Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Sep 23, 2022 6:13 pm

Winless Raiders, Titans look to get untracked

A pair of surprisingly winless teams hope to end their misery at the other’s expense when the Las Vegas Raiders face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon at Nashville, Tenn.

The clubs will be meeting for the first time since 2019, when Ryan Tannehill threw for three touchdowns and Derrick Henry ran for another two in a 42-21 Titans win in the Raiders’ final season in Oakland.

The recent series has been dominated by the road team, with the visitor having won five in a row, including the Raiders’ last three visits to Nashville.

The last time the home team won in the rivalry was in 2010, when Vince Young and Jason Campbell were the starting quarterbacks in a 38-13 Tennessee win.

Each team has opened this season without home-field success, with the Titans getting shocked 21-20 by the New York Giants in Week 1, before the Raiders were overtaken by the Arizona Cardinals in a 29-23 overtime defeat last Sunday.

While Las Vegas has lost its first two games by a total of 11 points, Tennessee followed up its narrow defeat at the hands of the Giants by being shellacked 41-7 at Buffalo on Monday night.

The primary goal this week at Titans practices: Erase the nationally televised embarrassment from their memories.

“Brutal. I haven’t been part of a whole lot of games like that,” Tannehill insisted. “But we have a lot of football in front of us. We can’t sit around and have a woe-is-me attitude. We have to be able to turn the page.”

The Titans have yet to get Henry rolling. The NFL’s leading rusher in two of the last three seasons has totaled just 107 yards and one touchdown in his first two outings of 2022.

Tennessee went 18-3 when Henry rushed for 100 or more yards in the last three regular seasons. His high so far this year is 82.

The Raiders likewise would like to forget a Week 2 nightmare, but not all of it. They were on top of their game while running up a 20-0 halftime lead over the Cardinals, only to get outscored 29-3 the rest of the way, including 22-0 in the final 8:13 of regulation and 5:55 of overtime.

Arizona’s winning score came on a fumble return, but Raiders defense coordinator Patrick Graham recognizes his unit was on the field for a majority of the Cardinals’ comeback, which was led by quarterback Kyler Murray.

The Raiders are preparing for a different type of attack this week from Henry.

“This is going to be fun because he challenges you,” Graham said. “The combination of him, the offensive line, I think the toughness of that whole team, that whole organization starting with (coach Mike) Vrabel, J-Rob (general manager Jon Robinson) … It’s going to be football. I’m looking forward to it.”

The Raiders hope to protect quarterback Derek Carr better this week after he’s been sacked six times in the first two games. To that end, they made a trade Wednesday, acquiring offensive tackle Justin Herron from the New England Patriots for a reported sixth-round pick.

Herron played for current Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels when he was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator the last two years.

The Titans have issues at offensive tackle as well, with standout Taylor Lewan having suffered a knee injury in Monday’s loss. He was ruled out on Friday.

Tennessee also ruled out linebackers Bud Dupree (hip), Ola Adeniyi (neck) and defensive back Ugo Amadi (ankle). Receiver/returner Kyle Philips (shoulder) is doubtful and linebacker Zach Cunningham (knee) is questionable.

The Raiders ruled out receiver Hunter Renfrow (concussion) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle). Running back Josh Jacobs (illness), center Andre James (concussion), safety Tre’von Moehrig (hip), and defensive tackles Neil Farrell Jr. (shoulder) and Bilal Nichols (shoulder) are questionable.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

mariners gilbert
Apr 23, 2024 11:07 pm

Mariners bump Rangers out of first place

Julio Rodriguez hit his first home run of the season and Logan Gilbert pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Seattle Mariners moved into first place in the American League…

white sox
Apr 23, 2024 10:53 pm

Twins rally for walk-off win vs. reeling White Sox

Alex Kirilloff delivered a game-ending RBI single with two outs in the ninth and Byron Buxton had three hits to lift the host Minnesota Twins to a 6-5 win against…

diamondbacks
Apr 23, 2024 10:48 pm

Pavin Smith knocks in six as D-backs demolish Cards

Pavin Smith drove in a career-high six runs with a grand slam and a two-run double as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks rolled over the St. Louis Cardinals 14-1 on Tuesday….

More News News

mariners gilbert
Apr 23, 2024 11:07 pm

Mariners bump Rangers out of first place

Julio Rodriguez hit his first home run of the season and Logan Gilbert pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Seattle Mariners moved into first place in the American League…

white sox
Apr 23, 2024 10:53 pm

Twins rally for walk-off win vs. reeling White Sox

diamondbacks
Apr 23, 2024 10:48 pm

Pavin Smith knocks in six as D-backs demolish Cards

royals
Apr 23, 2024 10:47 pm

Royals end woes vs. Blue Jays with 3-2 win

cubs
Apr 23, 2024 10:34 pm

Chicago hit 3 homers to top slumping Astros

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds
Array