Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks: 6 keys to victory in Week 12

The Tennessee Titans host the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CST.

The Titans remain at the bottom of the NFL as the only one-win team in the league, and Seattle is sitting comfortably in playoff contention. The two teams are in very different stages, with the Seahawks looking to the postseason and the Titans not necessarily focused on winning.

Just because they aren't focused on winning, though, doesn't mean they don't want to win. The focus is on developing its young skill players, but you can be sure those players still want to win the game. It won't be easy against a Seahawks team that boasts a guy like Jaxon Smith-Njigba on its roster, especially with a depleted secondary, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible.

Let's take a look at six keys to a Titans' victory in Week 12.

Protect Cam Ward at all costs

Ward is the Titans' number one offensive asset right now. The Titans absolutely cannot afford for him to get hurt. Seattle's pass rush, led by Leonard Williams, Boye Mafe, and DeMarcus Lawrence, thrives on collapsing the pocket and getting to the quarterback. J.C. Latham and Dan Moore are the weakest offensive linemen, and they will be targeted by Seattle's defense. They have to be ready, and they must limit sacks and hits to give Ward a chance to succeed.

Ball security is non-negotiable

The Titans have 14 turnovers this season, most of which fall on the shoulders of Cam Ward, even though they're not really all his fault. The Seahawks rank inside the top 10 in the NFL in takeaways, so the Titans cannot afford to help them out. Even one turnover could change the momentum of the game.

Jeffery Simmons: The Disruptor

Jeffery Simmons is a massive force on the defensive line, and he has to be even more disruptive against a Seahawks' offensive line that has allowed just 10 sacks this season. T'Vondre Sweat and Sebastian Joseph-Day have to help Simmons anchor the line and disrupt what the Seahawks' offense is trying to do. If they can win inside, they'll be more likely to neutralize Seattle's rhythm in the passing game and force Sam Darnold into making a mistake. He's thrown 10 interceptions this season and lost four fumbles, something the Titans must take advantage of.

Special teams play matters

In this game, Tennessee is wildly outmatched on paper, so hidden yardage matters. Johny Hekker's punting has to be on-point, Joey Slye cannot afford to miss field goals, and the return-men (whether it's Chimere Dike or someone else) have to be smart with their returns. Field position is going to play a major role in this game, and the one area where the Titans have been successful this season is on special teams.

Generate explosive plays

The Titans rank near the bottom of the league in explosive play rate. If they want to get down the field against Seattle, they'll need at least two or three chunk gains from the receivers to avoid grinding out low-yield drives. The Titans have just one play of over 40 yards this season, but they have 25 plays over 20 yards. While that's inside the bottom 10, it's something they can still work with. Utilizing Dike will be the key with Elic Ayomanor out and Calvin Ridley done for the season.

Red zone efficiency

The Titans have scored the fewest touchdowns of any offense in the NFL. They have 12 total touchdowns and have made 20 field goals. Field goals are not going to cut it against a playoff-bound Seahawks team. The Titans must convert their red zone trips into touchdowns, especially given their limited offensive firepower.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks: 6 keys to victory in Week 12