St. Louis Rams Get To Know Your Foe: Tennessee Titans

Jeff Fisher will face off against his “old team” for the first time this Sunday, oddly taking the field against the Tennessee Titans without dawning their traditional blue-on-blue colors. Obviously, the Rams-Titans game will not receive a bulk of the media attention on Sunday. So, in order to get some more information on this week’s opponent, Ramblin’ Fan went behind enemy lines and spoke with Joshua Huffman, editor of the Tennessee Titans fan blog, Titan Sized, and a project manager at Pro Football Spot. Make sure to head over and check our some of our answers as well…

1. In terms of offensive woes, there are few in the NFL that can top the Tennessee Titans this season. Chris Johnson has not been effective running the football, Jake Locker has been injured, and, as a result, Kendall Wright and the rest of the receiving corps has been rendered ineffective. After watching the Rams’ defense in full force on Monday Night, what will the Titans’ need to do to move the ball and put points on the board?

Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains must figure out a way to use Chris Johnson. Since former offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger passed away a few months after the 2010-11 season, no one has been able to get him going. Loggains is considered as a disciple to Heimerdinger. That hasn’t meant anything, at least not yet.

Why is the ground game struggling? Lots of reasons. Play-calling, CJ doing a little too much East-to-West movement, below-average run-blocking from the interior offensive linemen, and other foolish mistakes that cripple this offense. Some of those mistakes come from special teams gaffes. The release of Darius Reynaud should help correct those, both in terms of field position and on the scoreboard.

2. Luckily for the Rams, the Titans have to come to St. Louis for Jeff Fisher’s first game against his old squad. How do fans in Tennessee feel about Fisher’s relocation, and do you think some of the “holdover” Titans’ players from the Fisher-era will be effected by his presence on the opposing sideline? 

Some players may want to show up their former coach. At the same time, they’re probably more interested in ending a three-game losing streak that, if it continues beyond this Sunday, will severely damage their chances at the AFC South title or the No. 6 seed. Another thing they’ll have their focus on is playing for Bud Adams. This is the Titans’ first game since he passed away.

As for how do fans feel about his relocation? There’s a lot of disagreement about that. Some were happy that he left. Some believed that this team’s woes were due to Bud Adams’ interference with the Vince Young situation. Other people felt like it was a pointless move because they kept Mike Munchak and/or Mike Reinfeldt.

3. Which player on Tennessee’s roster do you believe has the potential to hurt the Rams the most on Sunday?

Along with the Rams’ quarterback situation, they don’t have any wide receivers that pose much of a threat against Jason McCourty or Alterraun Verner. When they have problems, it’s usually against bigger receivers like Anquan Boldin or Austin Pettis, not Tavon Austin.

4. Which player on the St. Louis roster do you believe has the potential to hurt the Titans the most on Sunday?

Robert Quinn and Chris Long. While the Titans’ No. 1 offensive weakness is their offensive interior, the Rams defensive ends will provide a handful for veterans Michael Roos and David Stewart. Must keep them off Locker.

5. What is your prediction for the outcome of this matchup?

When I look at this game on paper, Titans should end their three-game losing streak and secure a double-digit victory. Of course, I said the same thing last year when they came off their bye week facing a 1-9 Jacksonville Jaguars team. The Jaguars won…and have lost 13 consecutive since then.

I’m going Titans 23, Rams 17.