The Titans have been plagued all season by an issue that was detrimental vs. Chargers
NASHVILLE – After the Tennessee Titans (2-7) lose football games, there is one idea and one issue that seems to keep popping up: Complimentary football. It's a concept that Brian Callahan brings up frequently and the Titans don't execute well enough. You'll often hear him discussing how Tennessee failed to compliment one another after a […]
NASHVILLE – After the Tennessee Titans (2-7) lose football games, there is one idea and one issue that seems to keep popping up: Complimentary football.
It's a concept that Brian Callahan brings up frequently and the Titans don't execute well enough. You'll often hear him discussing how Tennessee failed to compliment one another after a frustrating loss like we saw on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
We've even heard from the Titans players at points this season who have said that the sideline energy seems to spiral after negative plays. The Titans don't respond well when things don't go their way and they struggle to build upon the things that do.
This has never been more evident than the 52-14 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 8, when the Lions has instantaneous answers for nearly every positive play the Titans made.
Score a touchdown? Give up a 70-yard touchdown run to Jahmyr Gibbs! Get a stop on defense? Immediately throw an interception in your own territory! Feeling good after halftime? That 90-yard punt return touchdown will kill that vibe quickly!
But that's what the Titans do. It's what they did on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Titans failed to compliment each other. While they may have had some real positive flashes, they weren't good enough as a unit in any phase of the game.
That was how Callahan kicked off his postgame press conference. "Key points for us, didn't compliment each other well enough," he said.
When the Titans missed a field goal for the first time this season, the defense responded by allowing an eight-play, 61-yard touchdown drive. After a positive opening series to the second half that ended with a Titans field goal, Tennessee's special teams let them down once again and surrendered a long return that gave Los Angeles a short field. That led to a Chargers touchdown. And when the offense needed to respond late and fight back after the Chargers put up some points, they shot themselves in the foot and came up empty.
Tennessee's' win over the New England Patriots was a rare example of the team responding to adversity well and playing a complimentary style of football. But the Titans will eventually need to do that consistently if they want to establish a winning culture.
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