Bengals vs Titans defenders to watch

The Titans draw a tough preseason matchup tonight with the Cincinnati Bengals, which players could be the linchpins of the game? This is my take.

Derrick Morgan vs Andrew Whitworth

Morgan had a fairly light test last week and failed to really break out, so facing a talented tackle like Whitworth for extensive minutes could be a problem. One of the things working in Morgan's favor is that he is primarily a bull rusher and he may be able to get underneath Whitworth's pads on more than one occasion. If he can make Andy Dalton uncomfortable then it would make the Titans night a lot easier.

Colin McCarthy Zaviar Gooden Zach Brown vs Tyler Eifert

Zach Brown will get his chance to make good on his goal of shutting opposing TEs down tonight. Eifert is a rookie that has a lot of talent, but he still hasn't proven he can be an effective receiver. It would be great to see Zach Brown constantly keep Eifert out of rhythm especially if he can make a play on a "jump-ball" type pass.

Bernard Pollard vs Giovani Bernard

This is the matchup. Bernard is a rangy RB who has been effective running and catching the ball, but he hasn't had a "Hard Knock" (you see what I did there) like the one Pollard could deliver. The Titans would be smart to leave Pollard in charge of him in third down situations so that if he does catch a dumpoff is stopped and he is left to feel the effect of challenging a defense led #31.