The Titans have lost 24-year old RB Javon Ringer for the rest of the year due to a fractured hand.  Ringer played in 12 games for the Titans this year and he carried the ball 59 times for 185 yards (3.1 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also has caught 28 passes for 187 yards (6.7 avg) this year.  Ringer has now played in 35 games in his first three years with the Titans and he has carried the ball 118 times for 472 yards (4.0 ypc) with 3 TD grabs.  He has also caught 35 passes for 231 yards (6.6 avg) so far in his career.  22-year old rookie RB Jamie Harper will replace Javon Ringer as Chris Johnson’s top backup in the Titans’ last three games.

The Titans played hard yesterday, but just not good enough to beat the Saints.  Matt Hasselbeck started at QB for the Titans yesterday and he completed 5 of 7 passes for 44 yards before leaving the game with a calf injury.  Rookie Jake Locker finished up the game and he was excellent for the most part.  He completed 13 of 29 passes for 282 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 36 yards (6.0 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Chris Johnson had a rough game with 23 yards rushing on 11 carries (2.1 ypc), but he also caught 5 passes for 43 yards (8.6 avg) in this game.  WR Nate Washington led the way in the passing game for the Titans yesterday with 6 grabs for 130 yards (21.7 avg) with 1 TD grab.  WRs Damian Williams (2 rec, 62 yards) and Lavelle Hawkins (3 rec, 49 yards) also had solid games for the Titans yesterday.  The Titans finished up with 59 yards rushing on 17 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 36 passes (50%) for 314 yards as they had possession of the ball for only 22:27.

The defense didn’t give up a lot of points yesterday, but they had big time issues getting off the field.  CBs Alterraun Verner (11 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) and Cortland Finnegan (9 tackles and 1 pass defensed) led the way for the Titans on D in this game.  LB Will Witherspoon pitched in with 8 tackles in this game.  The Saints finished up with 114 yards on 26 carries (4.4 ypc) and they also completed 36 of 47 passes (76.6%) for 323 yards in this game.  The Titans are now 7-6 on the season.

The Titans have won two games in a row now and they are in the thick of the AFC South and wildcard chases, so this is a HUGE game for them.  The Saints have won four games in a row, but they are a different team on the road.  They are only 3-3 on the road this year, where they have been outscored 159-154!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Titans have the ball:  The Titans are going to have to run the ball and play keepaway if they are going to beat the Saints this Sunday.  Chris Johnson is on a serious roll as of late and the Saints are giving up 114.6 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry, so he should have a good game.  If Johnson is effective, so will QB Matt Hasselbeck, using play action passes to attack the Saints’ secondary down the field.  The Saints are giving up 264.2 yards passing per game so far this year, so WRs Nate Washington, Lavelle Hawkins and Damian Williams should be able to make some plays this Sunday.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Titans must find ways to slow Drew Brees down a little bit this Sunday.  The Titans will likely blitz a little more than usual in an attempt to get Brees to rush the football.  It won’t be easy though as the Saints have an outstanding WRing corps that is deep.  He likes to spread the ball around, making things really tough on opposing secondaries.  TE Jimmy Graham and RB Darren Sproles are also huge weapons in the passing game, putting a lot of pressure on LBs and safeties.  The Saints also have a solid three headed monster at RB as Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas give them a spark when needed.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 27, TITANS 24

The Titans are getting solid work out of 22-year old Akeem Ayers and 23-year old Colin McCarthy so far this year.  Ayers has played in 12 games for the Titans so far this year and he has 53 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery and 2 passes defensed.  McCarthy has played in 9 games for the Titans so far this year and he has 42 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception.  The Titans’ are playing better defense than most “experts” thought they would and Ayers & McCarthy are a big part of that.

The Titans got back to running the ball again today and Chris Johnson was again a huge reason for the win today.  Chris Johnson carried the ball 23 times for 153 yards (6.7 ypc) with 2 TD runs in this game for the Titans.  Matt Hasselbeck was in game manager mode as he completed 16 of 25 passes for 140 yards without a TD pass or INT.  Javon Ringer pitched in with 5 carries for 21 yards (4.2 ypc) today when Chris Johnson needed a break.  WRs Damian Williams (4 rec, 62 yards) and Nate Washington (4 rec, 40 yards) led the way in the passing game for the Titans.  The Titans finished up with 187 yards rushing on 31 carries (6.0 ypc) and they also completed 16 of 25 passes (64%) for 130 yards in this game as they had possession of the ball for 28:14.

The defense played well enough when it had to for the Titans to win today.  LB Colin McCarthy led the way for the Titans on D in this game with 9 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 2 fumble recoveries.  CB Cortland Finnegan (7 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 pass defensed) and safety Michael Griffin (6 tackles) also had solid games for the Titans today.  The Bills finished up with 97 yards rushing on 23 carries (4.2 ypc) and they also completed 29 of 46 passes (63%) for 282 yards.  The Titans are right in the thick of the playoff race in the AFC with a 7-5 record.

The Titans are chasing the Texans in the AFC South and they are also trying to get a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, so this game in Buffalo is HUGE for them.  The Bills have lost four games in a row, but they showed some fight against the Jets in New Jersey yesterday before falling a tad short in the end.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Titans have the ball:  The Titans might feed the rock to Chris Johnson in this game as the Bills are giving up 123.8 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry so far this year.  If Johnson starts to really roll in this game, Matt Hasselbeck is also going to have a great game.  The Bills only have 16 sacks this year and the Titans’ QBs have only been sacked 16 times this year, so Hasselbeck should have a lot of time to throw the ball.  The Bills are having issues at corner right now, so look for Hasselbeck to be throwing the ball down the field to WRs Nate Washington and Damian Williams.

When the Bills have the ball:  The Titans are going to have to get after QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in this game, but it won’t be easy as he has only been sacked 15 times this year.  The smart way for the Titans to play this week is to double WR Steve Johnson and force the Bills to try to beat them throwing the ball to WR David Nelson, WR Brad Smith and TE Scott Chandler.  The Titans’ front seven will have to handle stopping C.J. Spiller.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 27, BILLS 20

26-year old RB Chris Johnson has been playing a lot better lately for the Titans.  In his last three games, Johnson has carried the ball 62 times for 333 yards (5.4 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He has also caught 8 passes for 62 yards (7.8 avg) in those three games.  Johnson has now played in 11 games for the Titans this year and he has carried the ball 183 times for 699 yards (3.8 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also has caught 39 passes for 268 yards (6.9 avg) without any TD catches this year.  Johnson has now played in 58 games in his first four years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 1,108 times for 5,297 yards (4.8 ypc) with 36 TD runs.  He has also caught 176 passes for 1,276 yards (7.3 avg) with 4 TD grabs so far in his career.  The Titans need Johnson to get back to the RB he was in his first three years with the team.  He is starting to show signs of breaking his year long funk, and it would be perfect timing as the Titans are trying to chase down the Texans in the AFC South.