Meet the Opponent: 3 Biggest Concerns About Chargers For Titans in Week 2

The Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of world-class weapons on the offensive side of the ball, and they'll provide a big challenge to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in the home opener at Nissan Stadium. Here are three Chargers storylines to watch in an early must-win game for both teams.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have a stern test in their home opener on Sunday, taking on the Los Angeles Chargers at Nissan Stadium.

The Chargers have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and they can score points behind quarterback Justin Herbert.

Both teams opened with losses last week — the Titans lost 16-15 to New Orleans and the Chargers lost 36-34 to Miami — so getting  a win this week is crtical, Here are three things to be concerned about with the Chargers.

1. Chargers receivers against Titans secondary

Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are one of the best receiving combinations in the league, and they just might have a field day on Sunday against Tennessee's banged-up secondary.

Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (hamstring) and safety Amani Hooker (concussion) have both been ruled out for Sunday's game at Nissan Stadium, and that's a real problem because there have been concerns about depth at those positions throughout training camp.

Allen and Williams have to be salivating. Allen, who's in his 11th season, has had 992 yards or more in a season six times. He's a great route runner and is quick out of breaks, a real beast to cover. Herbert will look to find him often. He had six catches for 78 yards last week in the loss to Miami.

And Williams, the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Clemson, has 294 catches for 4,602 yards in his career. He's scored 30 touchdowns and is a threat downfield, averaging 15.7 yards per reception.

Don't be surprised to see Herbert throwing it all over the field on Sunday. The Titans have really struggled go slow down elite passes the past couple of years, and we may see that on Sunday, especially with Fulton and Hooker out.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) celebrates with quarterback Justin Herbert (10) and wide receiver Mike Williams (81) after a touchdown in 2020. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

2. Justin Herbert bordering on greatness

Justin Herbert came into the NFL with guns a blazing in 2020, and he's shown no signs of slowing down. He's throwing for 14,318 yards already in just 50 games, and he's on my list of the top-5 quarterbacks in the game,  which is saying a lot because the Chargers haven't made any playoff runs yet on his watch.

But he's got all the tools. He's a big-body quarterback — 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds — out of Oregon with a strong arm and a good feel for the game.

He was 28-for-42 for 313 yards against the Titans a year ago in the Chargers' 17-14. He didn't have any touchdown passes and threw two interceptions, so you can know that he'll be more careful on Sunday. I'm looking forward to watching him in person for the first time. 

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler (30) celebrates after a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. (Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

3. How healthy is Austin Ekeler?

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is one of most versatile backs in the game, and he was the No. 1 pick in thousands of fantasy football drafts this season. But he injured an ankle in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins and was listed as doubtful on the Chargers' final injury report on Friday.

One report said that Ekeler was out and wouldn't make the trip to Nashville on Saturday. And if he can't go, it's a big loss for Los Angeles.

He was dominant last Sunday, rushing for 117 yards on just 16 carries, and also had four catches for 47 yards. The Chargers rushed for 233 yards as a team, with Joshua Kelley adding 91 yards on the ground.

If Ekeler can't go, we'll see a lot of Kelley, who was a fourth-round pick out of UCLA in 2020. We'll update this story later on Saturday once the Chargers' plane takes off.

Related stories on Titans-Chargers

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• TOM BREW COLUMN: Angry Tennessee Titans fans want quarterback Ryan Tannehill benched or — even worse — cut and kicked to the curb. That's silly talk, because he's still the best quarterback on this team, better than youngsters Malik Willis and Will Levis. He's not going anywhere, at least right now. CLICK HERE
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• TIM KELLY FILM ROOM: The Tennessee Titans may have only scored 15 points in their Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints, but it wasn't because they didn't have their opportunities. New offensive coordinator Tim Kelly was impressive in his debut. CLICK HERE