The San Francisco 49ers began their winning streak after we started making weekly predictions. Coincidence? I think not. Let’s keep the good vibes rolling and discuss what we expect in Week 15 against the Tennessee Titans.
Kyle’s prediction – 49ers 31, Titans 17
For the second time since 1970, the NFL’s most sacked quarterback goes against the defense with the fewest sacks in Week 15 or later. Titans QB Cam Ward has taken 49 sacks. The Niners have only managed 16 sacks. Something has to give!
Kyle Shanahan had a telling quote on Wednesday when he said Ward is “extremely accurate when his first read is open.” That tells me that Robert Saleh is going to go out of his way to change the post-snap picture. The Browns did last week and walked into an interception.
Saleh has dialed back his simulated pressure usage since Fred Warner went down with an injury. The 49ers’ defense is among the least aggressive in the NFL at pressuring quarterbacks, so it’ll be interesting to see if there is a change in philosophy moving forward. If there was ever an offense to experiment against, it’s one that’s in the bottom three in the NFL in points, yards, rushing, EPA, fumbles, and third downs.
The Titans’ defense shouldn’t provide much resistance, though they have been the beneficiaries of turnover luck this season. Tennessee is second in the NFL in sacks per game, but the 49ers give up the fewest sacks in the league. Staying ahead of the chains is how you end up second in third-down efficiency and eighth in red zone efficiency.
Blocking Jeffery Simmons isn’t something anybody has done, so I don’t expect the 49ers to. Simmons will get his, but Ricky Pearsall gets a favorable matchup. The Titans leave cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. on an island like he’s Darrell Revis. He gave up a pair of touchdowns last week, and I expect Shanahan to get Pearsall isolated on Baker Jr., leading to a few big plays for Pearsall.
Rohan’s prediction – 49ers 31, Titans 13
This is an interesting matchup for the 49ers’ defense. They don’t get sacks, but, as Kyle said, they are facing the team that has given up the most sacks.
I think the Titans are going to struggle with efficiency on Sunday, even against this current iteration of the 49ers defense. A turnover or two could be in the cards, and the 49ers offense should have a good game coming off the bye with the matchups presented in the secondary.
Getting off to a big start would be a big help in making Tennessee one-dimensional. But, the Titans also haven’t run the ball well all year, and with their young, drop-prone receiving core, I struggle to see how they’ll score enough points to make it a close game from start to finish.
Brock Purdy did a good job of taking care of the football against the Cleveland Browns. Things should come easier against Tennessee, but if he has the same mentality, the offense should roll at a better rate.
I see the 49ers forcing at least one turnover and covering the spread en route to a big win.
Nicholas’ prediction – 49ers 33, Titans 16
The Titans may only have two wins, but the numbers suggest they have a decent chance of stopping the 49ers doing what they want to do, which is control the game on the ground.
Tennessee has the eighth-best run defense in the NFL by success rate, though the Titans have been prone to giving up the explosive play on the ground. Indeed, they are 22nd in EPA per-play on run defense, indicating there is hope that Christian McCaffrey breaks a big one if the 49ers stick with the rushing attack.
But if the Titans managed to keep McCaffrey bottled up on the ground, then this may be a game where the arm of Brock Purdy is required more often, and that is where the mismatches in the passing game that Kyle referenced come into play.
Tennessee is 19th in success rate against the pass but 27th in EPA per play. In other words, the big plays will be there for Purdy if he plays the kind of clean game he produced last time out in Cleveland.
Jeffery Simmons and Co. have the ability to prevent Purdy from doing that, but with the 49er defense vastly improved against the run this season and the secondary showcasing recent strides that point to Cam Ward having to consistently work beyond his first read, Robert Saleh’s unit should buy the offense room for error.
Several Titans games this season have seen them briefly hang around before being outclassed and overpowered. Playing at home, I expect the 49ers to deliver a similar outcome on Sunday.
Andrew’s prediction: 49ers 31, Titans 13
The 49ers have won five of their last seven games, with all five wins being by at least 10 points. Tennessee has lost seven of its 11 games by at least 10 points, including its most recent loss, a 25-3 defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars. San Francisco has made a habit of taking care of business against teams in the Titans’ realm, with an average margin of victory of nearly 16 points in their three wins over the 2-11 Giants, the 3-10 Cardinals, and the 3-10 Browns. There’s no reason to believe Tennessee will be any closer, especially with the 49ers coming off their bye week.
Jason’s prediction: 49ers 28, Titans 10
Regardless of Christian McCaffrey’s availability, this has to be a 49ers win that isn’t close. The 49ers’ offense should attack through the air, particularly the intermediate routes. Jauan Jennings and George Kittle should feast on the Titans’ secondary and linebackers. Pre-snap motion has been the kiss of death for Tennessee’s defense, and the 49ers’ pass rush should be disruptive enough to force mistakes and get off the field on third down. Of the final four games, this is the most winnable, especially out of the bye. Don’t mess around and get this one secured early.
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