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NFL Week 3: Bills, Titans and more on upset alert this Sunday

By Mike Phillips

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: Ryan Tannehill #17 hands off the ball to Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans during the first half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 33-30. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: Ryan Tannehill #17 hands off the ball to Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans during the first half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 33-30. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 20: Ryan Tannehill #17 hands off the ball to Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans during the first half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on September 20, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 33-30. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 20: Ryan Tannehill #17 hands off the ball to Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans during the first half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on September 20, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 33-30. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

2. The Tennessee Titans could be on upset alert in Minnesota

Two weeks has produced two wins for Tennessee, which has jumped out to an early lead in the AFC South. The good news is that Ryan Tannehill is as efficient as ever, a promising development for all who were concerned about his 2019 breakout performance was a fluke.

The cause for concern with the Titans is that they did struggle to beat Jacksonville and Denver by a combined five points. Tennessee is back on the road this week as they head to Minnesota to take on a desperate Vikings’ that is 0-2 and in need of a win in the worst way.

FanDuel has the Titans opening as 1.5 point favorites, a very slim margin that fits into the way that Tennessee likes to grind out games. Playing that kind of football does leave a team vulnerable to the upset since one or two bounces of the football can easily flip the outcome in the wrong direction.

The Titans have also struggled to stop the run, surrendering 136 yards per game over their first two matchups. That should play right into the hands of the Vikings, who play their best football when they can establish the running game with Dalvin Cook, allowing Kirk Cousins to work off of the play-action passing attack.

The desperation factor and matchup vulnerability do mean that there is a great chance Tennessee could leave Minnesota with a loss on Sunday. Head coach Mike Vrabel will likely hammer these points home to his squad throughout the week to ensure that the Titans don’t overlook the Vikings.

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