The 2022 NFL season has truly been a tale of two teams for the Tennessee Titans. Just over a month ago, the Titans defeated the Green Bay Packers to move to an impressive 7-3 on the season. Tennessee was not only in control of the AFC South, but potentially in play to earn the AFC's top seed.

Since then, the Titans have completely collapsed. They have lost five straight games, most recently losing to Houston Texans in embarrassing fashion on Christmas Eve. Even worse, the Jacksonville Jaguars have taken the division lead, and the Week 18 matchup in Jacksonville will decide the AFC South.

The road doesn't get any easier for the Titans in Week 17, as they face the 11-4 Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. The Cowboys have been on a tear lately, winning five of their last six games including a huge win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Eve. Dak Prescott had his best game of the season with 347 yards and three touchdowns, and the defense forced four turnovers to lead Dallas to the upset.

Simply put, Tennessee desperately needs this win to get back on track. The AFC South winner will be the conference's fourth seed no matter what, but it's important have a bit of momentum heading into the deciding game.

With that said, here are three bold Titans predictions for their Week 17 game against Dallas.

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3. The Titans' defense forces two interceptions

Tennessee's defense is a weird one to figure out. The Titans are great against the run and awful against the pass, yet somehow good in scoring defense. They are allowing just 20.8 points per game this season, which ranks 11th in the NFL.

When it comes to turnovers, the Titans are slightly below league average. They have only recovered four fumbles, tied for the second-fewest in the league, but are near the middle of the pack with 12 interceptions. Kevin Byard and David Long Jr. lead the team with two picks each.

If the Titans want to win this game, they will have to make Dak Prescott's life hard. The Cowboys' signal-caller has thrown eight interceptions in his past five games, so it is possible to throw him off. Tennessee will have to continue that trend in order to score the upset on Thursday night.

2. Malik Willis throws his first NFL touchdown

With Ryan Tannehill battling through injuries for most of the season, rookie quarterback Malik Willis has seen plenty of playing time. Unfortunately for Tennessee fans, he has struggled immensely in that playing time. Willis was always going to need time to develop, and his performance this season proves it.

In three starts plus some relief time, Willis has completed 31-of-61 passes for 276 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. He is averaging a mere 4.5 yards per attempt, and his QBR is an astonishingly low 12.1. Clearly, the Titans will need to rely on Derrick Henry (assuming he plays) and the run game even more than usual.

That said, Tennessee should not completely abandon the passing game. It's important to get Willis reps, and the Titans can't be completely one-dimensional. That balance becomes even more important with Henry banged up.

Asking Willis to throw his first NFL touchdown against Dallas' solid pass defense is a tall order. However, if he can get it done, it will be a huge confidence boost for Tennessee.

1. Tennessee gets the upset to snap its losing streak

By nearly every conceivable metric, Dallas should win this game handily. The Cowboys are superior in most important stats and are playing much better football recently. As of Tuesday morning, they are 10-point betting favorites, and it's hard to argue against that spread.

However, they play the games for a reason. Crazier upsets have happened before and the Titans seem to thrive as an underdog.

Are the Titans likely to win this game? No. But they don't call them “bold” predictions for nothing.