How good are the Green Bay Packers this season? Entering Week 10, we still don’t have a clear answer. The Packers lost three of their last four games and are sitting at .500. They’ll try to get their season back on track when they travel to Nissan Stadium to take on the Tennessee Titans.
Packers vs. Titans 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule, and how to watch online
Coming off a befuddling home loss, the Packers are still searching for consistency this season.
The Packers’ latest loss was a particularly confounding one, dropping a home game to a mediocre Indianapolis Colts team. The Colts’ defense has struggled to stop anyone all season, but they held Aaron Rodgers and company in check as Indianapolis jumped out to a 24-10 halftime lead. Green Bay woke up in the second half and tried to make it a game, but the Colts ultimately came away with the 31-26 victory.
Green Bay is still dealing with the fallout of injuries to Eddie Lacy and James Starks. Wide receiver Ty Montgomery has done a fine job filling in as a back, and he should continue having a role in the backfield even if Starks returns this week. Still, the Packers’ offense hasn’t been the juggernaut we’ve seen in recent years, ranking just 19th in passing yards per game entering Week 10. Rodgers is averaging 6.4 yards per pass attempt, which would be his lowest season total as a full-time starter. The defense has been generally strong against the run, but injuries are taking their toll in the secondary. At 4-4, the Packers’ margin for error is thin in an NFC North that’s up for grabs.
The Titans are 4-5, which is already more wins than they had in all of 2015. In addition, they’re very much alive in the race for a weak AFC South, so Mike Mularkey and company have plenty to play for in November. The big question is whether their young talent will hold up down the stretch.
Tennessee is coming off a tough 43-35 loss to the San Diego Chargers that exposed some cracks in the defense. The team ranks 10th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, but allowed Melvin Gordon to rip off 196 yards on the ground. DeMarco Murray was held to just 51 rushing yards on 14 carries and Marcus Mariota threw two back-breaking interceptions, pushing his season total to eight in nine starts.
There are also key injuries the team has to reckon with, particularly in the backfield. Murray is playing through a toe injury that’s been bothering him for multiple weeks now, although he’s still second in the league with 807 rushing yards. Another concern is Derrick Henry, who pulled his calf in pregame warmups and had to sit out last week’s game, although he did get in a full practice on Friday. On the bright side, Delanie Walker is fully back from his groin ailment and remains one of Mariota’s most trusted weapons.
On paper, the Packers can and should roll the Titans, but they simply refuse to make anything easy this season. This game is an interesting matchup of a talented but underachieving team, going up against a young rebuilding team eager to make its mark. The final result should tell us a lot about where each team stands heading into the meat of the postseason chase.
How to watch
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Place: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
TV: FOX
Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin
Online: Sunday Ticket, Fox Sports GO
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