and Mekhi Becton got banged up in that game, and their statuses for this week are still up in the air. Still won't play in Week 9, but James and Becton did practice on Tuesday.
The Titans are coming off another loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. The Colts scored 38 points for the second consecutive week as they are really pounding the AFC right now. The Titans just did not stand a chance on the road. They managed to reach the end zone twice, which is a positive for this team. In fact, the last time the Titans scored two touchdowns in a game was against the Arizona Cardinals in their lone win of the season. Tennessee will have another uphill battle against the Chargers on Sunday.
This outcome has a chance to be a blowout win for the Chargers, but the Titans are not going to quit. If Tennessee can limit turnovers and see success on third down, they have a chance to keep this game close.
Let's get into some bold predictions for this Week 9 class in Nashville.
Bold Prediction No. 4 – Tyjae Spears Scores For Second Straight Week
The Titans have a chance at trading running back Tony Pollard after this Week 9 contest against LA. The odds of Pollard being utilized in a heavy workload are slim. Pollard should continue to get his share of carries, but he won't be the running back that scores this weekend.
Backup Tyjae Spears is back from injury and could emerge as the starter soon. I expect Spears to find the endzone for the second consecutive week. Last week, Spears ran the ball nine times for 59 yards and one TD. All three were season highs, and I expect a similar performance against LA. The Chargers allow big plays, and Spears could be one of the guys who takes advantage of it.
Bold Prediction No. 3 – Ladd McConkey Finishes With 100+ Rec Yards, 1 TD
Ladd McConkey and Justin Herbert are dominating right now. Over the last three weeks, McConkey has caught 22 passes on 34 targets for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Herbert is looking for his rising star almost every play. That will continue against the Titans, who just traded away Roger McCreary to the Los Angeles Rams.
McConkey will end the day with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. He will make big plays time and time again in what could be a very successful Sunday afternoon for the Bolts. This will be a true 10:00 AM game for the Bolts, but the last time they did that, they won 29-27 over the Miami Dolphins. McConkey caught seven passes for 100 yards and a TD in that win.
Bold Prediction No. 2 – Justin Herbert Rushes For a TD
It's not a secret by now that the Chargers could have another big day against the Titans. They put up 37 points against the Vikings in a primetime game. In a game that won't have nearly as much hype, the Bolts should dominate. The Chargers will reach the red zone multiple times, and this will be the first game this season where Justin Herbert rushes for a touchdown.
Over the last two weeks, Herbert has ramped up his rushing. Whether it's been him escaping the pocket or tucking and running because he sees an opening, Herbert understands the team excels when he uses his legs. He's run the ball 13 times for 93 yards the last two weeks. This week, he should see an opening in the red zone and run into the endzone for the score. He's still expected to throw for at least one touchdown as well.
Bold Prediction No. 1 – Cam Ward Throws Multiple Interceptions
The toughest bold prediction of this game will be Cam Ward throwing multiple interceptions. The Chargers' defense is going to make things very difficult for him. The Bolts have seven interceptions this season, with three in two games against Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 and Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins in Week 6. They picked up Carson Wentz last week for the 7th of the season. It's only been three QBs, but the Bolts take advantage of poor play.
Ward has not been playing well this season. He's doing a good job for the most part, limiting turnovers, but he just does not have the weapons to excel this season. He's thrown one INT in six straight games, and this game, he will throw two in what should be another bad loss for the Titans.
