EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Admirers of defensive football should be in for a treat when the Los Angeles Chargers host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The Chargers (5-3) — winners of two straight and three of their last four — allow a league-low 12.6 points per game. They are also the sixth club since 1990 and the first since the 2019 Patriots to allow 20 or fewer points in each of their first eight games.
The Titans (2-6) have NFL’s top-ranked unit in overall defense (269.1 yards per game) and against the pass (155.8 ypg).
Tennessee forced a season-high three turnovers in last Sunday’s 20-17 overtime victory over New England, snapping a three-game skid. Safety Amani Hooker picked off two passes, including the final play of the game, and has all three interceptions by the Titans this season.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert has not been picked off in his last six games.
“He’s getting the ball out quick,” Hooker said. “The receivers are getting open to the spots, you know, where he likes to make the throws, and he’s doing a good job of just not turning over the ball.”
The Titans have held seven of eight opponents under 200 passing yards this season. A significant reason for that is the pressure they’ve put on quarterbacks.
Tennessee has four sacks in each of the past two games. Outside linebacker Arden Key has had four sacks in the past three weeks.
The Titans will face a Chargers offensive line allowing a 39.7% quarterback pressure rate, the fourth-highest in the league. Justin Herbert was sacked a career-high six times in last Sunday’s 27-10 win at Cleveland.
“They play a really sound scheme. They like to try to squeeze you and keep everything in front of you and make you go the long way,” Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.
The Chargers have one of the most improved units in the league in coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s first season in Los Angeles. They are eighth in total defense (303.8 yards per game) and eighth against the run (107.9 yards per game).
“So far, it’s going well. But like I always say, it’s a week-to-week league. You can’t sit around going, ‘Hey, look where we’re at right now.’ Happy with where we’re at and always trying to chase ways to get better,” Minter said.
The Chargers still don’t know which quarterback they will be facing. Tennessee’s Will Levis has missed the last three games with a sprained AC joint in his right throwing shoulder. Levis, though, was a full participant in practice on Thursday.
Mason Rudolph is the Titans’ other option.
“I mean, it’s a challenge. You look at the film and get a bead on both the guys. Double the work but better to be prepared,” linebacker Khalil Mack said.
Hitting their stride
After some early-season concerns, the Chargers’ receivers are beginning to show their potential.
Ladd McConkey is tied for third among rookies with 35 receptions and has five straight games with at least four catches. Quentin Johnston is coming off a career-high 118 yards last week after missing two games with an ankle injury, and Josh Palmer’s last four receptions have gone for at least 26 yards, including a 28-yard TD at Cleveland.
Hello again
Chargers defensive back Elijah Molden has been anticipating this game since the Titans traded him on Aug. 29. Molden leads Los Angeles with three interceptions and is fifth in tackles with 32.
“Part of the reason I asked for a trade or to be released from the Titans is because I believed my best football was ahead of me. I wanted to play a lot and contribute, and I’m doing that right now,” Molden said.
Molden isn’t the only former Titan who has helped the Chargers this season. Cornerback Kristian Fulton has started six of the seven games he has played but might miss a second straight week with a hamstring strain. Defensive lineman Teair Tart blocked a field goal last week at Cleveland, and linebacker Bud Dupree is averaging 35 snaps per game.
Fulton and Tart were with Tennessee for four seasons (2020-23), while Dupree was there for two (2021-22). Titans defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day was with the Chargers for the past two seasons.
Incentive for Pollard
Titans coach Brian Callahan said running back Tony Pollard might not have to practice again if he can play the way he did last week when an injured foot sidelined him from practice. Pollard responded with a season-high 128 yards rushing on a career-high 28 carries. He also had 26 yards receiving for 154 yards from scrimmage, the second-best game in his career.
“It sounds good, but I’m one of those guys I got to go out there and practice it for full speed so I can have a feel for what it’s going to be like the game,” Pollard said.
Pollard might be getting some help in the backfield. Running back Tyjae Spears has missed three straight games with a hamstring injury. The Titans are happiest when they can mix and match the pair.
Home sweet home
The home team has won the last eight meetings in the series, including Tennessee’s 27-24 overtime victory last season.
The Titans have not won a road game against the Chargers since 1990 when they were the Houston Oilers, and Warren Moon threw for 355 yards in a 17-7 victory at San Diego. They have lost nine straight — seven in San Diego, one in London in 2018, and a 17-14 defeat in 2022 in the Chargers’ current home.
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AP Pro Football Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.
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