Titans and Chargers bring two of the NFL's top defenses into their meeting on Sunday

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Admirers of defensive football should be in for a treat when the Los Angeles Chargers host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

The Chargers (5-3) — winners of two straight and three of their last four — allow a league-low 12.6 points per game. They are also the sixth club since 1990 and the first since the 2019 Patriots to allow 20 or fewer points in each of their first eight games.

The Titans (2-6) have NFL’s top-ranked unit in overall defense (269.1 yards per game) and against the pass (155.8 ypg).

Tennessee forced a season-high three turnovers in last Sunday’s 20-17 overtime victory over New England, snapping a three-game skid. Safety Amani Hooker picked off two passes, including the final play of the game, and has all three interceptions by the Titans this season.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert has not been picked off in his last six games.

“He’s getting the ball out quick,” Hooker said. “The receivers are getting open to the spots, you know, where he likes to make the throws, and he’s doing a good job of just not turning over the ball.”

The Titans have held seven of eight opponents under 200 passing yards this season. A significant reason for that is the pressure they've put on quarterbacks.

Tennessee has four sacks in each of the past two games. Outside linebacker Arden Key has had four sacks in the past three weeks.

The Titans will face a Chargers offensive line allowing a 39.7% quarterback pressure rate, the fourth-highest in the league. Justin Herbert was sacked a career-high six times in last Sunday’s 27-10 win at Cleveland.

“They play a really sound scheme. They like to try to squeeze you and keep everything in front of you and make you go the long way,” Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.

The Chargers have one of the most improved units in the league in coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s first season in Los Angeles. They are eighth in total defense (303.8 yards per game) and eighth against the run (107.9 yards per game).

“So far, it’s going well. But like I always say, it’s a week-to-week league. You can’t sit around going, ‘Hey, look where we’re at right now.’ Happy with where we’re at and always trying to chase ways to get better,” Minter said.

Tennessee quarterback Will Levis will get the start after missing the last three games with a sprained AC joint in his right throwing shoulder.

After some early-season concerns, the Chargers' receivers are beginning to show their potential.

Ladd McConkey is tied for third among rookies with 35 receptions and has five straight games with at least four catches. Quentin Johnston is coming off a career-high 118 yards last week after missing two games with an ankle injury, and Josh Palmer’s last four receptions have gone for at least 26 yards, including a 28-yard TD at Cleveland.

Chargers defensive back Elijah Molden has been anticipating this game since the Titans traded him on Aug. 29. Molden leads Los Angeles with three interceptions and is fifth in tackles with 32.

“Part of the reason I asked for a trade or to be released from the Titans is because I believed my best football was ahead of me. I wanted to play a lot and contribute, and I’m doing that right now,” Molden said.

Molden isn’t the only former Titan who has helped the Chargers this season. Cornerback Kristian Fulton has started six of the seven games he has played but might miss a second straight week with a hamstring strain. Defensive lineman Teair Tart blocked a field goal last week at Cleveland, and linebacker Bud Dupree is averaging 35 snaps per game.

Fulton and Tart were with Tennessee for four seasons (2020-23), while Dupree was there for two (2021-22). Titans defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day was with the Chargers for the past two seasons.

Titans coach Brian Callahan said running back Tony Pollard might not have to practice again if he can play the way he did last week when an injured foot sidelined him from practice. Pollard responded with a season-high 128 yards rushing on a career-high 28 carries. He also had 26 yards receiving for 154 yards from scrimmage, the second-best game in his career.

“It sounds good, but I’m one of those guys I got to go out there and practice it for full speed so I can have a feel for what it’s going to be like the game,” Pollard said.

Pollard might be getting some help in the backfield. Running back Tyjae Spears has missed three straight games with a hamstring injury. The Titans are happiest when they can mix and match the pair.

The home team has won the last eight meetings in the series, including Tennessee’s 27-24 overtime victory last season.

The Titans have not won a road game against the Chargers since 1990 when they were the Houston Oilers, and Warren Moon threw for 355 yards in a 17-7 victory at San Diego. They have lost nine straight — seven in San Diego, one in London in 2018, and a 17-14 defeat in 2022 in the Chargers’ current home.

AP Pro Football Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

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Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack smiles as he leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker (37) intercepts a pass intended for New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) to end the game in overtime of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) for a 6-yard loss in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker (37) smiles as he leaves the filed following an overtime win over the New England Patriots in an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/John Amis)

EUREKA, Calif. (AP) — The National Weather Service has canceled its tsunami warning for the U.S. West Coast after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck early Thursday.

At least 5.3 million people in California were under a tsunami warning after the earthquake struck, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

It was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

EUREKA, Calif. (AP) — Officials were urging some residents to move inland after a strong earthquake near the coast of Northern California early Thursday sparked worries of a possible tsunami.

At least 5.3 million people in California were under a tsunami warning after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a yellow alert, which predicts localized but minimal damage. More than 1.3 million people lived close enough to the quake that they could have felt it, the USGS estimated.

The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County near the Oregon border, according to the USGS.

It was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks.

A tsunami warning, which was issued shortly after the temblor struck, covers nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California’s Monterey Bay north into Oregon.

The National Weather Service urged residents along the Northern California coastline, including in the San Francisco Bay Area, to move inland due to the threat of a possible tsunami. A wave could reach the San Francisco coastline as early as 12:10 p.m., according to Rachel Kennedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office that covers the Bay Area.

Kennedy said forecasters are waiting to get a report on how high potential waves could be. She called it “a pretty dangerous situation.”

The city of Berkeley was ordering people in parts of the city to “leave now” in anticipation of an incoming tsunami.

“It was a strong quake, our building shook, we’re fine but I have a mess to clean up right now,” said a still shaken Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed with food, wares and souvenirs that is a main attraction in Ferndale.

“We lost a lot of stuff. It’s probably worse than two years ago. I have to go, I have to try and salvage something for the holidays because it’s going to be a tough year,” Kreitzer said before hanging up.

Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel said evacuations are in place for people to move to higher ground in areas of the city under the tsunami warning and crews were assessing damage from the quake. So far there have been no reports of major damage or injuries. Bergel, who works as a resource aid at a middle school said lights were swaying and everyone got under desks.

“The kids were so great and terrified. It seemed to go back and forth for quite a long time.” She said. Some children asked, “Can I call my mom.” (edited)

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, has stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland.

The San Francisco Zoo’s visitors have been evacuated as a result of the earthquake, the zoo said in a post on the social media platform X. The animals have been secured and staff has been moved to higher ground.

Throughout Northern California phones buzzed with a tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.”

People watch the waves come in after an earthquake was felt widely across Northern California at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)