Saturday’s preseason meeting between the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots was hardly reminiscent of the 34-10 domination of last year’s regular season game.
After leading for most of the game, the Titans fell short, losing 22-17 in Nissan Stadium.
Although the Titans couldn’t secure the victory, there were plenty of positive takeaways and areas to tweak.
Here’s a look at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Week 2 of preseason action.
The Good
• The Titans’ run game seemed rejuvenated. Tennessee totaled 123 rushing yards as a team, and Alex Barnes, Akeem Hunt, and Dion Lewis all averaged 4 yards per carry or better.
• Delanie Walker returned to the field for the first time since Week 1 of last year. He had two receptions, with one going for a touchdown.
• Punt coverage was spectacular. Brett Kern landed all but one of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Austin Bernard also landed a punt inside the 5-yard line. The gunners did a nice job of downing the ball before it crossed the goal line for a touchback.
• Young defensive players stepped up. Isaiah Mack recorded a sack and created consistent pressure on the quarterback, Sharif Finch drew a holding call in the end zone which resulted in a safety, David Long was all over the field showcasing his instincts and making tackles, and Matt Dickerson made a tackle in the backfield on a 3rd and 1 play.
The Bad
• The Titans offensive line didn’t have an answer for rookie edge rusher Chase Winovich. He recorded 4 tackles, an assist, and a sack. He also forced a handful of rushed throws.
• The Titans secondary struggled in this one. The Patriots caught them out of place often, and they had several missed tackles.
The Ugly
• Mike Jordan gave up the game winning touchdown on a back shoulder throw. It appeared as if Jordan never even made an effort to locate the football.
• Amani Hooker let a would be pick 6 slip right through his fingertips.
• Austin Barnard missed his only field goal of the night.
