3 challenges the Commanders must overcome against the Titans in Week 13

Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels have had a charmed inaugural season with the Washington Commanders. But they enter a Week 13 matchup against the Tennessee Titans at their first moment of genuine crisis.

The Commanders' current three-game losing streak has not removed them from playoff contention. However, if Quinn and company do not figure out a way to right the foundering ship, those postseason dreams will evaporate as quickly as Daniels’ once-certain NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Losing consecutive games to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles was not a major problem. It just showed to everyone that the improved Commanders are not yet ready to compete with the league’s very best. Losing a home game against a Dallas Cowboys team playing without their starting quarterback set off all the alarm bells.

Up until that point, the Commanders had beaten the teams they were supposed to beat. With that in mind, the Titans game once seemed like a cakewalk. That is no longer the case.

Tennessee has struggled mightily this season. Entering last week’s game, they stood at 2-8. But they went on the road and defeated the division-leading Houston Texans - another team that has been struggling of late.

The Titans have not won consecutive games since 2022. They would like nothing more than to build on their big win in Houston.

The Commanders, on the other hand, desperately need to stop the bleeding. They have a much-needed bye following this week’s game and if they can emerge with a victory, holding onto a wildcard spot seems feasible.

Losing two consecutive home games to teams with a combined 6-15 record would send the once-promising season into a complete tailspin. So how do the Commanders win against Tennessee? These three things are crucial.

Challenges the Commanders must overcome against the Titans

Harassing Will Levis

Titans’ quarterback Will Levis is a work in progress. He is being sacked at a rate similar to what Commanders’ fans witnessed with Sam Howell in 2023. A lot of those sacks are due to his decision-making.

Against the Texans, he was dropped eight times. But as you know, the Titans still managed to win the game.

They won because Levis, now in his second season, is showing signs of maturity as a signal caller. He has been able to shrug off those sacks and still make big plays with his arm. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley has averaged better than 90 yards per game over the last five contests and more than 10 yards per target.

Levis is taking shots downfield and is starting to hit on more of them. Even if Marshon Lattimore plays this week, the Commanders will need to get in his face early and often.

He has proven that a few sacks will not deter the offense, and the Commanders' improved defense remains susceptible to splash plays in the passing game. Cooper Rush’s 41-yard pass to Jalen Brooks just before halftime in Week 12 was almost as big a defensive blunder as the one committed by the Cowboys at the end of the game.

Controlling Tony Pollard

Until Levis’ recent improved play, Tennessee was relying almost exclusively on running back Tony Pollard. The former Cowboys star has just under 1,000 yards from scrimmage through the first 11 games. In Tennessee’s three wins, he has averaged more than 110 yards rushing.

One of the hidden culprits in Washington's declining play over the last month has been a very suspect run defense. In the past seven games, the Commanders have allowed opponents better than 150 yards per game on the ground. That includes huge games from the likes of Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.

Pollard may not be in their league, but he is not all that different from the Chicago Bears' D’Andre Swift, who torched the Commanders for 129 rushing yards in the Hail Mary game. Rico Dowdle ground out 86 yards by simply running hard last Sunday.

Pollard and the Titans will follow that script. If they are successful, it makes Levis’ deep shots much more difficult to defend.

Commanders OL must make a statement

Daniels has been diminished over the past month. He does not seem able to escape pressure and make big plays as readily as he did early in the season. Brian Robinson Jr. has also been struggling with an injury that has limited his effectiveness. And now Austin Ekeler’s health is in question.

When those players are all 100 percent, any offensive line is going to look better. When they are not, it is the protection's turn to make their teammates look good.

Washington’s offensive line was bullied by Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. That was not completely unexpected. But the way they struggled against a weaker Dallas front seven was cause for alarm.

This week, they will be challenged again by a talented set of front-seven players. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is among the best interior linemen in the league and is showing better form in recent weeks after a slow start to the 2024 season. Next to him, rookie nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat is a force inside.

Both linemen had a sack against the Texans last week. So did edge rusher Harold Landry III, who is on pace for his third straight season with double-digit sacks. Fellow edge rusher Arden Key did not have a sack against Houston, but he had five in as many games leading into last Sunday.

Tennessee’s defensive front is going to be ready to play. The Commanders’ offensive line had better be up to the challenge.

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