The Tennessee Titans return to Nissan Stadium for their Week 2 clash with the Los Angeles Rams knowing full well they step in as underdogs, but also recognizing that their path to a home upset relies on discipline, balance, and leaning into the disruptive energy of a crowd eager to see signs of progress in a new era, and their formula begins with taking pressure off a young quarterback by establishing credibility on the ground through Tony Pollard and the run game, mixing inside zone, duo, and gap schemes to generate manageable down-and-distance situations that prevent Los Angeles from teeing off with its four-man rush; once the run is respected, Tennessee can layer in quick-game staples—slant-flat, hitches, shallow crosses, and screens—that not only give the quarterback rhythm but also punish the Rams’ aggressive defensive line for overpursuit, and if protection holds long enough on occasional keepers or play-action rollouts, the Titans will look to Calvin Ridley as their primary shot-play target when Los Angeles rolls to single-high coverage; the offensive line will be the swing unit, tasked with passing off stunts and twist games while avoiding the pre-snap penalties that often derail young offenses in noisy, pressure-filled situations, and tight ends plus backs will be essential in chip-and-stay roles to give their quarterback extra beats against Aaron Donald’s replacements in the interior and a rotation of Rams pass rushers off the edge.

Defensively, Tennessee must make the Rams earn every yard, starting by denting Kyren Williams’ efficiency on first down to force Stafford into longer throws where disguise and crowd noise can trigger mistakes, and setting hard edges so Los Angeles’ outside zone doesn’t become the engine for McVay’s lethal play-action; simulated pressures and creeper looks will need to be dialed up at the right times to get Stafford off rhythm, but discipline in the secondary will be equally vital, because the Rams’ route combinations thrive on exploiting even a half-step of hesitation, so safeties must rotate late, corners must contest crossers without grabbing, and tackling after the catch has to be nearly perfect to prevent Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp from turning five-yard throws into 20-yard chain-movers; situational football will be the Titans’ best chance to level the playing field—red-zone defense must force the Rams into field goals by trading space for time, while their own offense has to lean on misdirection runs, sprint-outs, and motion-to-bunch looks that create leverage without demanding their line sustain blocks for too long, because finishing drives with sevens instead of threes is the only way to stay within reach; special teams, often overlooked, could become the hidden lever of the upset, with directional punting, disciplined coverage, and clean kicking operation serving to tilt field position in a game lined with a total in the low 40s, and Tennessee cannot afford to hand Los Angeles short fields through mistakes; ultimately, the Titans’ path to a statement home win lies in a plus turnover margin, steady offensive rhythm that keeps them out of obvious passing downs, and capitalizing on their crowd and defensive pressure to frustrate Stafford, and if they execute cleanly and finish rare red-zone trips with touchdowns, the underdog Titans have a blueprint to compress the spread and turn a seemingly lopsided matchup into a fourth-quarter battle where resilience and home energy can carry them to an upset that reshapes early-season narratives.