Two former Heisman Trophy winners meet in Week 1 when Derrick Henry and the Titans host Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. Kickoff in Nashville is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
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The Cardinals finished 8-8 last season but added several key veterans in J.J. Watt and Rodney Hudson. Tennessee won the AFC South in 2020, but fell in the AFC Wild Card round to the Ravens.
Who: Arizona Cardinals (8-8 in 2020) at Tennessee Titans (11-5 in 2020).
When: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021.
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern.
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville (69,143).
TV: CBS.
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Latest line: Titans -3.
Announcers: Tom McCarthy and Tiki Barber.
Read some of what Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press wrote about Julio Jones making his Titans debut on Sunday.
The Tennessee Titans finally get to show off what adding a seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver can do for their already high-powered offense.
Julio Jones, a trade acquisition in June, joins AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry, Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown and quarterback Ryan Tannehill coming off a career year of his own. The Titans open the season Sunday hosting Arizona, believing an offense already was one of the NFL’s best is a bit better.
“It is a big opportunity, we are finally getting everyone back out there,” Tannehill said. “A lot of opportunities in front of us, it is just a matter of making it happen.”
The Titans are coming off their first AFC South title in 12 years, and this will be their first game without pandemic restrictions in 630 days. In that span, this franchise also reached the AFC championship game in January 2020, and Henry now is the NFL’s back-to-back rushing champ.
This also will be the first time the Titans have opened a season at home since Mike Vrabel was hired as head coach.
Add in Arizona with Kyler Murray and All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins, it should be quite a game.
“Expecting an electric atmosphere out there,” Titans safety Kevin Byard said.
The Cardinals have made plenty of changes as well after going 8-8 last season and missing the playoffs after a strong start. They now have three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and their own seven-time Pro Bowl receiver in A.J. Green.
Linebacker Isaiah Simmons can’t wait to see how the Cardinals, old and new, match up with Tennessee.
“The good thing is we have players who bring special things to the game as well,” Simmons said.
TITANIC OFFENSE
Not only did Henry lead the NFL in rushing in 2020, he was the eighth man to run for at least 2,000 yards with 2,027 the fifth-best total in league history. The Titans tied for second averaging 396.4 yards per game and fourth scoring 30.7 per game. Tannehill set a franchise record with 40 touchdowns.
Now comes Jones, determined to prove himself at 32 after a nagging hamstring limited him to nine games last season. He is averaging 95.5 yards receiving per game, most in NFL history.
This will be Todd Downing’s debut as offensive coordinator, replacing Arthur Smith — now Atlanta’s head coach. Downing is Vrabel’s first offensive coordinator with previous experience calling plays, having been coordinator for the Raiders in 2017.
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