Titans have nowhere to go but up in this critical area
Just about everything went wrong for the Tennessee Titans on the offensive side of the ball last season. Tennessee was 30th in passing offense, 28th in scoring offense, and 13th in rushing offense which was supposed to be their bread and butter. Under Todd Downing, the Titans didn't really do anything well, but they were […]
Just about everything went wrong for the Tennessee Titans on the offensive side of the ball last season.
Tennessee was 30th in passing offense, 28th in scoring offense, and 13th in rushing offense which was supposed to be their bread and butter. Under Todd Downing, the Titans didn't really do anything well, but they were especially bad in clutch situations.
When trailing in games in the second half, Tennessee scored points on just 22 percent of their drives. That tied with the Los Angeles Rams for dead last in the league. Here's a look at where every team around the league ranked in scoring points when losing in the second half (via Warren Sharp):
1. Cincinnati Bengals – 68%
2. Kansas City Chiefs – 59%
3. Buffalo Bills – 53%
4. New York Giants – 52%
5. Las Vegas Raiders – 50%
6. Carolina Panthers – 50%
7. Jacksonville Jaguars – 48%
8. Atlanta Falcons – 45%
9. Minnesota Vikings – 45%
10. Green Bay Packers – 44%
11. New Orleans Saints – 44%
12. Detroit Lions – 40%
13. Seattle Seahawks – 40%
14. Houston Texans – 39%
15. Dallas Cowboys – 37%
16. Miami Dolphins – 36%
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 36%
18. Washington Commanders – 36%
19. Los Angeles Chargers – 35%
20. Baltimore Ravens – 33%
21. New England Patriots – 33%
22. Indianapolis Colts – 33%
23. Cleveland Browns – 33%
24. San Francisco 49ers – 29%
25. Pittsburgh Steelers – 29%
26. New York Jets – 28%
27. Chicago Bears – 27%
28. Arizona Cardinals – 27%
29. Denver Broncos – 24%
30. Philadelphia Eagles – 24%
31. Los Angeles Rams – 22%
32. Tennessee Titans – 22%
New offensive coordinator Tim Kelly is hoping to turn things around for the Titans' offense in many areas, and clutch scoring really needs to be one of them. Tennessee's lack of offensive weapons and inconsistent passing game probably play a big factor here.
In order to finish games and win late, you usually need to generate quick offense. The Titans didn't have the playmakers or pass protection to make that happen in 2022.
Tennessee's inability to score from behind late in games also puts an additional level of pressure on the defense. The margin for error is nonexistent when overcoming a late deficit is so rare.
Of all the problems that need to be fixed, this one is right at the top of the list. At least being at the bottom of the totem pole means there's nowhere to go but up.
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