[1:01 PM] Titans @ Bears

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tennessee Titans (5-6)

@ Chicago Bears (2-8)

 

• The line for this game is Titans by 6 points.

• The Tennessee Titans’ slim playoff hopes depend on a road victory Sunday against the woeful Chicago Bears. The Titans have very little margin for error if they want to get back in the AFC South race, but they have a chance to make up some ground against a Bears team that is far from being at full strength.

• The Titans’ offense has made one of the league’s biggest turnarounds from a season ago behind a potent ground attack featuring Murray and Marcus Mariota. The running quarterback also has blossomed as a passer in his second professional season, passing for 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions – with multiple scoring tosses in a franchise-record seven consecutive games. The Titans’ defense should have success if it can stop the run and keep pressure on Barkley with a strong pass rush led by linebackers Brian Orakpo (nine sacks) and Derrick Morgan (eight).

• Chicago’s injury woes continue to mount, as Cutler will be joined on the sideline by guard Kyle Long (ankle) while receiver Alshon Jeffery serves the second game of a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The Bears’ linebacking corps also is thin, with rookie Leonard Floyd suffering from a concussion and leading tackler Jerrell Freeman beginning his own four-game suspension for PEDs. That’s bad news for a team that relies on its defense to keep it in games and ranks 31st in the league in scoring.

• Mariota needs 228 yards to become the Titans’ first 3,000-yard passer since Matt Hasselbeck in 2011.

• Chicago LB Danny Trevathan has recorded 11 or more tackles in two straight games.

• Murray has rushed for 325 yards in his last two games against the Bears.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Tennessee Titans

Confidence: 6/10

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