The Minnesota Vikings have another chance to fix some offensive problems when they face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in their second straight road game against an AFC South team.
Sam Darnold has struggled with turnovers, giving the ball away five times in the past two games, including three interceptions in last week’s 12-7 win at Jacksonville. Thankfully, Minnesota’s defense and kicker helped cover for Darnold’s mistakes.
This week, the Vikings will play against the Tennessee Titans, whose offense ranks near the bottom of the NFL in scoring. The Titans’ offense is a good match for the 17.4 points per game that Minnesota’s defense, led by Brian Flores, is allowing.
First-year Titans head coach Brian Callahan credits Darnold and the Vikings’ defense for helping put the team in a strong position in both the NFC and the NFC North.
“It’s sort of all working together for them, the way that we would like to work together as a team as far as all three phases making the plays and putting each other in position to have success and Sam’s capitalized on it,” Callahan said.
The Titans (2-7) are coming off a 27-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, where they got second-year quarterback Will Levis back on the field.
Tennessee has a strong defense of its own, ranking first in the NFL for fewest yards and passing yards allowed per game. The Titans have given up 200 or more passing yards only once this season, but they’ve only intercepted three passes — all by safety Amani Hooker.
Despite their strong defense, Tennessee is near the bottom of the league in points allowed, giving up an average of 26.7 points per game. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t want to get caught up in all the stats.
“I just know what I see on tape. It’s a good defense,” O’Connell said about the Titans.