The Tennessee Titans have been taking part in among the worst soccer within the NFL these previous 5 weeks, one thing we noticed as soon as once more within the Week 16 defeat by the hands of the lowly Houston Texans.
The Titans have struggled to get their offense going persistently all season lengthy, and making issues worse on Saturday was the truth that a uncooked rookie quarterback in Malik Willis was on the helm of the offense.
And whereas Willis wasn’t good, the Titans additionally did nothing to assist their younger signal-caller, each in cross safety and play-calling.
The protection solely allowed 19 factors, which ought to have been adequate for a win, however there have been additionally some main hiccups within the secondary that, if averted, may’ve led to a greater displaying for the protection general.
As we do each week, let’s check out the winners and losers. As you’d think about, there are extra of the latter than the previous this week.
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Autry performed in his first sport after a four-game absence and rapidly made his presence felt.
The veteran defensive lineman was in all places, whether or not it was making performs towards the run, pressuring the quarterback, or just flattening passes.
Autry, who has been Tennessee’s finest defender this season, completed with two tackles for loss, the Titans’ lone sack, and a pair of passes defensed. He now leads the Titans with eight sacks.
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Daley stood out for all of the fallacious causes as soon as once more. The lone vibrant spot in his day was a pleasant block on Derrick Henry’s 48-yard landing run. Aside from that, it was principally unhealthy.
One of many 4 sacks permitted on Malik Willis noticed Daley go to sleep on the wheel, which allowed a free rusher to get to the rookie. In equity to Daley, he wasn’t the one one, as Chig Okonkwo was additionally caught napping on the play when it appeared like he was imagined to chip.
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On the opposite aspect, Petit-Frere was the second-weakest hyperlink upfront. Not solely did he enable a sack, however his holding penalty negated a 22-yard completion from Willis to Treylon Burks. He additionally left early with an harm.
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With Zach Cunningham exiting early on account of an elbow harm, Gibbens stepped up huge time and had the most effective sport of his younger profession.
Dr. Gibby tallied eight tackles (4 solo), one in every of which thwarted a possible Texans landing drive. The rookie additionally added a cross defensed on an interception that halted one other Houston drive.
If Cunningham misses extra time, Gibbens has earned the fitting to begin subsequent to Monty Rice for the foreseeable future. Hell, with the best way Cunningham performed immediately, perhaps it’s time to begin Gibbens even when he performs.
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On high of all the conventional points with Downing’s play-calling, he as soon as once more made an enormous blunder along with his rookie quarterback by not using Willis’ legs extra, one thing he did within the Liberty product’s previous two begins.
Downing is gone in 2023 or we riot (figuratively talking, in fact).
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Willis earns this designation for just a few causes, however let me preface it by saying this: the shortage of enchancment we noticed in Week 16 shouldn’t be a shock to anybody. The expectation has at all times been he’d want a yr to develop.
That mentioned, Willis threw a foul decide on the Titans’ second-to-last drive that ended their comeback bid, and he had a problem conserving his footing on a number of events.
Now, context is essential. This child has quite a bit to beat to realize even a modicum of success with this offense. The offensive line sucks in cross safety, and his play-caller is inept.
Don’t go loopy over what we noticed out of Willis in Week 16, and actually, what we’ve seen all season lengthy. It actually isn’t honest to guage him with the whole lot unhealthy happening round him.
Let’s simply hope we see higher in 2023 or else the Titans can be again to the drafting board — that’s, assuming Ryan Tannehill doesn’t return.
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Henry formally has a fumbling downside.
The famous person working again has fumbled the ball six occasions in whole this season, shedding three. Nonetheless, his fumbling points have been worse of late, with all three of the aforementioned misplaced fumbles occurring in two of the final three contests.
Henry’s fumble on Saturday was significantly unhealthy, because it derailed a possible scoring drive in Texans territory.
As head coach Mike Vrabel rightly identified after the sport, this staff isn’t constructed to beat these sorts of errors. That is one thing Henry should repair transferring ahead.
Henry did end the sport with 126 yards and a landing on the bottom, however 48 of these yards got here on one run. In any other case, Henry averaged simply 3.5 yards per keep on his different 22 makes an attempt.
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Protection was the most important situation the Titans had on protection in Week 16, because the secondary allowed a number of huge performs that led to touchdowndrives for Houston.
On Houston’s first landing drive, the secondary fell asleep on a 3rd down and allowed tight finish Jordan Akins to slide previous for a 30-yard acquire. Houston discovered pay filth three performs later.
Then, on what proved to be the Texans’ game-winning drive, the secondary gave up completions of 20 and 37 yards, organising working again Royce Freeman’s four-yard landing run to make it 19-14.
Tennessee’s protection has been at its finest this season when it limits huge performs. That didn’t occur on Saturday.
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Cunningham merely hasn’t been capable of keep wholesome this season, and even when he has been on the sphere he hasn’t been good.
The veteran linebacker dropped a positive interception ultimately zone that may have stopped one in every of Houston’s landing drives in its tracks.
Cunningham additionally re-injured his elbow, which has been giving him issues all season lengthy. In his absence, Jack Gibbens stepped up and performed higher than Cunningham has in any sport this season.
Along with his newest elbow harm, we could have seen the final of Cunningham in Nashville.