Last time Vikings played Titans in Nashville, defense paved the way

There are no shortage of similarities between that 2016 Minnesota squad and this year's team.

Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker (82) carries the ball as Minnesota Vikings free safety Harrison Smith (22) defends at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Sept. 11, 2016. / The Tennessean-Imagn Images

The Vikings will take on the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday for the first time since Sept. 11, 2016.

It's safe to say a lot has changed since the Vikings' 25-16 season-opening victory in 2016. Shaun Hill was Minnesota's starting quarterback opposed the Titans' Marcus Mariota. Adrian Peterson was the starting running back, with DeMarco Murray taking handoffs on the other side. Stefon Diggs had seven receptions for 107 yards to lead the Vikings, while Tajae Sharpe was the Titans' leading receiver after hauling in seven passes for 74 yards. None will be on the field on Sunday.

𝗪𝗞𝟭𝟭 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲
Minnesota meets Tennessee in Nashville for the first time since the 2016 season opener, a 25-16 win for the visiting Vikings who scored two defensive touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/JeEch32MyM

— Vikings Communications (@VikingsPR) November 12, 2024

Harrison Smith remains a holdover from that Vikings squad, and he had eight tackles — including one for loss — on a day the team's defense powered the victory. Eric Kendricks had a 77-yard pick-6, and Danielle Hunter recovered a fumble and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown in a game that the offense couldn't get into the end zone.

While the times have certainly changed since the last time the Vikings visited Nashville, they are also some striking similarities. For example, that season, the Vikings also had a strong defense and started a journeyman quarterback.

That was not Hill, but Sam Bradford, who was acquired just days before the season after a devastating offseason injury to anticipated starter Teddy Bridgewater. Bradford helped lead the Vikings to a 5-0 start, just like Sam Darnold did this year.

Both went into the season with some of the best weapons of their career. Bradford had the likes of Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph and Peterson, while Darnold has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones.

After the 5-0 start in 2016, the Vikings lost four straight and missed the playoffs. This year's squad only lost two in a row before rebounding with back-to-back wins, but it's given reason to believe it might not be as good as the record shows.

Despite finishing the season with a .500 record, the Vikings boasted the sixth-best defense in points against per game (19.2). The Vikings currently rank third in that category this season, allowing just 17.4 points per game.

There's even a similarity on the opposing sideline.

The Titans went into the 2016 with a promising second-year quarterback in Mariota, just like how they came into 2024 with a promising second-year quarterback in Will Levis. Mariota had a solid year and led the Titans to a 9-7 record, though they missed the playoffs. Levis has battled injuries and struggled, and the Titans are very likely to miss the playoffs.

Just like they did in 2016, the Vikings should emerge as the victors in this year's matchup in Nashville. Levis is just one game back from injury, the Titans are just 2-7 and have been struggling mightily and the Vikings have some momentum after back-to-back wins. Las Vegas likes them to win, too, favoring them by 5.5 points for Sunday's showdown.

The Vikings have a chance to add one more element to the deja vu on Sunday. After that, they'll hopefully steer clear of 2016's trajectory and avoid a similar fate.