GameDay Prediction: AllTitans.com Publisher Tom Brew Makes Pick on Titans-Chargers

NASHVILLE — It's only Week 2, and it's really no time to panic. But try telling that to Tennessee Titans fans, who've been toasty all week after the season-opening 16-15 loss at New Orleans where veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill had his worst game as a pro.

Tannehill had three interceptions and no touchdown passes, which he hasn't done in 11 years. He finished with a 28.8 quarterback rating, the lowest mark EVER during his 146-game NFL career. Going forward, the 35-year-old needs to be better, for sure, if the Titans are going to contend for an AFC South title.

Slow starts are not the death knell. The Titans opened 0-2 a year ago and then won seven of their next eight games before injuries wiped out their season. That seven-game losing streak to end the season was a crusher.

So this much is clear: Being 1-1 is FAR better than being 0-2.

The big reason for that is that the Titans need a little confidence boost. It's been 300-plus days since they've won a game that counted. They need a win bad, and the best time to do that is Sunday, when they host the 0-1 Los Angeles Chargers, who are without star running back Austin Ekeler, who's out with an ankle injury.

Injuries are a major storyline in this game, and it's having a big impact on my pick. The Chargers, a playoff team in my book that can contend with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, are without Ekeler, who's great, but I am thinking the Chargers can game-plan around that.

And that's partly because of the Titans' injury situation.

It's not good.

The two biggest areas of weakness on the Titans is at offensive line and in the secondary, and they are missing three huge pieces on Sunday. Rookie left guard Peter Skoronski, their highest-graded lineman a week ago, is out with an undisclosed injury.

Even worse, the Titans' secondary is really in trouble. Starting cornerback Kristian Fulton (hamstring) is out, as is starting safety Amani Hooker (concussion). There are major questions about the Titans' depth back there. Fulton and Hooker both missed time last week and New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr threw for 305 yards. Fulton is their best cover guy, and Hooker had an interception last week.

Carr is good, but Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is better.

I got my ''GameDay Prediction'' pick right last week. I took the Saints to win 20-16 in a low-scoring game and that's exactly what we got. I made that pick because I was still in ''show me'' mode with the Titans. I wanted to see that offensive line play, to see if they were better than a year ago, when the Tennessee O-line was a complete disaster. They were average at best, with Skoronski the only one who really stood out. And now he's gone, with very questionable depth behind him.

But where the outcome swings in my book is that Herbert can really pick on the Titans' secondary. He's going to be in throw mode anyway with Ekeler out, so look for him to hook up with standout receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams often.

I think he has a big day, and throws for over 300 yards. I'm really concerned that with Skoronski out, DeAndre Hopkins hobbling and Tannehill still a major question mark that the Titans offense can't keep up.

So I'm going with Chargers 26, Titans 17.

Again, like I said last week, I'm certainly not rooting for this, but I still need to see the Titans prove themselves. That could very easily happen today, but they certainly need to be better than they were a year ago before I can become a believer.

And that list starts with Tannehill, of course. He has to be better. But the depleted Titans secondary has to play at a high level too, and I just don't think they're ready for that.

Not this Sunday.

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