What Vikings Can Expect from the Titans
For the second week in a row, the Minnesota Vikings travel to an AFC South team that has managed only two wins this season. Once again, the Vikings will be heavy favorites and expected to win comfortably. The Vikings have already beaten the other three teams and will look to sweep the division. It should be another win, but just like last week, nobody should take the game lightly — particularly if Sam Darnold has another one of those games. We look at what the Vikings can expect from the Titans in Week 11.
What Vikings Can Expect from the Titans
The Titans aren’t a good team, but they aren’t a walkover. They will play tough on Sunday, and their defense will put up a fight. The problem they have is their offense just isn’t good. Only the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns have scored fewer points than the Titans’ total of 157 through nine games. Tennessee’s two wins this season came against the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. They have had some heavy defeats, including allowing 52 points to the Detroit Lions. That game was 14-14 in the first half before Detroit reeled off 38 points without reply.
The key to beating the Titans is smothering the offense and wearing down the defense. Per EPA/Play, the Titans’ defense is a respectable 14th, while the offense is 29th. The Titans got QB1 Will Levis back last week, and Will Levis returned after missing three games with a shoulder injury. It was a fairly solid outing for the second-year QB, who suffers from the same ball security problems as Darnold. Levis completed 18 of 23 passing attempts for 175 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first time he didn’t throw an interception this season, although he did have a fumble.
Players to Watch
Unsurprisingly, after what has been previously said, most of the Titans’ best players are on the defensive side of the ball. There’s no better place to start when looking at their players than the man on many people’s radar regarding Vikings trade options. Jeffrey Simmons is a veteran defensive tackle who is still only 27. Many teams — including the Vikings — would have coveted him if the Titans were willing to make a trade.
It was no surprise to me that they were not. Solid against the run and providing an interior pass rush, Simmons is a valuable player that you can build your team around. Vikings fans will get to see what they are missing this week.
A player currently making waves on the Titans’ defense is former Minnesota Golden Gophers LB Jack Gibbens. Picked up by the Titans as an undrafted free agent back in 2023, Gibbens has been starting at linebacker since Tennessee traded Ernest Jones to the Seahawks, and he has capitalized on the opportunity with 37 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks through three games. His grades from Pro Football Focus over those three games are 90.6, 85.5, and 84.2, an indication of a player who has really stepped up when he got his chance.
If the Titans’ offense is going to be effective, they need RB Tony Pollard to have a productive day. That happened in the two games they won this season, and if they are to have a chance in this one, it needs to happen again. The good news for Minnesota is that their run defense is greatly improved this season, and they should be confident in their ability to slow Pollard.
Vikings vs. Titans History
The Vikings hold the advantage in head-to-head meetings against the Titans, including games during the teams’ former incarnations as the Houston Oilers. Minnesota leads the series 9-5, and all 14 games have been played during the regular season. Since the move to Tennessee, the Vikings have a 5-2 record against the Titans.
The Titans won the last game by one point, beating the Vikings in Minnesota 31-30 thanks to a late field goal. The game is more fondly remembered by Vikings fans as the day Justin Jefferson announced himself to the world. After being kept away from a starting role over the first two games, Jefferson exploded against the Titans, catching 7 of 9 targets for 175 yards and a touchdown. Jefferson hasn’t stopped wowing spectators since.
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