Why Chargers Will Beat Titans, Why They Won’t, and a Prediction

The Los Angeles Chargers can’t afford to suffer a trap game at the hands of the visiting Tennessee Titans in Week 10.

Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers, after all, have gradually gotten healthier and hit on a run since the Week 5 bye, winning in three of their last four outings—with the exception a mere two-point loss.

Those visiting Titans are perfect trap-game material, though, as first-year head coach Brian Callahan struggles to reform an entire program. That has shown on the field with the 2-6 record and quarterback shuffling.

Here are a few key factors that explain why the Chargers will or won’t win on Sunday.

The Titans are an injured mess. Sunday will be their first game without new starters on both sides of the ball (offensive lineman Lloyd Cushenberry and safety Quandre Diggs). Quarterback Will Levis is back, but that may work in the Chargers’ favor, considering he’s thrown five scores and seven picks this year and averages 5.6 yards per attempt. He’s thrown more than one touchdown just once this season. And while the Titans rank statistically well as a defense, they’ve coughed up outings of 34 and 52 points in two of their last three games. The Chargers, meanwhile, boast the league’s best defense that allows less than 13 points per game on average. Justin Herbert’s offense has expanded alongside the improving health of his ankle and weapons around him, too.

There’s always the element of surprise and the unknown. Perhaps they roll out some looks for Levis the Chargers haven't seen on film. Jeffery Simmons is a game-breaking player in the heart of the Titans defense, too, so if this one remains a low-scoring affair, he could certainly make a play or two that swings the outcome.

The Chargers get to stay home for this one and are simply the better team by most metrics. While the Titans have struggled to a minus-11 point differential, the Chargers are way on the other end at plus-nine. There’s a severe difference in quarterback play, too. If the Chargers weren’t exactly phased by going to Cleveland last week and dealing with the likes of Myles Garrett in a casual 27-10 win, they aren’t going to have many problems against the struggling Titans.

Final score: Chargers 27, Titans 13

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