Why Aaron Rodgers won't decide if Tennessee Titans beat Green Bay Packers
When the Tennessee Titans' next opponents have been at their best this season, they've looked an awful lot like the Titans.
The Titans (6-3) battle the Green Bay Packers (4-6) at Lambeau Field on Thursday (7:15 p.m., Amazon Prime). The Packers haven't looked like their usual selves this season, averaging 18.5 points per game compared to last season's 26.5 and having turned the ball over more times in 10 games (15) than they did all of last season (13). But even amid the turnovers and struggles, the Packers and coach Matt LaFleur still have a run game that has produced 199 or more yards in four games this season, more than any team other than the Chicago Bears.
On Sunday, the Packers rushed 39 times for 207 yards and a score in an overtime win against the Dallas Cowboys. Running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon each asserted their wills, rushing for 138 and 65 yards, respectively.
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"They were down and they wanted to get things going and they kept at it," Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. "They ran it (almost) 40 times. I would imagine that would be the plan. They've run it on every really good defense. 200 yards against the Patriots, 200 yards against the Bills, 200 yards yesterday, on and on and on. Hopefully we're up for the challenge because they force everybody to tackle."
It's easy to look at the Packers and assume the plan has to be to stop Aaron Rodgers, a future Hall of Fame quarterback and the two-time reigning MVP. But when the Packers have won this year, they've won on the ground. In their four wins, the Packers have averaged 228 passing yards per game, roughly the NFL average, and have averaged 169 rushing yards per game, the second-best mark for any NFL team this season behind the Bears.
The temperature for Thursday night in Green Bay is expected to dip below 20 degrees. Environments like that usually mean big days for bigger, more physical running backs. Titans fans know that well given running back Derrick Henry's reputation when the seasons change. But the Packers have a bruiser of their own in Dillon, who checks in at 6 feet and 247 pounds, and his only career 100-yard rushing game came two seasons ago in primetime at Lambeau in sub-freezing temperatures against the Titans.
The Titans have the NFL's No. 2 rushing defense, allowing just 85.1 yards per game. But they also are dealing with a slew of defensive injuries. Front-seven defenders on injured reserve or expected to be on the injury report this week include: defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, defensive end Harold Landry III, outside linebacker Bud Dupree and inside linebackers Zach Cunningham and David Long Jr.
With so many players beat up and a short practice week ahead, the Titans will have to be doubly diligent to guard against another big rushing performance from the Packers.
"We're never going to put a player in jeopardy," Vrabel said. "We've never done that. We don't do that. If they can do their job and they can protect themselves and there's a chance they're not going to make it work, then we'll do everything we can to put them out there. We need everybody, but we're going to have to make some decisions on who can play."
Contact Nick Suss at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Aaron Rodgers won't decide if Titans beat Green Bay Packers
