It's a wonderful football Sunday here in Michigan. Morning coffee cuts through the cool air. It's hoodie and hat weather, and I'm repping the Lions with everyone.

The Detroit Lions welcome the Tennessee Titans on this beautiful fall day. Of course, playing in the dome of Ford Field kind of negates the fall charm of the Great Lakes. Then again, Dan Campbell's 5-1 Lions aren't concerned with making the Titans trip pleasant – nor should they.

Why I believe the Lions will win

Tennessee enters the game with a 1-5 record, thanks in large part to a terrible offense so far, plagued by turnovers and terrible quarterback play from Will Levis and (last week) Mason Rudolph. They rank last in passing yards per game despite having an impressive receiving corps (on paper) with Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, Hopkins (now gone) and TE Chig Okonkwo, as well as versatile RB Tony Pollard.

The quarterback play was poor, but so was the pass protection. Tennessee ranks 26th in sack percentage allowed and 27th in PFF pass-blocking grade, with first-round rookie LT JC Latham struggling badly early. The new offense under rookie head coach Brian Callahan has not yet found traction.

All in all, this is not an offense that can outperform Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions' offense. Even without Jameson Williams, the Lions have more than enough firepower to win a shootout against Tennessee. And the Titans seem pretty reluctant to even attempt to get their offense into a shootout.

Even given the Lions' tremendous pass rush, this is not the type of offense or team mentality that can effectively exploit Detroit's vulnerability. The Lions' run defense is still very good, although it is still somewhat vulnerable to runners like Pollard, who can reach back at full speed and read blocks well.

Back to the Lions offense. With Goff playing as well as any quarterback in the league right now, this should be a game in which the Lions can score over 30 points. Tennessee's defense isn't bad at all, but they also haven't seen a precise, creative and balanced unit like the Lions. Goff's unwavering willingness to take what the defense gives him and the diverse barrage of weapons at his disposal are capable of quickly frustrating the Titans' defense.

What worries me about the Titans

Tennessee continues to have an impressive defensive line, even with former coach Terrell Williams now in Detroit. Jeffery Simmons is as good as it gets on the interior. The massive rookie T'Vondre Sweat effectively and actively takes up a lot of space. Sweat is questionable for the game, but if he plays, the inside-out runs and delayed handoffs won't work well for Detroit's offense. Their linebackers also play well behind the duo – even without Ernest Jones. Any hesitation from the RBs will not end well for Gibbs or Montgomery.

Despite the Hopkins trade, the Titans' receivers still have real talent. Ridley is playing better than his stats suggest, and Tyler Boyd is a tough opponent in the middle. Okonkwo and Pollard are both excellent receivers who can make the first tackler miss, so the Lions' LBs and safeties must remain disciplined and alert.

I have some concerns about the pass rush, or lack thereof. Al-Quadin Muhammad is Detroit's best EDGE in this game, but he is coming off the practice squad and hasn't played in a game since 2022. When coordinator Aaron Glenn tries too hard to plan the rush, it detracts from coverage but more importantly, tackling and containment after the catch, which is where these Titans receivers can win.

Then there is the more abstract. It's difficult for a team to have such consistently poor performances from players who appear to have real ability. It starts with Will Levis, who is Baker-Mayfield-style effective until he makes really clunky decisions and terrible throws at the most inopportune moment. Their cornerbacks are solid, but don't always live up to their potential. Perhaps the absence of L'Jarius Sneed will provide an opportunity for a previously unknown defensive back to make a name for himself. Tennessee is long overdue for something like this to happen.

And of course the history factor. The Lions have never beaten the Titans. Most games were more about Detroit finding ways to lose than about the Titans The much better (except 2008). History must be respected before repetition can be avoided.

Prediction of the final result

This is the “easiest” game left on the Lions schedule. You may be worried about a trap game, but I believe Dan Campbell and his staff will avoid falling victim to overconfidence. It may not result in the lopsided result that all of my Titans Wire colleagues predicted, but the Lions should win comfortably.

Lions 26, Titans 13