Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers will look to extend their three-game winning streak on Sunday when they host the 2-11 Tennessee Titans at Levi’s Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1:25 p.m.
The 49ers are right in the wildcard mix in the NFC, currently listed as the No. 6 seed in the standings with four games to go. They’re also just a half-game back of the Los Angeles Rams, who currently lead the NFC West and hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Following Sunday’s game, the 49ers face three straight playoff contenders with the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks. So, Sunday is a must-win for the 49ers.
Here are three keys to a Niners victory over the Titans in Week 15.
Find a way to get pressure
Sunday will be an interesting battle at the line of scrimmage between the 49ers defense and the Titans offense.
San Francisco ranks last in the NFL in sack percentage and has struggled to get pressure since losing Nick Bosa early in the season. They’ll face a Titans offensive line that has allowed 49 sacks to Cam Ward this season.
Robert Saleh will likely look to change things up from pre-snap to post-snap in an effort to slow down Cam Ward’s clock and get more pressure in the pocket.
But, if Ward is kept clean, it could lead to a tougher challenge in the secondary.
3rd downs
A big part of San Francisco’s success has been converting on third downs this season. The 49ers are second in the NFL, converting at a 48.2 percent rate on third downs so far this year. In their last three games, that’s been above 53 percent.
Tennessee, on the other hand, has been the league’s worst team at converting third downs, getting them at a putrid 29.9 percent this season.
Defensively, both teams are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to allowing third-down conversions. Obviously, a big part of the situation is what happens on early downs, but the 49ers should have an advantage if they can continue their success on third down conversions.
Turnovers
When it comes to a game like Sunday’s, it’s evident the 49ers should win. So, you have to think of the factors why this game could be closer than anticipated.
Turnovers come to the top of the list there. Brock Purdy has thrown multiple interceptions in three of his five starts this season. He had arguably his best game of the season before the bye in the 49ers 26-8 win over the Cleveland Browns.
But, if the Titans are able to force some early takeaways, that could make Sunday a lot more interesting than it should be.
Both teams are at the bottom of the NFL when it comes to creating turnovers. The 49ers are 20th, getting 1.1 takeaways a game, while the Titans are 25th with fewer than one takeaway a game.
San Francisco does give up 1.4 turnovers a game, though, and that number has...
