Three Titans Players to Watch for in Week 16

The San Francisco 49ers confidence is growing as the team is getting healthier and playing complementary football, showcasing some of their best performances of the season in recent weeks. As a commander of the squad, Jimmy Garoppolo has led his team on a hot streak while earning an 86.5 Pro Football Focus grade since Week 8, first among all quarterbacks in the league. Offensive stars such as Deebo Samuel and George Kittle have shined on the field since coming back from injury and the 49ers defense has continued to limit opponents and aid San Francisco in the turnover battle.

While holding a 9-5 record, the Tennessee Titans have recently undergone an unfortunate series of events. Losing three of their last four contests, the Titans enter Week 16 missing several key players along their offensive line. Left tackle Taylor Lewan (back), left guard Rodger Saffold (shoulder/illness) and offensive tackle Kendall Lamm (COVID) will be sitting out, leaving Tennessee vulnerable to San Francisco’s pass rush featuring defensive end Nick Bosa, who has his eyes on surpassing San Francisco’s franchise sack record. Yet, the Titans are not to be underestimated as their defensive front is one of the most dominant in the league, featuring Jeffrey Simmons, Harold Landry and Bud Dupree. Offensively, wide receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones are both expected to see the field for the first time since Tennessee defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9.

“It’s going to be one of those games where you’ve really got to strap your chin strap tight and make sure your pads are right because you’re going to have to bring it,” linebacker Fred Warner said.

In advance of Thursday’s game, here’s a list of three Titans the 49ers will need to keep their eyes on:

One of Byard’s greatest strengths is attacking the football. The free safety is tied for fourth most interceptions (5) in the league. Recording 73 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one tackle for a loss and 13 passes defended in 14 starts this season, Byard has earned himself an impressive 90.3 PFF grade. Byard has led his defense in forcing turnovers, which has resulted in victories for Tennessee. Overall, the Titans pass defense is ranked fourth in the league with a total of 71 passes defended so far this season.

The 49ers rotating group of receivers that includes Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Sherfield, Jauan Jennings and Samuel, not to mention all-pro tight end Kittle, is likely to face Byard in deep-ball situations – an area that has seen improvement from San Francisco. Garoppolo notched 10.2 yards per attempt and one touchdown, and Kittle had a perfect day with six receptions on six targets for 93 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. Garoppolo’s pass completion to his star receivers will be tested against Byard and the rest of Tennessee’s secondary.

“It’s not just their defense, it’s their whole team – they’re extremely physical,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “It starts with their front seven, with their D-Line and their linebackers. But then it goes all the way back to their backend, both safeties, they come up, are very good tacklers. They don’t make many mistakes and they got real good ball skills that’ll make you pay too.”