I’m not usually the one calling for panic when we’re talking about the NFL. The season is long, there’s plenty of football left to play, and anything can happen in this league. So, it’s not just that the Tennessee Titans have fallen to 0-2. It’s how they’ve fallen to 0-2 that has me thinking Titans fans are at least a little justified in beginning to feel a sense of panic. Any more performances like the one they had against the Buffalo Bills in primetime on Monday Night Football last night, and it’s going to be full blown chaos.
Hats off to Buffalo, though. They pulled the Rams’ pants down last week. They pulled the Titans’ pants down this week. They have made the defending Super Bowl champions, and the reigning #1 seed in the AFC, look like a bunch of scrubs. It’s entirely possible that they’re just going to Georgia people all season long en route to a Super Bowl. I think they’ll leave plenty of teams soul-searching this season. But, the beatdown highlighted foundational issues in Tennessee that went unattended this offseason, and that have been building for years now. In that, it feels a little bit like Lady Luck and/or Father Time starting to catch up with the Titans in their current form.
Let’s start with the play-calling. It just hasn’t been as consistently good as it was when Arthur Smith was calling the plays in 2020. Todd Downing called his ass off for the first quarter of this game, but for whatever reason, the offense cooled off before halftime. The Titans were running on 2nd & long and lining Tory Carter up out wide. You guys called for less Geoff Swaim, and hey – at least you got that. But, if I had told you you’d be getting Tory Carter out wide instead, would you have called for it still? I’m joking, of course. But, the point remains that these groupings aren’t working. They seem clunky, and as if the Titans aren’t getting their best guys in the best positions. And, it just feels like more clunky play-calling that inhibits this offense trying to get into a rhythm. I also didn’t like that they surrendered at the end of the first half – I get the mentality of not wanting to risk an injury or turnover, but at some point, we have to see a sense of urgency out of this offense.
Injuries showed up again, too – not only are you already down Harold Landry and Kristian Fulton, but you lost Taylor Lewan and Bud Dupree in this game to boot. I’m not sure what the issue is, but this Titans roster just can’t seem to get healthy and stay healthy. If it’s a strength and conditioning thing, someone needs to be held accountable. If it’s a “guys not playing in the preseason” thing, then guess what – someone needs to be held accountable to fix this. What Mike Vrabel was able to do in 2021 was nothing short of a miracle, but it was silly of us to expect that that sort of rotation was sustainable. The clock’s going to strike midnight at some point when you’re playing like that.
Early draft picks from past classes, guys that should be key contributors to this team right now, simply aren’t developing at a rate that would give this team good starters and quality depth. I don’t know what it is, but Caleb Farley has not taken what was widely reported as a stellar offseason into the regular season, nor has Dillon Radunz for that matter. It’s not translating from the weight room to legitimate NFL action. And, don’t get me started on Isaiah Wilson (again). Eventually the well is going to dry up if you keep whiffing on these first and second round draft picks. Factor in that the Titans never really went in on getting suitable offensive line insurance policies this offseason, and hell, let’s throw in the fact that they traded up to draft Dez Fitzpatrick a year ago, and well…it’s fair for some of these personnel decisions to start garnering more scrutiny. Jon Robinson has, by and large, developed a good track record – but this is a problem that is rearing its ugly head in a big way during the Titans 0-2 start to 2022.
It’s not time to panic just yet. The AFC South, as a whole, is 1-5-2, and the Titans have been able to turn things around in the past. But, I’ll allow at least a little bit of panic because the major things hindering this team right now don’t seem like things the Titans can fix with a tweak here or there. I’m not punting on 2022 yet, but I think it’s at least fair to wonder whether or not the Super Bowl window with this team has closed. Guys are getting older. They’re not as crisp as they were a couple of years ago. Between the coaching philosophy, the health of the team, and some questionable personnel decisions, the Titans are being forced to reap what they sow. If it doesn’t get much better, a total rebuild isn’t out of the question in 2023. Also, I felt like I had a couple of pretty good memes last night, but it was late so most of y’all were already asleep.
Me watching Ryan Tannehill pitch the ball to Derrick Henry 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage and directly in front of an unblocked defender for the 4th time tonight pic.twitter.com/7zJscu6xC9
— The Unofficial Titans Podcast (@TitansPod) September 20, 2022
If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Unofficial Titans Podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.