NFL preseason action is well underway. Saturday brings us a loaded slate of exciting matchups, including a showdown between the Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tennessee is coming off a league-worst 3-14 record. It was a miserable year, but it did deliver them a prize in No. 1 pick Cam Ward. The rookie is a rock-set starter for Week 1, and gets his first real taste of action in a Titans uniform on Saturday.
Things are stable in Tampa. Winners of the NFC South for four straight seasons, and with little roster turnover, the preseason is as much of a tune-up as it can be. But there’s still plenty of intrigue as the Bucs finalize their depth chart while getting a look at their rookies. One in particular will be drawing a lot of eyes after shredding joint practices this week.
The Titans are -3 favorites on the road in this game on the DraftKings Sportsbook. Tennessee is a -175 favorite on the Moneyline, and the total is set at 32.5 points. Let’s get into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Titans-Buccaneers game.
Titans Overview
There’s no intrigue to be had in the backfield. Cam Ward is the locked-in starting quarterback, Tony Pollard will tote the rock, and the offensive line is all but settled. But there are serious battles to be settled outside.
Calvin Ridley goes into the year as the sure-fire WR1. New signee Tyler Lockett figures to have a leg up on the No. 2 job. Outside of those two, it’s chaos. Tennessee has three rookies vying for snaps: Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Xavier Restrepo. And the first of that trio sure showed out in joint practices this week.
The Titans also have a pair of retread players from other teams: Van Jefferson and James Proche. The two are young, have upside, and NFL experience. That’s five players with quality vying for spots on the depth chart and crucial regular-season snaps. It will be an exciting battle in this preseason.
Defensively, a lot is up for grabs. The starting defensive end jobs are in flux. Linebackers are unsettled. And outside of new signing L’Jarius Sneed, little is set on the outside. Players will be rotated heavily on that side of the ball as Brian Callahan and his staff evaluate who should get snaps. Saturday’s game will be a significant step in deciding that.
Buccaneers Overview
Much like the Titans, there isn’t much to be decided on the offensive side of the ball. Baker Mayfield is the starting QB, Bucky Irving wrestled the job from Rachaad White last year, and the starting offensive line is set. But there is intrigue to be had with the receivers.
Chris Godwin can’t seem to stay healthy. He missed the second half of last year with an ankle injury and is questionable to be back for Week 1. But they were reinforced significantly by adding Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the draft. He figures to start in three-receiver sets and will play an even larger role if Godwin is forced to miss time.
They have questions to answer on defense as well. Where Haason Reddick fits in will be a major question, as is the rest of the linebacking core outside of Lavonte David. Some spots will be settled in the secondary as well.
Game Preview
It stands to reason that Baker Mayfield won’t play more than one or two drives, if he plays at all. Kyle Trask figures to handle the bulk of the snaps. And that puts Tampa Bay at a significant disadvantage in this game.
Cam Ward’s starting job isn’t at risk, but the coaching staff will want to get an extended look at what he can do. They’re also going to field a very competitive group of receivers all game long. It’s enough of an edge to feel good about their spread.
