Titans-Lions Key Matchup: Tennessee's Defense vs. Jared Goff

Jared Goff will be tested against Titans' defense in Week 8.

Sep 30, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) greets his offensive lineman as they run onto the field for pregame warmups before their game against the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

On Sunday, the NFC North-leading Lions (5-1) are set to square off with the AFC South cellar-dwelling Tennessee Titans (1-5). On the surface, it'd seem like a matchup that would significantly favor Detroit. 

But as ESPN’s Lee Corso would say: “Not so fast, my friend.” 

As much as Dan Campbell's team and Brian Callahan's Tennessee squad are going in different directions, the Titans certainly are no pushovers. The biggest reason why: Tennessee's underrated defense. 

The Dennard Wilson-run defense, through seven weeks, has allowed the fewest total yards per game (272.2) and the least amount of first downs (94). Plus, this defense – spearheaded up front by veterans Jeffrey Simmons and Harold Landry – has permitted the third-fewest yards per game through the air (166.7) and the seventh-fewest yards per contest on the ground (105.5).

Subsequently, the Lions’ offense – as potent as it may be – may not be able to walk all over Tennessee in this Week 8 contest.

“(Tennessee's defense) might be the best we’ve seen all year,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said earlier this week. “Maybe not as challenging from a schematics standpoint, but personnel-wise, these guys are, across the board at each level, sound. They are violent, they’re physical, they finish.” 

All of this makes for an interesting matchup between Detroit signal-caller Jared Goff and the Titans’ defense. 

Goff has been playing MVP-level football in recent weeks. He's thrown seven touchdowns and zero interceptions over the last three games, and has recorded a passer rating north of 140.0 in each of those three contests. He's just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to produce such passer ratings in three consecutive games, too.

In addition to all that, Detroit has produced more touchdowns (18) than Goff has thrown incompletions (15) the last four games. 

Callahan has certainly taken notice of the veteran quarterback's success the last month.

“It feels like every game I look up, he's got like four incompletions,” the first-year Titans head man said of Goff. “They've done a great job of finding their playmakers. He deals the ball. Jared, I think, is an underrated quarterback. He is probably playing the position as good as anybody in football right now, and (is) a large reason why they are 5-1.”

I'm going to predict that Goff continues his turnover-less streak, and throws for a pair of touchdowns and 296 yards in a Week 8 victory for Detroit.