Tension in Tennessee
23 December 2021; 8:20 p.m. ET
Nissan Stadium; Nashville, TN
Week 16 is upon us in the Music City as the 49ers and Titans find themselves in a pivotal interconference matchup with playoff implications down the stretch. San Francisco finds themselves stuck at the No. 6 seed in the NFC, a win or loss on Thursday night would not change that standing leading into next week.
Meanwhile, the Titans, who once looked like the AFC’s No. 1 seed, are the No. 3 seed with the potential to drop to as low as the No. 4 seed and go up as high as the top seed (TEN WIN + KC LOSS + NE LOSS).
Coming into this contest though, both teams are trending in opposite directions with the 49ers winning five of their last six as the Titans have lost three of their last four games. The matchup being in primetime makes this all the more favorable for San Francisco.
Maddie Meyer | Credit: Getty Images
49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo is 8-3 (.727) with a 103.0 passer rating in his career as a starter in primetime games, the highest win pct among 25 QBs with 10+ primetime starts since 2015.
Titans’ Ryan Tannehill has an 81.0 passer rating in his career as a starter in primetime games, the 2nd-lowest among 25 QBs with 15+ primetime starts since 2012.
Garoppolo’s success stretches past just primetime games as the 49ers’ signal-caller has a 90+ passer rating in 8 straight games (Only HOF Steve Young (11 straight in 1994 MVP & SB-winning season) has a longer streak within a season in 49ers history).
Pair Garoppolo’s efficiency with the 49ers’ consistent run game and the time of possession, that Kyle Shanahan is great at controlling, can frustrate Tannehill and the Titans’ offense. Even when Tennessee possesses the football, the 49ers should force some turnovers and capitalize on them down the stretch. The Titans have 13 giveaways since Week 11, the most in the NFL in that span despite having a bye in Week 13.
It’s going to come down to defensive end Nick Bosa to set the tone for the SF defense. If he can cause havoc on the defensive line early on, it should steer the Titans away from the ground game and force Tannehill to take matters into his own hands.
The likely comeback player of the year can continue to go to work and affect the passing game greatly, which is exactly what DeMeco Ryans would want for his defensive unit. Here’s a look at how Bosa stacks up against a defensive player of the year candidate, T.J. Watt.
Defensive Stats 2021
Bosa’s production this season has gone under the radar, but best believe Mike Vrabel is paying very close attention to where No. 97 is going to line up on the field.
Meanwhile, Shanahan will be focusing on his own offense making sure to get the ball in his playmakers’ hands. George Kittle, who has 425 rec yards over his last 3 games, tied for the most in a 3-game span among TEs all-time, tops the list of Garoppolo’s favorite weapon. However, Shanahan’s creativity has opened a ground game like no other with WR Deebo Samuel. The pro-bowl wideout has a knack for finding the endzone, which will make the Titans’ defense all the more stressed in figuring out a game plan to stop Kittle, Samuel, alongside the emergence of Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk.
San Francisco’s postseason hopes are intact but the team is likely looking at getting the No. 4 seed in the NFC and hosting a playoff game… all of that would start with a primetime win in Nashville.
