The Tennessee Titans defeated the Seattle Seahawks yesterday to the tune of 33-27 in an enormous statement win. All in all, it was perhaps the most impressive Titans victory under this new regime. That win in Kansas City last year was a big one, but this one felt much more important than that one. Yesterday was the Titans coming out and veritably controlling a game against a strong opponent. Last season, the Titans may have allowed Russell Wilson and company to come back and steal that game. Not the 2017 Titans – this group finished the game with authority.
DeMarco Murray had the best rushing performance against that vaunted Seahawks defense since Pete Carroll took over in 2009. Marcus Mariota had a steady pocket to throw from as his offensive line just demoralized Michael Bennett and company. Rishard Matthews and Jonnu Smith made plays downfield. The defense put plenty of pressure on Wilson, and the secondary more than held their own against the Seahawks receivers. You couldn’t have drawn up a better game plan for the Titans.
But, it wasn’t just a good clean football game. No, the Seahawks did everything they could to agitate, aggravate, and lure the Titans out of stability. Why? That’s pretty obvious – they were losing. They knew they were losing. And, they also knew that if they kept playing at that rate, there was no way they were going to beat the Titans.
It didn’t work.
The Titans remained composed, even when they had every right to be flat out pissed off. Thankfully, the rules don’t apply to fans, or else I would’ve been ejected from watching the game. So, props to the Titans for keeping their cool, and also, props to my neighbors for not calling the cops on me.
One of the highlights of this game, if you can call it that, was Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan rushing to defend Mariota after Richard Sherman hit him late out of bounds. I wanted to see ’em go at it. I’m a big Sherman fan, but that was obviously a late hit. It seemed to me like a veteran understanding that his opponent was gashing him and took an opportunity to try and eliminate that threat and put Mariota on the sideline. I don’t know how you can look at it and not see ill intent. He planted his foot two feet out of bounds on the hit.
So, while I say props to Mariota for getting up and saying, “good hit,” I also say props to Lewan for getting in Sherman’s face. I would’ve been perfectly fine with someone throwing a punch and taking that penalty. Head coach Mike Mularkey even defended the idea of retaliation, speaking at a press conference at the game that his team will retaliate. Really, no one should have to take cheap shit like that. So, I support the stance that we’re going to take some penalties if it means letting our opponents know that that kind of bullshit isn’t going to fly. Lewan could have delivered a Stone Cold Stunner and I would’ve lost my shit. Also, I liked that Mariota bumped into Sherman on the way back to the huddle, like, “hey – let’s go, bruh.”
Side note: if Lewan and Sherman did get into it, #77 would literally break Sherman. It wouldn’t even be a fight. I’m not positive how physics work, but I’d be willing to bet Sherman’s face would cave in.
In the end, none of it mattered, as the Titans kept their cool and just kept crushing the Seahawks. Try as they might, Sherman’s crew could not bait the Titans into making a dumb, costly penalty. Which, that’s a sign of how much this team has grown in the last couple of seasons on its own.
I do actually feel bad for Jeremy Lane. That sonofabitch has to be hurtin’ today after the repeated beating he took at the hands of every Titan that got in front of him.
What did we learn about our team, Nashville? Hey, these guys are for real. This is a team that has matured and is capable of finishing off a high caliber opponent.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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