Titans have an appealing trait that sounds great on paper but it's actually holding them back
For two quarters, the Tennessee Titans were on cruise control against the Indianapolis Colts. The offense was clicking on all cylinders — especially the run game — the defense was shutting was Jonathan Taylor, and even stifling the Colts' offense when it tried to revert from its usual run heavy mantra. That same two quarter […]
For two quarters, the Tennessee Titans were on cruise control against the Indianapolis Colts.
The offense was clicking on all cylinders — especially the run game — the defense was shutting was Jonathan Taylor, and even stifling the Colts' offense when it tried to revert from its usual run heavy mantra.
That same two quarter effort allowed the Titans to rush towards a 24-10 lead at halftime, with smiles all around as both sides of the ball found ways to click. But like so many times so far this season, those opening two quarters were the only times Tennessee looked like a threat, as they once again collapsed in the second half.
The 24-10 lead shrunk to 24-17, but by no means did the remaining seven point gap feel secure, as the Titans' offense sputtered and continually gave the Colts' humming offense numerous chances to knot the game at 24.
But in the end, the Titans shut the door on the Colts' offense, and somehow walked away with a close 24-17 win over their longtime AFC South rivals.
The difference in display between the two halves was apparent for the third time in four weeks, as the Titans' offense failed to score points in the second half for the third straight game.
However, despite their obvious shortcomings, the Titans snuck their hand into their bag of tricks and pulled out a gritty win.
A theme that has stuck itself on this team's DNA and won't be going away any time soon.
"We won the game 24-17," Mike Vrabel said after the game. "Excited as hell about it."
The ups and downs of winning in gritty ways
This reoccurring theme has latched onto the Titans for as long as they have been a legit franchise in the NFL, dating back to their famous move to the Volunteer state in the late 1990s.
Its brought the franchise a decent sized amount of success — consistent trips to the playoffs, league-wide attention, and even a Super Bowl appearance before the beginning of the most recent new millennium.
But on the other side of the scale, there's been a distinct amount of negatives that have arose as a result of this abrasive, underdog type of role running amok the Titans' organization.
Out of all of them, none are more damaging than the idea of avoiding seamless victories, and you reaping the heartbreaking results of over-relying on trench warfare.
The Titans faced the consequences of of having a public addition with their gritty nature of play last season, multiple times in fact, as they lost some very winnable games down the stretch and ultimately saw their season end on very own turf.
This season is no different, with back-to-back wins — against the Las Vegas Raiders and Colts — coming as a result of simply hanging on to leads instead of putting teams away for good.
Nothing's wrong with having a resilient bone as a team, since every team needs one if they want to successful traverse through the trials and tribulations an NFL season will present. But relying on it to grind you to wins, is an outdated mindset that frankly needs to be thrown into your run-of-the-mill storage room for safekeeping.
However, it won't be tossed aside because it has become a part of this Titans team, a part of the evolution this team went through after Mike Vrabel was hired.
Players love it, the coaches love, the front office loves it, heck even the fans love it. So why force them to let it go when it has worked and it is working well for them in terms of success on the field?
Either way, this Titans team will need to stop relying on their gritty nature in order to win football games. There's a more efficient and more aesthetically pleasing way to win in this era, and you don't need to overhaul scheme, environment, or philosophy to do it.
Until the Titans are willing to entertain this as a bit of an issue, then the ceiling on this team will be capped. And that won't do any good for anybody, as everyone wants to win and win as soon as possible.
"We're not satisfied with getting two straight wins," Kevin Byard said. "We have a lot that we need to fix."
"And that's the beauty of it."
Featured image via Jenna Watson/IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK
