Opponents keep accusing Titans players of something they refuse to admit, Kayshon Boutte latest example after Patriots beatdown

Do the Titans have an effort issue on Sundays?

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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The Tennessee Titans took a rare lead over the New England Patriots with 1:53 left to play in the first half of their Week 7 matchup. The score was 13-10, and the Titans defense went out to keep Drake Maye from doubling-up on the scoreboard before he received the second half kickoff. Former Patriots defensive back Jason McCourty was in the broadcast booth for this game, and said this as they ran their two-minute offense.

“The Patriots aren’t going to go too fast. Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator, he has a last shot mentality. He wants to make sure they end this half with the ball.”

The moment these words leapt from his mouth, Drake Maye uncorked a deep bomb to WR Kayshon Boutte in double coverage. It was an effortless touchdown with 49 seconds to spare. And after the game, Boutte didn’t hold back on the performance of the Titans defenders in that moment.

Kayshon Boutte Indicts Titans Defensive Backs Postgame

The Patriots took a 17-13 lead before the break, which they followed up with grinding seven minute drive on the first possession of the second half to take a 24-13 lead, which they followed up with a gift of a touchdown from Cam Ward on his first play of the half a moment later. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, Tennessee went from up 13-10 to down 31-13. The game was over with a full quarter and a half left to play. No more points were scored. And it all started with this 52.6 air yard pass from Maye to Boutte over the heads of CB L’Jarius Sneed and S Quandre Diggs.

When Boutte was asked after the game about his monster touchdown that sparked his team’s beatdown, he didn’t mince words. According to Patriots beat reporter Mark Daniels of masslive.com, Boutte said “It felt good, something we worked on all week — big throw. Big catch. We took advantage of lazy cornerback play, lazy safety play, and (it was) just a big play.”

Lazy is a strong word to throw around so casually like that in the NFL. The Titans have been the victim of more than one stray comment from a victorious opponent in the visiting locker room this season. Following their Week 3 beatdown of the Titans in Nissan Stadium, Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. said “They kinda looked a little sluggish, they were kinda walking around, nobody was really bouncing. Right then and there, we all sat there and were like ‘They don’t want to play today.’”

What’s with this Titans team getting their opponents to not only embarrass them on the field in Nashville, but to also kick them while they’re down immediately following the bludgeoning? As former head coach Brian Callahan and various Titans players said after the comments from Pittman, it’s easy to chirp like this when you win. But if it becomes a trend, it’s hard to dismiss out of hand entirely.

If the Titans have a systemic effort issue on Sundays, I don’t know how to quantify it. Nor do I know the cause of it, since the head coach has already been fired and the players refute any notion of a systemic problem of this sort. I’m not inclined to think it’s actually a problem, because I lean towards this team suffering from a lack of talent instead of a lack of effort. But if opponents keep saying it, I’ll continue to be forced to wonder.

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