The Tennessee Titans’ Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers went the same way most contests have gone for head coach Mike Vrabel’s squad this season.
Despite giving up the game-winning field goal late, the defense held up its own end of the bargain, especially considering how banged-up the unit was coming into this game.
However, the offense couldn’t make that impressive effort stand thanks to a lackluster showing that led to just 14 points in what has become commonplace for a lost Titans team.
We’ll dive more into that here in a minute, but there were a few other big takeaways from the Week 15 loss and, surprise, surprise, neither of them are good, either.
Injuries keep coming
The Titans added to their walking wounded on Sunday, with several players going down to injuries during the loss to the Chargers.
Tennessee had a total of at least eight players suffer an injury in Week 15. It might’ve been more, but I lost count after awhile. Here’s the list:
QB Ryan Tannehill (ankle)
LB Dylan Cole (ankle)
CB Terrance Mitchell (hamstring)
OL Dillon Radunz(knee)
S Andrew Adams (wrist)
DB Josh Thompson (concussion)
RG Nate Davis (ankle)
LB Jack Gibbens (calf)
At least four of those players (Mitchell, Radunz, Thompson and Davis) did not return to the game, and now we have to worry about Tannehill, who injured the same ankle that gave him problems earlier in the season.
Hopefully all eight players will be OK for the game against the Texans, and the Titans will also hope that Denico Autry, Kristian Fulton, Amani Hooker and Treylon Burks, all of whom sat out in Week 15, can return.
The Titans remain 11 away from their own players fielded record with just three games left. There’s a good chance they add to that total in Week 16.
The loss isn't on the defense
Yes, the defense couldn’t keep the game at 14-14 with under a minute left, but the unit did far better than anyone expected with all the injuries and managed to keep the Titans in the game despite their sputtering offense.
Tennessee’s pass-rush came alive with three sacks, which was one fewer than the team had in its last four games, and it forced a pair of turnovers to further limit an elite passing attack and offense.
The Titans’ offense did itself no favors on Sunday and was the main reason the Titans lost this game.
Anytime it got any semblance of momentum, the offensive line would give up a sack to ruin it. The two biggest sacks given up came in the third quarter when the Titans had a first-and-10 at the Chargers’ 25-yard line.
Tannehill, who was banged-up from the jump after injuring his ankle on the first drive, was sacked twice, and that moved the Titans just outside of Randy Bullock’s range, which led to a missed field goal from 51 yards out.
Sticking with the offensive line, the Titans made the puzzling choice to go with a rotation at left tackle between Dillon Radunz and Dennis Daley.
Unfortunately, Radunz couldn’t finish the game due to injury and the pass protection deteriorated after a strong start, with Daley getting burnt on multiple sacks, including on the aforementioned series.
Adding to all that, the Titans committed one turnover, put themselves behind the eight ball with penalties on multiple occasions, the wide receivers couldn’t get open, and Todd Downing stunk again.
If Radunz is healthy enough to play in Week 16, he has to start over Daley, no ifs, ands, or buts about it; no stupid rotations. Also, the Titans have to hope Tannehill is healthy enough to play, and that Burks returns.
Even then, my confidence level in this offense would only be slightly above zero.
Titans on the verge of collapse
I’m old enough to remember when the Titans winning the AFC South seemed like a foregone conclusion. That is no longer the case, and in fact it’s starting to feel like collapse is more inevitable than not.
The Titans are now just one game ahead of the Jaguars, who can move into first place next week with a win and a Tennessee loss, as Jacksonville owns the head-to-head tie-breaker currently.
The Titans draw a favorable matchup against the Houston Texans in Week 16, but there’s no such thing as a gimme for this team right now. Also, the Texans have played really well these last two weeks, nearly beating the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.
Making this more of a must-win game, the Titans have a very tough matchup with one of the better teams in the NFL, the Cowboys, in Week 17.
The Jags, who have a major head of steam after beating the Cowboys in Week 15, draw a road matchup with the New York Jets on Thursday.
It’s not official yet, but the Titans are on a crash course for a Week 18 win-and-in game against the Jaguars. If I was a betting man, I’d say it happens, too.
