Carolina Panthers @ Tennessee Titans

If you want to just pretend that this game doesn't exist, I certainly wouldn’t blame you. These are two of the worst teams in football. The Panthers entered Week 11 as the No. 31 team in the Massey-Peabody Power Ratings, and the Titans don't rank much better at No. 27 in the league.

Nothing that these teams did last week will help change that perception. Carolina lost by 23 points at home to Dallas, and Tennessee got rolled by 20 points on the road in Jacksonville.

The one interesting aspect of this contest is the showdown between the two rookie QBs, No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and second-round rookie Will Levis.

Calling Young a disappointment this season feels like an understatement. He doesn’t have much to work with in Carolina, but he’s averaged just 4.7 adjusted yards per attempt (AY/A). To put that in perspective, even Kenny Pickett averaged 5.5 AY/A as a rookie, and Zach Wilson averaged 5.3 AY/A.

Nov 19, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) drops back to pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers' selection looks even worse compared to what C.J. Stroud has managed to do with the Texans. Fortunately, Young still has plenty of time to change the narrative, and Tennessee is a good place for him to start.

The Titans have been the worst pass defense in the league this season, currently ranking dead last in EPA allowed per dropback. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Young will have a breakout game – after all, he struggled in a similarly good matchup against the Bears two weeks ago – but he’ll at least have a fighting chance after getting mauled by an elite Cowboys defense last week.

On the other side, despite having lesser draft pedigree, Levis has been outperforming Young so far in their rookie seasons. He’s averaged 7.1 AY/A and has shown some flashes of brilliance, even if they've been few and far between. In his first career start against Atlanta in Week 8, Levis managed 238 yards and four TDs, and he's thrown six TDs to just two INTs in his four games.

Still, as with most rookie QBs, Levis has been inconsistent. While he’s generated some big plays, Levis has struggled to regularly move the chains, and he ranks just 28th in success rate among 32 qualifying QBs with 50 or more snaps on the year. In other words, his numbers are a bit inflated by a few long completions to DeAndre Hopkins.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) runs the ball towards Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Photo Credit: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

The good news for Levis is that he should be able to lean on Derrick Henry in this matchup. Henry has shown his age a bit this year with only 663 yards and four TDs on the ground thus far, but it hasn't all been on him given the offensive line's struggles.

Trailing game scripts have also contributed to his meager production, but luckily for Henry, Tennessee is favored at home this week. And in the Titans’ three wins this year, Henry has totaled 69 carries for 303 yards and two TDs. As long as the Panthers don’t surprisingly pull away in this game, which feels very unlikely, Henry should see 20-plus touches in a smash spot with Carolina having been the worst defense against the run so far in 2023.

That advantage in the backfield should give the Titans the edge in this matchup. It’s weird to back them as a favorite against anyone with how their season has gone, but the Panthers are one of the few teams that are even worse.

Expect Tennessee to control this game with a heavy dose of Henry, which should also then open up some play action shots to Hopkins downfield. It may not be a pretty win, but the Titans should get the job done at home against this listless Panthers team.