A little less than three weeks ago the Titans were 3-1 Adoree' Jackson Jersey White , coming off a massive win over the defending Super Bowl champs and optimism was at an all-time high. What a difference two weeks makes. Now 3-3 — but still tied for first place in the AFC South — the Titans will look to use their trip across the pond to jumpstart an offense that has lost its way over the past two games. The Chargers won’t make things easy. They’re 4-2 with the two losses coming against two of the NFL’s best teams in the Rams and Chiefs. Here are some of the matchups I’ll be keeping an eye on this week.Marcus Mariota vs the Chargers secondaryMuch has been made about Mariota’s struggles the past two weeks — and there is certainly some cause for concern coming out of those two games — but it’s worth noting that Buffalo and Baltimore are two of the top five pass defenses in the NFL according to DVOA (and virtually any other metric). The Chargers are far from a sieve on the back end — they rank 12th in Pass Defense DVOA and have some real talent in the secondary — but they aren’t quite as imposing as some of the Titans previous opponents. The Chargers are allowing 7.4 yards per attempt through the air, 9th most in the NFL, so there has been some success to be found there for opposing passing games. The Chargers defense is led by a man Titans fans are pretty familiar with in former Jaguars coach Gus Bradley. Known for his Seattle Cover 3 scheme, Bradley’s defense trends towards zone coverage more often than not and gives his secondary a chance to jump routes and make plays on the ball. However, that also leaves holes to be exploited by accurate quarterbacks and well-schemed route combinations. From a talent perspective, the secondary is the most dangerous level of the Chargers defense right now. Corner Casey Hayward is one of the best in league and nickel corner Desmond King is an opportunistic ballhawk. The starting corner opposite Hayward, Trevor Williams, is the spot that I would target if I was the Titans. He’s allowed 20 catches on 27 targets for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns on throws in to his coverage per PFF.Jahleel Addae and standout rookie Derwin James will man the safety spots. Addae is a solid veteran player, but James is a rising star. He’s likely the early leader in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race as he’s stuffed the box scores with 36 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, 6 passes defensed, 4 tackles for loss, and 6 QB hits through 6 games. The Chargers will line up James all over the field to take advantage of his diverse skill set and the Titans will need to make sure they know where he is at all times. If the Chargers follow the Ravens blueprint from last week, James may be used as a spy on Mariota.Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin vs Melvin IngramIf you want to look for some reasons for optimism when it comes to the Titans offense bouncing back, the battle in the trenches is a good place to start. The Chargers usually have two great talents on the defensive line with Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa, but Bosa remains out with an injury. Without Bosa, the remainder of the Chargers defensive line is very average, especially compared with the talented Baltimore front the Titans just faced. Ingram is very dangerous though and the Titans must have a plan for him. He will generally line up to the open side of the offense’s formation (the side without a tight end) in an effort to use his speed to his advantage. Usually I would feel pretty good about the Titans ability to handle Ingram Tajae Sharpe Jersey , but with Lewan looking far less than 100% last week, I think it would be wise for Tennessee to make sure they have someone available to chip Ingram on most passing downs.Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis vs Denzel PerrymanThe Titans rushing attack has been stifled early in the season and that has certainly contributed to some of the offense’s woes. Part of the reason for that is the run defenses they’ve faced. Through six weeks they’ve played four of the top seven run defenses in the NFL according to DVOA and have yet to play a run defense ranked outside the top 12. The Chargers check in at 20th on that list heading in to this game so theoretically, this should represent the best chance the Titans run game has had to figure things out yet. Denzel Perryman is the leader of the Chargers run defense from his inside linebacker spot. He’s a decent run stopper, but far from the talent that Baltimore’s C.J. Mosley or Buffalo’s Tremaine Edmunds were the last couple weeks. When Lewis is in the game, he should have a big advantage over Perryman and the other Chargers linebackers in the passing game. Wesley Woodyard vs Melvin GordonThe Titans will face one of the best running backs in the NFL this week in Melvin Gordon. He’s really come in to his own over the past couple seasons and is currently the third leading rusher in the league with 466 yards. He’s not just a volume runner either, he’s averaging 5.12 yards per carry and also contributes in the passing game with 30 catches for 279 yards. All of those numbers are on pace to be career highs. Gordon was reportedly added to the Chargers injury report on Saturday with a hamstring issue and is listed as questionable to play Sunday. That could be a break for the Titans run defense, but things don’t get much easier with Gordon’s backup Austin Ekeler. Ekeler is averaging 6.4 yards per carry on 41 carries along with 14 catches for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns.Regardless of who runs the ball for LA, the Titans struggling run defense is in for a challenge. The good news is that they will be getting their best linebacker back in the lineup in Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard’s return also has a ripple effect. The responsibility for getting the defensive calls communicated and making adjustments on the field falls back on his shoulders and comes off Jayon Brown’s plate. It also likely allows Rashaan Evans and Brown to return to a run down/pass down platoon which plays to both player’s strengths. The Titans will need this entire position group on top of its game to contain Gordon and Ekeler both on the ground and through the air.Logan Ryan vs Keenan AllenThe Chargers passing attack is easily the best the Titans have faced in 2018. Their wide receivers are all big and very talented. This group will pose a major threat to the Titans corners. Their best receiver, Keenan Allen, lines up all over the field, but spends about 50% of his time in the slot where he will likely draw Logan Ryan most of the time. Ryan has been excellent this season and will need to continue that high level of play Sunday. Allen uses his unfair level of quickness for a man who stands 6’-2” and 211 pounds to create separation and seems to be able to get open at will. Harold Landry vs Joe BarksdaleThis is a huge matchup for the Titans. Derrick Morgan is out with a shoulder injury which means Landry is likely to get the start opposite Brian Orakpo. Getting quick pressure on Philip Rivers is absolutely crucial. He holds the ball in the pocket for an average of just 2.39 seconds per drop back, the least amount of time for any current starting NFL quarterback. That makes him very difficult to sack — something that’s happened just 7 times this season — or even pressure. Landry is one of the few players that can generate quick pressure and he should spend most of his time matched up against Chargers right tackle Joe Barksdale who is making his return from a knee injury that cost him the last five games. Barksdale isn’t the quickest tackle to begin with and if he’s anything less than 100% coming off the knee injury, he could struggle with Landry’s speed off the edge. The Titans enter the 2019 NFL draft with a huge need at EDGE. It’s a premium position and they simply don’t have enough reliability there at this point. Harold Landry is a great piece to build..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans Podcast2019 NFL draft: An EDGE rusher in every round for TitansNew,28commentsCDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL draft: An EDGE rusher in every round for TitansRob Kinnan-USA TODAY SportsThe Titans enter the 2019 NFL draft with a huge need at EDGE. It’s a premium position and they simply don’t have enough reliability there at this point. Harold Landry is a great piece to build around, but he’s just entering his sophomore season and has battled injury over the past two seasons. Cameron Wake was a great signing to replace the veteran presence they lost in Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo, but Wake has done his best work in a limited a role as of late. Kamalei Correa and Sharif Finch certainly flashed at times last season, but neither player showed enough last year to be cast into a full-time role at this point. Tennessee will likely add at least one EDGE rusher by the end of Day 2, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they decide to double down at the position. Let’s take a look at prospects that could fit in every round.Round 1: Brian Burns, FSUShould the Titans decide to use the 19th overall selection on an EDGE rusher Kamalei Correa Jersey , Burns makes a lot of sense. He’s a long, speedy rusher who can turn the corner as good as any pass rusher in this talented class. He possesses excellent burst off the snap to shoot the gap immediately. He has a well developed pass rush arsenal. That should serve him well at the next level. He’s versatile enough to play both with his hand in the dirt or standing up. Pairing Burns with Landry would give the team two pass rushing specialists that have made a habit of bending the corner on tape. They could quickly become the most exciting pass rushing duo in the NFL.Round 2: Anthony Nelson, IowaNelson is a heavy handed defender that would be an excellent compliment to Landry. If the Titans are looking for a player with a different skillset than what they have in their second year rusher from Boston College, Nelson would be an excellent choice. He has excellent length and does his best work when he shoots his hands. Nelson is also an excellent run defender, something Landry has been criticized for in the past. A big man with a motor that’s always running hot, Nelson strikes me as a safe prospect with a high floor. He too has a varied pass rush arsenal, but the bull is his most effective rush at this point. He’s not bendy and I have some questions about his overall athleticism, but Nelson should be a very solid player at the next level.Just one example of Nelson’s (#98) ability to beat double teams with power.Round 3: Oshane Ximines, Old DominionA talented rusher from a small school, Ximines has the size, power and quickness to make him worthy of a top-100 selection. Despite coming from a smaller program, Ximines has a well developed pass rushing arsenal, but his ability to bend-and-rip is what’s most impressive about him on tape. He keeps his hands active and plays the game with excellent balance. He’s a speedy guy with a great first step off the snap, something that’s so key to being successful at the next level. He’s also a very smart player who reads-and-reacts to what’s happening around him in a timely fashion. His high football I.Q. should allow him to see the field early and often as a rookie.Round 4: Wyatt Ray, Boston CollegeWith all of their connections to Boston College, you can bet that the Titans will have a lot of information on Ray. Not only did he share a position room with Landry, but new Titans strength and conditioning coach Frank Piraino could provide some insight into Ray as well. It takes Ray a second to get going off the snap, but he’s a long, quick strider who eats up space once he gets going. He uses his length to set up everything else he wants to do as a rusher. He’s incredibly physical and he effectively converts speed to power. All of the traits are there for Ray Jayon Brown Jersey White , but it’s gonna take some good coaching to help him put it all together. Perhaps the familiar faces in Tennessee is exactly what he needs.Round 5: Ben Banogu, TCUBanogu’s athletic profile is the type you bet on with a Day 3 selection. The type of explosiveness and speed he showcased at the NFL Scouting Combine will have teams taking a closer look at him. On tape, he has a lot to work on if he’s going to be successful at the next level. First and foremost, I thought he was a little too slow to react to what’s going on around him. Still, you can work with him. Banogu has a variety of moves in his arsenal already. The outside club is his best move, but he also incorporates a nice rip move, and a two-hand stab as well. He’s a bit of a liability in the run game at this point. He’ll have to improve in that area if he hopes to see the field consistently at the next level, but his athletic profile will certainly get him drafted.Round 6: Justin Hollins, OregonA twitched up rusher with some solid fluidity to his game, Hollins is an intriguing option on Day 3. He’s not a bendy rusher on tape. Instead, Hollins has success when he sets up the offensive linemen with stutter and hesitation moves. He does have some quickness to his game, but everything he does is set up with slow developing rushes. He needs to work on not getting pushed past the pocket so often, but Hollins has some exciting tools to work with.Round 7: Jordan Brailford, Oklahoma StateBrailford is another intriguing option that should be available late. His 40 yard dash time of 4.65 was excellent considering his size. He has great length and size for the next level. He does a great job of using his hands to disengage from would-be blockers. He keeps them active and he’s constantly swiping to get free. He moved around for Oklahoma State, playing both in a 3-point stance and standing up as a 3-4 rusher. Right now, he relies on his length and bull rush to get after the quarterback. He’ll have to develop one or two more moves, but Brailford could be a value selection on the backend of the 2019 NFL draft.