The Tennessee Titans swore up and down that today’s game was not about revenge for January’s postseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. If that was supposed to be an indication that emotion would not get in the way of the task at hand, well, maybe they were right…because it certainly didn’t look like they were playing with the same level of emotion that the Bengals were. Whether it was injuries, motivation, the match-ups, whatever…the Bengals just had the Titans’ number at every turn. After the defense held the Bengals to a field goal attempt with a couple of minutes left in the game, Kevin Strong was penalized for a hit on a defenseless player. The result was a new set of downs for the Bengals, who were able to take a series of knees and ride out a 20-16 victory in one of the most bizarre endings to a game I can recall in some time.
Maybe it’s just me, as I didn’t see a whole hell of a lot of people talking about it on Twitter in the moments after the game. But, something just didn’t seem quite right with the Titans from the jump. I think my initial statement of “they didn’t play hard” is a little harsh, but I certainly don’t think they played with the same fire that the Bengals played with. They couldn’t get the run game going. They couldn’t finish on Joe Burrow (that’s what she said) and turn pressures into sacks. They were largely ineffective in the red zone. They committed some costly penalties. It just didn’t seem like this was the same team that we’ve seen play with real moxie over the last several weeks, and it allows room for the uncertainty about this team’s ceiling this season to breathe a bit.
Now, the Titans have to put this one behind ’em (coach better, play better) and reset for a date with the Philadelphia Eagles next week. Seems like I remember something spicy about that game but it’s not coming to mind right away…
Takeaways
- The energy for this one just felt off. No Ben Jones. No Denico Autry. And, as it turns out, both of those guys are incredibly valuable contributors to this team. Ryan Tannehill tweaked his ankle – he was hobbling around at one point not looking quite right. Bud Dupree came off the field gingerly a few times. This team has struggled to stay healthy for weeks now, but it seemed to negatively impact their identity and personality today, at least if I’m any good at reading their body language compared to the Bengals’ body language.
- I feel like I’ve been a little more generous with Todd Downing than other Titans writers/podcasters in the market, but I think I’m finally at that point where dude just isn’t cutting it. For me, he continues to show a lack of awareness in getting this offense into a rhythm. Today, we saw Treylon Burks make a huge catch, and then he was off the field for the next play. I hate to keep drawing back to the playoff loss, but that shit reminded me of when D’Onta Foreman started gashing the Bengals in January and then they pulled him out of the game. You know how some offensive coordinators really step on the gas when something is working? Downing seems to slam on the brakes at times.
- As is usually the case when two teams are evenly matched, the game came down to a few key match-ups. The Titans offensive line simply couldn’t block the Bengals defensive front. That’s the main reason they couldn’t run the ball today, and it clogged up the entire offense. On defense, Roger McCreary and Kristian Fulton both struggled with the size and physicality of Tee Higgins. Every advantage counts in a game where the margins are razor thin, and the Bengals had ’em today.
- I’m beginning to think that Mike Hilton knows the Titans offense better than some of the Titans do. Not only did he jump the route in the playoff game back in January because he knew which play was coming, but he blew up run plays to Derrick Henry twice today. Maybe….and hear me out on this one….it’s not good for opposing defenders to know exactly what you’re going to do.
- It wasn’t all bad for McCreary. While he struggled with Higgins, he had some good reps on Hayden Hurst, who the Bengals leaned on to move the chains with his sure hands and physical presence. There was one play in particular where the Bengals brought him across the formation on a 3rd & short, but McCreary tailed him and was able to prevent the conversion.
- The Titans not only missed Autry’s presence in the pass rush, but also in setting the edge. Joe Burrow got outside of the pocket on a couple of occasions and did some damage down the field.
- Chig Okonkwo converting a 3rd & 1 and getting a gang behind him to move the chains felt like the only gritty BDE Titans play of the game.
- Caleb Shudak was a tad shaky in his NFL debut. I don’t know if the Titans are as snakebit at any other position than they have been at kicker in recent seasons.
- David Long Jr. speared Trent Taylor out of his pants on a play and it absolutely ruled.
- I wonder if the physicality of this team is a motivator for certain opponents. Like, the Bengals seem to be one of the few teams that can actually take the punch on the chin and fight back. It’s the second time they’ve been able to rise up and match the Titans in terms of their physicality, and I can’t help but wonder if teams hearing how physical and tough the Titans are all week gives them a little bit of a spark when it comes down to it.
Game Balls
- Treylon Burks – I don’t think there are too many game balls to give out this week, and maybe I’m stretching it by picking the two that I have. But, I think Burks deserves some props for how he’s stepped up since returning from injury. Today, he hauled in four catches for 70 yards and recovered a Henry fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. That’s 181 yards in the last two games for Burks.
- Tre Avery – I jotted Avery’s name down several times. He continues to develop at a nice rate. He had two passes deflected in this one, and was a bright spot for a secondary that otherwise gave up some big plays.
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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.
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