It would be an exaggeration to speak of a war of words.

However, it is safe to say that confidence will not be an issue for Jeffery Simmons and Josh Jacobs when the Green Bay Packers face Tennessee in Nashville on Sunday.

Simmons, the Titans’ right defensive end, said earlier this week: “Nobody runs the ball on the Tennessee Titans.”

After hearing that comment, Jacobs, the Packers’ standout running back who has the third-highest rushing yards in the NFL, said, “I feel like no defense can stop us on the run or on offense. So I would say the same thing.”

Over the last two weeks, Green Bay has shown an excellent running game, while Tennessee has excelled at stopping run attempts.

It’s easy to see why both teams have confidence in their respective units, so the side that wins this clash could well win the game.

“The better you are in a certain area like running the ball, the more your opponents are going to focus on that,” Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “So we have to make sure we keep going, don’t get sluggish, keep working and focus on the details that we need to improve.”

Granted, it’s only two games, but Green Bay currently leads the NFL in rushing with 212.0 yards per game. The last time the Packers led the league in rushing was in 1964, when they had future Hall of Famers Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung in their backfield.

Jacobs is the NFL’s third-best runner with 117.5 yards per game, while Malik Willis (41.0), Jayden Reed (35.0) and Emanuel Wilson (27.5) have also contributed to the Packers’ success on the ground.

In addition, Green Bay has one of the best offensive lines in football.

The Packers were without quarterback Jordan Love (MCL) in Week 2, and Green Bay may not have him back on Sunday. Indianapolis knew the Packers would be a run-oriented game, but Green Bay still ran for 261 yards, including 237 in the first half.

“As an offensive line, we knew we were going to run the ball 50-plus times,” Packers center Josh Myers said after the win against Indianapolis. “Matt challenged us very early in the week. He challenged our group and said it was going to run on us, and I think we met that challenge and had a solid day, man. That was some pretty dirty football. That was a lot of fun.”

Green Bay used more movement and misdirection before the snap than usual to keep the Colts off balance. However, Indianapolis adjusted well in the second half, and now Tennessee has a week to analyze all of those plays.

“Last Sunday a lot of things went right, that was cool,” Stenavich said of the game against the Colts. “But every week is different.”

And another challenge.

And the Titans will certainly pose a great challenge.

Tennessee’s run defense was great, allowing 92.5 yards per game, which ranks 10th.^th in the league. The Titans also rank 10th.^th in rushing yards allowed per attempt (4.0).

The 6’4″, 300-pound Simmons is one of the best defensive ends in football. A two-time Pro Bowler, Simmons has recorded 21.5 sacks and 14 pass defenses over the past three seasons.

“He’s a great player,” Jacobs said of Simmons. “He’s definitely one of the best at the position. He definitely has my respect.”

Tennessee’s rookie nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat is a 6-foot-4, 350-pound mountain of a man who will be difficult to push away in the run game. The rest of the Titans’ defense is fast and physical, meaning running the ball will be a tremendous challenge for Green Bay.

“Well, they’re giants,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Simmons and Sweat. “And they do a good job. They’re both athletic.”

“But I think it’s just the overall nature of the defense. I think when you look at the whole thing, most of their players are experienced players who have played a lot and have a good scheme. So it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

One that could decide who wins the game.