Week 1 Preview: Tennessee Titans vs New York Giants

The Tennessee Titans are looking to bounce back from a disappointing first-round playoff exit and the New York Giants stand in their way. Last year's number one seed in the AFC should prove a stiff test for first-year Giants head coach Brian Daboll as he seeks to evaluate whether his young quarterback Daniel Jones is worth a long-term commitment. The Titans host the Giants as 5-point favorites.

Perhaps no number one seed this millennium was as volatile as last year's Tennesse Titans. At various points during the season, they stood tall with wins against contenders the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, and Los Angles Rams. Yet in other weeks, they were soundly defeated by fringe playoff teams like the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers. This year, they're hoping a re-emphasis on their talismanic running back Derrick Henry can balance things out; after rushing for over 2000 yards in 2020, Henry missed much of 2021 but was exceptional when available, rumbling for an impressive 117.1 yards per game. After trading away Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown, the Titans will be more dependent on Henry than ever.

Photo Credit: © Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The New York Giants, on the other hand, are trying to fight their way out of a rough streak of five straight seasons with six or fewer wins. Daboll was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills before taking the head coaching gig with the Giants this year, and he hopes to apply some of the lessons he learned while developping star quarterback Josh Allen to similarly mobile passer Daniel Jones. Jones has proven an effective runner so far with an impressive 5.8 yards per rush, but his erratic passing has kept the Giants a below-average scoring offense the entirety of his career. If Jones can improve as a passer and take advantage of a deep receiving corps that includes Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton, and Kenny Golloday, the Giants could finally find themselves back in the winning column.

The Tennessee Titans host the New York Giants this Sunday in Week 1 of the NFL season.