The Titans entered the season intending to figure out if Will Levis could be their long-term quarterback… and the results have been far from encouraging. To make matters worse, the second-year quarterback suffered a shoulder injury that left him questionable for the Week 7 matchup with the Bills for most of the week.
With less than 24 hours to go before kickoff, Levis has been downgraded to out due to the shoulder injury and will be inactive. The Titans will hand the offense over to Mason Rudolph with hopes the veteran can provide some stability.
Tennessee sits at 1-4 on the season, which is beginning to go from bad to worse.
Mason Rudolph’s impact on Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins:
There is no doubt that the Titans’ offense requires a spark. Through their first five games, Tennessee ranks 22nd in the NFL in scoring and 31st in yards tallied. They also have turned the ball over the second-most of any team, rank 31st in passing yards, and 26th in scoring percentage.
Will Levis has thrown for just 699 passing yards, five touchdowns, and an NFL-worst seven interceptions. Levis also has fumbled the ball three times this season.
The problem is that Mason Rudolph is not quite the match that can light up this offense. The seven-year veteran has started 13 games in his career, with his past four seasons spent with the Steelers. He threw the ball 17 times in Week 4 for the Titans, but those were his only snaps this season. Rudolph completed nine of these passes for just 85 yards without an interception or a touchdown.
Looking at the Titans pass catchers, the unstable quarterback play has limited the impact of Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins greatly. Hopkins leads all Titans receivers in receptions with 14 on the year, but ranks 108th across the NFL. Overall, Hopkins has tallied 175 receiving yards and one touchdown this year.
Calvin Ridley has been even quieter. Through the opening five games, he’s been held to just nine receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. He also was held without a catch in last week’s loss to the Colts despite being targeted eight times.
While the bar is low for what improved quarterback play will look like in the Titans offense, don’t rush to change expectations for either of their top pass catchers. Levis’ erratic play was a problem, but Rudolph is not the caliber of talent who can drastically change the outlook for the team.
Buffalo has a dynamic defense which will look to produce a convincing victory. Outside of some opportunities for garbage time targets, there is not much upside for either Hopkins or Ridley. The Tennessee wide receivers currently rank 71st and 72nd in fantasy production based on DraftKings scoring and likely will not climb this list in the coming weeks.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
