When two banged-up teams that haven’t exactly been lighting up scoreboards this season meet on short rest, don’t be surprised if the result is a sloppy football game.
The Tennessee Titans (6-3) visit the Green Bay Packers (4-6) at Lambeau Field on Thursday (7:15 p.m., Amazon Prime / News Channel 5). The quick turnaround from Sunday to Thursday came at a bad time for both teams; the Titans and Packers both released injury reports with 17 players on them Monday, including both teams’ starting quarterbacks and running backs and perennial All-Pro candidates like Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari.
On top of the injuries, both teams have gone to overtime in the last two weeks, the Packers haven’t had their open date yet and this will be the Titans’ third road game in 19 days. This is the last time either team would want to be playing on Thursday night.
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Here’s The Tennessean’s scouting report and score prediction for the game:
Titans offense vs. Packers defense
The Packers’ defense was on the field for 79 plays in an overtime win over Dallas on Sunday, surrendering a season-high 421 yards. The book on Green Bay’s defense has been pretty simple: The Packers have had their worst defensive showings against high-powered offenses like Dallas, Minnesota and Buffalo and have cleaned up against more one-dimensional offenses like Detroit, Chicago and New England.
Now that quarterback Ryan Tannehill is back from his ankle injury, the Titans’ offense is a little less one-dimensional. Tannehill threw a season-high 36 times against Denver, but the Titans still have the NFL’s season-worst passing offense compared to the No. 9 rushing offense.
If Titans running back Derrick Henry can get going, there’ll be room to thrive. The Packers have the NFL’s seventh-worst run defense and allow the fifth-most yards per carry (4.8) in the league. They’ve allowed three rushers to exceed the 100-yard mark, including Dallas’ Tony Pollard last weekend.
With temperatures expected to dip into the 20s, Henry’s physical style combined with the Titans’ commitment to leaning on him makes him a huge threat. But if the Titans aren’t able to lean on him, Green Bay’s impressive pass defense and the elements could make it a tough matchup to navigate for Tannehill and the offense.
Titans defense vs. Packers offense
The Packers reignited their offense against Dallas, breaking 30 points for the first time this year and snapping a five-game losing streak. It’s hard to play more balanced than the Packers did, throwing for 208 yards with 207 rushing yards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had his first three-touchdown game of the season and had his best passer rating in 16 games dating back to last season.
Right as Green Bay seems to be figuring out its offense, the Titans’ defense is rounding into peak form. Even without top defensive linemen Simmons and Bud Dupree, the Titans hit Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson 18 times and sacked him six times while holding Denver to 4.3 yards per play. The Titans have the NFL’s No. 8 scoring defense and No. 2 rushing defense, setting up a huge matchup against Green Bay running back Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.
Of course, the Titans also allow the NFL’s second-most pass yards per game, so if Rodgers and the aerial attack have turned a corner, there’ll be a clear path to success. If not, the matchup will come down to the Titans’ strength against the Packers’ at the line of scrimmage.
Titans-Packers score prediction
Green Bay 23, Tennessee 20: The Titans’ injuries on defense end up mattering a little too much. The game is close, Henry has his success and the score stays in the same range as the temperature, but the Packers hold on at home.
Contact Nick Suss at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans vs. Green Bay Packers: Our final score prediction