The Tennessee Titans lost a gut-wrenching Week 1 game to the New Orleans Saints, 16-15. The most nauseating part of the day was watching the offense at work — and more specifically, quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
It’s not an exaggeration to say he had one of the worst performances of his entire career on Sunday afternoon.
Buy Titans TicketsHis offensive line didn’t do him many favors, either, allowing three sacks on the day with several other close calls that saw the pocket collapse and force Tannehill to escape and throw on the run.
The offensive line had its positive moments, but it was way too inconsistent all around.
Left tackle Andre Dillard was getting physically manhandled early on but managed to settle down as the game went on. With that said, there’s no denying he has to be better going forward.
Being “susceptible to power” is not a good trait for an NFL left tackle
But Andre Dillard has it
— Austin Stanley (@AustinStanley81) September 10, 2023
Left guard Peter Skoronski was solid throughout, but he did have a moment where he ended up on the floor, which resulted in a negative play for the offense.
If there was one thing I noticed Skoronski has to get better at — and I’m sure he will — it’s when it comes to him picking up and passing off stunts in time so he doesn’t get exposed for his lack of length.
As for the other three offensive linemen, they definitely had their fair share of mistakes; however, I thought they did well for the most part.
Aaron Brewer seemed much more comfortable at center, where he doesn’t have his size limitations exposed as much. And, his rare athleticism showed up whenever he was allowed to get out and use it to his advantage.
Derrick Henry takes the screen 46 yards!
📺: #TENvsNO on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/G4uoYVOqQn pic.twitter.com/1lNSxsSTOq— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2023
When it comes to right guard Daniel Brunskill, at first glance I thought he held his own throughout the game, although that opinion could certainly change when I re-watch this one.
The same can be said for right tackle Chris Hubbard, who had some fantastic blocks against the run. Even still, he wasn’t perfect by any means, either.
Chris Hubbard serving up pancakes! 🥞 pic.twitter.com/XJhG84EXm2
— Justin Graver (@titansfilmroom) September 10, 2023
One play that stood out was when Cameron Jordan beat the veteran tackle, subsequently forcing Tannehill to leave the pocket and eventually throw it away.
As a whole, this group has to find a way to impose its will on the opposition. I felt like the unit did OK, but for this group to reach its full potential it’s going to have to thrive instead of just survive, which I felt like it was doing a ton of out there on Sunday.
Tannehill did make the O-line look much worse than it was at times due to his horrendous pocket presence that led to him panicking instead of keeping his eyes downfield.
It seems like the trust for the offensive line from Tennessee’s quarterback wasn’t all the way there, so that’s something that they’ll have to clean up going forward.
Otherwise, the potential of this offense will be average, at best.
