Tennessee Titans: 3 things to watch for vs Browns

It’s football time in Tennessee for the Titans as they take the trip to Cleveland this Sunday to take on the Browns.

The college football season is already heading into its third week, and now the NFL is entering Week 1 of their 100th season. The centennial year has been anticipated all offseason, and now it’s time to kick things off as the Titans head to Cleveland to take on the Browns.

With that being said, there are a few things to watch for in the Titans season opener. From Marcus Mariota‘s season debut to Kevin Byard proving he’s worth what he was paid this offseason, there are plenty of storylines heading into Week 1 for the Titans.

1. QB battle

No, not the quarterback battle between Mariota and Ryan Tannehill, but the battle between Mariota and Baker Mayfield.

Baker is looking to make his mark in the NFL, and this would be a great year for him to do it. He has Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry on the outside with Nick Chubb in his backfield.

He has everything around him to be successful, but so does Mariota. The Titans have probably the best receiving corp since Mariota has gotten to the league along with one of the best running backs in the AFC to back Mariota up.

If both offenses show up, this could be a shootout, and it could come down to who has the better quarterback late in the fourth quarter. Most people assume Mayfield would win that battle, but Mariota could make a statement if he can take down the Browns.

2. Offensive line

The Titans will be without their top offensive lineman in Taylor Lewan which will handicap them on the line, but they still have other good players protecting Mariota.

That’ll be a big thing to watch for especially early in the game as the offense tries to get things going. If the offensive line can’t figure things out, then it could be a long game for Mariota and the Titans.

The Titans offensive line could be a huge factor in the outcome of the game. It could be the deciding factor late in the fourth quarter if Mariota has been pressured throughout the game.

Of course, it’s just one player out on the offensive line, but those five guys up front need to be on the same page throughout the whole game to be successful and if they are it could be really good, and if they’re not, it could be really bad.

3. Titans front seven

The Titans front seven on paper looks like one of the better groups in the AFC. Jon Robinson made it a priority to add to that group and improve it, and he was successful in getting Cameron Wake to Nashville.

With that being said, the front seven will be a key to stopping the Browns offense. Getting into the Browns backfield could prevent their offense from getting rolling early and ultimately stopping them throughout the game.

I think the secondary will do whatever they can to stop the receivers for the most part, but if the front seven can get pressure on Mayfield in the backfield and shut down the run game, then they’ll give the offense a good chance to win it.

It should be a fun game this Sunday, and I expect both teams to come out and put on a show. I think the Titans can pull it out, but it could all depend on how the Titans come out on offense.