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Another big meeting between two teams in different conferences with playoff ramifications for both teams and both conferences.
The Tennessee Titans just lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Steelers. Now, the Titans have just a one game lead over the Colts in the AFC South, although they also still enjoy the tiebreaker advantage between the two teams. They still appear likely to win that division, although they certainly have not been making it easy for themselves. They were comfortably ahead of the Colts at some points when they were 8-2. In fact, they were the top seed n the AFC at that point, and looking like a serious contender to emerge as the AFC representatives in the Super Bowl. They not only were on a serious run, but had won some impressive games against winning teams, including the Bills, the Chiefs, the Colts (twice), and the Rams. They also beat the Saints during that stretch, who are at least contending for a playoff spot in the NFC.
All of that might feel like it is ancient history. After dropping three of their last four games, the Titans need to stop the bleeding before it gets serious. If they are not careful and suffer another loss or two, it might not just be the division title which will be in question for this team, but a playoff berth that once seemed like a foregone conclusion. So they need to get back to wining ball games.
On defense, the Titans played very well against Pittsburgh. They allowed only 35 yard of rushing and got three sacks. The Steelers hardly managed to get a lot of points, either. However, the Titans offense was so inept, that those points that Pittsburgh did get proved to be enough to earn the win. So another solid defensive performance would be key, although it really is necessary for the offense to step up in a big way, as well.
As for the 49ers, they certainly appear to be well on their way to a playoff berth. Not sure how realistic their chances are of winning the division, because they would need not just one two, but two teams that are presently well ahead of them to suddenly collapse. However, San Francisco is one of the hottest teams in the league, having won five of their last six games.
On offense, they still have Jimmy G. And although he is not the most dynamic or explosive quarterback, he has nevertheless helped the 49ers win this season. That is not a minor point. They have scored at least 23 points in each of their last six games, and have reached 30 points or more in four of those games. When they score that many points regularly, that makes them a tough team to beat, obviously.
Plus, their defense has been very solid as of late, averaging three sacks per game in their last six games, and having effectively shut down some opposing offense, such as the Rams, the Jaguars an the Falcons, who scored a combined 33 points. So this team can play some ball on both offense and defense.
Right now, both teams really need a win here. True, the Titans do have home field advantage, and that might just help. But the 49ers are one of the best road teams in the league. Also, San Francisco just feels like the much hotter team, and they sure appear to be peaking at about the right time. So my own expectations are for the 49ers to take control early, and hang on for the win here.
My pick: San Francisco
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