Titans' loss in Jacksonville highlights their biggest issues moving forward
The Tennessee Titans' epic 2022 collapse was capped off in grand fashion with a heartbreaking 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday Night. After pulling out to an early 13-7 halftime lead, a Jaguars second half comeback was sparked by taking advantage of the biggest flaws of this Titans team, brutally highlighting everything that […]
The Tennessee Titans' epic 2022 collapse was capped off in grand fashion with a heartbreaking 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday Night.
After pulling out to an early 13-7 halftime lead, a Jaguars second half comeback was sparked by taking advantage of the biggest flaws of this Titans team, brutally highlighting everything that needs to change in Tennessee as the offseason unfolds.
Poor offensive line play and predictable play calling, two issues that plagued Tennessee all year long, came back to bite them in the biggest game of the season.
Play Calling
Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing has been on the hot seat for a vast majority of the 2022 season. His offense is in the bottom five in both yards and points per game in the NFL, and his halftime adjustments have been lacking.
Tennessee finished the season with a -97 point differential in the second half of games.
So often, Downing's offense became flat and predictable throughout the season. That has never been more true than it was on Saturday night. Tennessee amazingly called a first down run on 24 of the 28 first down snaps throughout the game. Talk about predictability.
That's even more frustrating when you realize that first down pass plays were proving to be productive. Those four pass plays on first down produced a total of 45 yards through the air, including the play-action 21-yard touchdown strike from Josh Dobbs to Chig Okonkwo.
Instead, Downing dialed up a heavy dose of runs that very rarely went for more than a few yards. For whatever reason, the offense that self-admittedly cannot afford to play from 3rd & long scenarios was content with running for little-to-no gain to start every series.
Combining these predictable, one-dimensional play calls with the circus trick plays drawn up, and this one was another Downing masterpiece. Another example of the Titans squandering opportunity with their inability to get creative or deviate from their game plan.
Offensive Line
With Taylor Lewan, Nate Davis, and Ben Jones (the Titans' three most reliable offensive linemen) all out for the season with injuries, it didn't come as a surprise when Tennessee's offensive line faltered late in this game.
At one point, it looked like the Titans were going to find a way to win in Jacksonville with a third-string quarterback under center. Dobbs, while imperfect, did all he could to execute the Titans' offense and take what the opposing defense gave him. Things came crashing down around him, however, when the lack of talent on the offensive line began to rear its ugly head.
Dennis Daley, Aaron Brewer, Corey Levin, Jordan Roos, and Nicholas Petit-Frere. That was the starting bunch for the Titans up front. As the game came down to the wire, that group's inability to protect the quarterback proved costly.
With three minutes to go in the game and Tennessee protecting a three point lead, Dobbs was hit from his blind side by Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins, knocking the ball free for a scoop and score touchdown.
Minutes later, on the final possession of the game, the Titans had the ball in Jaguars territory with a chance to win. This time, it was linebacker Josh Allen who delivered the hit and knocked the ball free from Dobbs. While Dobbs was able to recover the fumble and avoid complete disaster, the strip sack backed the Titans up and ultimately killed their drive.
This, much like Downing's play calling, is an issue that Titans fans saw occur way too often over the course of this season. Just as Tennessee would get into a drive and begin to build some offensive momentum, the offensive line would make a mistake and cause a major setback.
As Tennessee prepares to head into a long and challenging offseason, their priority needs to be rebuilding their offensive line and finding an offensive coordinator that can bring creativity and balance to the Titans' playbook. As we saw on Saturday, nothing else will matter if those are not taken care of.
Image via Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
