Much like they have been for the entire season, the Tennessee Titans were a comedy of errors during the Week 13 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Despite several blunders in all three phases, the Titans actually had a chance to win the game and even took a lead in overtime. However, the secondary struck again and allowed Alec Pierce to get free for a 55-yard reception, which set up the Colts’ game-winning score.
The loss was just the latest gut-wrenching defeat in a long line of them this season. And, as tired and defeated as fans feel right now, there’s still five contests to go before we can mercifully put this season to bed and start looking forward to free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.
Hell, some people began doing that weeks ago, and I can’t say I blame them for it. Now, the biggest takeaways from the Week 13 loss to the Colts.
Will Levis struggled but battled
Levis called Week 13 his worst game, and he’s probably right, as the rookie struggled for much of the contest. It is worth noting, however, that the offensive line didn’t do him many favors.
But it was good to see Levis battling and doing all he could to win the game, and despite his struggles throughout, he still put Tennessee in a position to win after an overtime drive that gave his team the lead.
Levis put his body at risk to pick up a first down, resulting in him being helicoptered. Later in the game, the rookie signal-caller fumbled, forced a fumble on the Colts player who recovered, and then recovered said fumble while also trying to take it the distance before he was ruled down.
While there’s still a lot to fix, there’s no denying Levis’ passion and ability to make plays. Those are things you can’t teach.
Craig Aukerman should be fired
The Titans’ special teams have routinely been bad with Craig Aukerman at the helm, but the unit hit a new low on Sunday, with the Colts thwarting back-to-back punts, one of which resulted in a serious injury to Ryan Stonehouse. Indy scored 10 points off those.
Then, with Stonehouse hurt, the Titans had to deploy quarterback Ryan Tannehill as the holder, and on cue Nick Folk missed a crucial extra point, although the hold looked fine on Tannehill’s end.
Before those three disastrous plays, Tennessee gave up a 36-yard kickoff return in the first quarter that spurred on a Colts touchdown drive.
Aukerman should’ve been fired years ago, but head coach Mike Vrabel has remained loyal to his guy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like that will change based on Vrabel’s comments after the loss.
The secondary gets burnt again
Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce’s two long receptions were game-changers, with the first resulting in a touchdown in the first quarter and the second setting up Indy’s game-winning touchdown in overtime.
Pierce burned past Kristian Fulton and Elijah Molden on the first play, and Sean Murphy-Bunting, who committed a terrible penalty on the Colts’ game-winning drive, was the victim on the second reception.
Aside from those two completions and another to tight end Kyle Granson, the Colts mostly picked apart the Titans in the short to intermediate areas, with veteran wideout Michael Pittman having a field day, along with quarterback Gardner Minshew, who threw for 312 yards.
If not for a decent pass-rush, things would’ve been even worse.
At this point, cornerback is right there with left tackle and wide receiver on the team’s list of priorities. The Titans desperately need a No. 1 guy who is capable of providing top-notch coverage, and outside of Roger McCreary, none of Tennessee’s corners should be a lock to return in 2024.
Injury concerns
The Titans lost three starters to injury in Week 13, including running back Derrick Henry (concussion), defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons (knee) and punter Ryan Stonehouse (leg).
As of Monday morning, Henry is in the concussion protocol and his status for Week 14 is up in the air. Big Jeff has reportedly avoided serious injury, but that doesn’t mean he’ll suit up against the Dolphins.
Punter Ryan Stonehouse, on the other hand, appears to have suffered a serious injury that will force him to miss significant time.
Tight end Josh Whyle is another player to keep an eye on this week after he left with his own knee injury. The latest update on the rookie is that he’s believed to have avoided a serious injury, per Paul Kuharsky.
While the Titans can never fully replace Henry, Simmons or Stonehouse, the running back situation isn’t as dire with Tyjae Spears ready to step in if need be. Tennessee doesn’t have an in-house solution at all for Stonehouse, and none of the defensive line reserves can sniff the impact Simmons makes.
Truth be told, I wouldn’t be mad if Simmons and/or Henry don’t see the field again this season. There’s really no point in risking either player in what is a dead campaign, and not having them on the field will only increase Tennessee’s chances of losing and grabbing a top-five pick.
Forget the playoffs for good
I’m not sure how anyone could have, but if you had any hope for the Titans to make the playoffs, forget it. The Titans are deep in the cellar in the AFC South and are the second-worst team in the conference.
It’s all about draft positioning now. The Titans currently own the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and there is ample opportunity for Tennessee to move up in the weeks ahead.
And, hopefully the Titans can get high enough to land one of the premier left tackles in Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu, or the top wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Titans will likely need a top-five pick to get one of the left tackles, and a top-three pick to land MHJ. Thankfully, all of those positions are very much in play with five games left.
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