NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Here are six things to watch in the run-up to the match:

Will Levis returns as the starting quarterback for the Titans on Sunday. Levis, who has missed the past three games due to a right shoulder injury, has practiced all week and passed the eye test by head coach Brian Callahan and the team’s medical staff. “It’s the best he’s looked in a few weeks,” Callahan said Friday. “So I’m excited to see him play. He seems ready.” It will be Levis’ sixth start of the season. So will Levis have to iron out some rust upon his return? And can he avoid the costly turnovers that have plagued him and the team in his recent starts? Levis, who has committed 10 turnovers in his five starts this season (7 INTs, three lost fumbles), is certainly tired of these questions, but he’s the only one who can put them to rest. It won’t be easy against a good Chargers defense.

One way to help Levis and the offense is to have success in the run game. Running back Tony Pollard has been very good in recent weeks and is having one of the best games of his career. Pollard has 622 rushing yards in eight games, with an average of 4.4 yards per carry, and three touchdowns. He is aiming for his third straight game with 115 scrimmage yards. With running back Tyjae Spears returning this week, the Titans will look to get the tandem going.

At the start of the season, all the talk was about receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks. But there has been another receiver, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has really stepped up as of late. Westbrook-Ikhine has scored a touchdown in four straight games, which is the NFL’s second-longest streak (behind Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown’s six games). Can he make it five in a row? While NWI’s streak is worth watching, the team also needs to get more big plays from Calvin Ridley and others in the passing game. Ridley is aiming for his third straight game with more than five catches and 70 receiving yards.

Defense, defense, defense

Eight games into the season, the Titans still rank No. 1 in the NFL in total defense (yards allowed, 269.1 per game), but they rank 26th.^e in scoring defense, allowing 26.6 ppg. The Chargers rank No. 1 in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 12.6 ppg. This is just the 11^e regular season game since 1990 between the team with the No. 1 total defense versus the team with the No. 1 scoring defense in Week 10 or later. A good sign: The team ranked No. 1 in total defense has won 9 of its previous 10 games. So which defense will survive in this one? The Titans hope to build on their momentum from a week ago, when they forced three turnovers and recorded four sacks. The Chargers, meanwhile, have set season highs in sacks in each of the last two weeks, with five against the Saints and six against the Browns.

I’ve added this category here lately because Tennessee’s special teams units have unfortunately drawn extra, unwanted attention to themselves this season. After having trouble protecting the punter during the first few weeks of the season, the Titans have had issues with kicking and kicking as of late. Kicker Nick Folk has remained consistent (15 of 15 on FGs, 11 of 11 on PATs), but things need to improve around him.

The Titans are now 2-6. They are 7 ½ point underdogs against the Chargers on Sunday. Here’s how the odds change based on Sunday’s result: Since 1990, teams that started 3-6 have made the playoffs 5.0% (8/161) of the time, 1.2% (8 /161) of the time won the division and won a Super. Bowl 0.0% (0/161) of the time. The playoff percentage for teams that started 2-7: 1.0% (1/101) made the playoffs, 1.0% (1/101) won the division, and 0.0% (0/101) went on to win the Superbowl. Would you believe the Titans haven’t won back-to-back games since October 2022? This streak is on the line on Sunday.