A Titan-ic Game This Week | Brats & Beer
Posted by BratsNBeerGuy on Oct 27, 2008 in Uncategorized | 2 comments
While taking in the gospel brunch at Stubb’s BBQ was a mighty fine way to spend the Packers bye week Sunday, I’m glad to say it’s finally time to get back to football. As I write this post, Green Bay’s next opponent, the Tennessee Titans, are tied with the Colts late in the third quarter, but it is clear this team will be a handful for the Green & Gold.
Cheesehead Aaron has a good early look at the Titans and makes a compelling case for why we should be worried going into Sunday’s game. From what I’ve seen on the TV this Monday night, Tennessee is indeed a very physical team on both sides of the ball that will present a big challenge for the Packers. Their offensive line is huge and can open big holes for the equally huge LenDale White, and the fact that Kerry Collins has been sacked just once this season says a lot about both his protection and the Titans effective short passing game. Tennessee’s defense, meanwhile, is fast swarming to the ball and makes the most of their opportunities.
Like any NFL team on any given Sunday, the Titans can be beat, but Green Bay is going to have to give the kind of total team, four-quarter effort they displayed against Indianapolis in order to come out of Music City with a win. With a week off to get healthy it looks like maybe James Jones could be back in the line-up for Sunday, which would help spread the Titans defense and give Aaron Rodgers one more weapon on the field. Atari Bigby has also improved during the bye, which would be a huge boost for the defense.
But just having a couple key players back on the field won’t be enough. As trite and cliche as it might sound, football fundamentals will be key to winning this Sunday: making sure tackles, playing assignments and filling lanes, staying upright and gaining yards after contact. The Titans are a very well coached team that plays a methodical, physical game. This will be a real test to see if Packers can match that level of play for sixty minutes.