The Tennessee Titans continued on their downward spiral with a fifth-straight loss in a 19-14 defeat at the hands of the Houston Texans in Week 16, and as a result, they are mostly moving down in the NFL power rankings of experts.
We start with USA TODAY’s Nate Davis, who ranks the Titans at No. 23 on his list, falling four spots from last week. Here’s his take on Tennessee:
23. Titans (19): Rookie QB Malik Willis has started three games yet hasn’t passed for 100 yards in any of them. Starting to become apparent why he slipped into the third round.
It’s definitely true that Willis hasn’t done much through the air in three starts, but it was always understood he would need time to develop and wouldn’t be ready in Year 1.
It also hasn’t helped that Willis has to overcome bad play-calling, poor pass protection, and one of the worst wide receiver corps. in the NFL.
Now, the rest of our NFL power rankings round-up.
Mark Lane, Touchdown Wire: 18 (-6)
Week 16 is a little bit too late to start unpacking what you have with a rookie quarterback. The lack of experience under center with Malik Willis is obviously curtailing the Titans’ chances to win the AFC South. Derrick Henry has three straight games with at least 100 yards rushing. Tennessee’s only hope is to saddle up the two-time NFL rushing champion.
Barry Werner, The List Wire: 16 (no change)
The Titans lost to the Texans and are behind the Jaguars in the AFC South. What more needs to be explained? Hard to figure out what has fallen apart in Nashville. And you can’t put this all on Ryan Tannehill being out.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 16 (-2)
The Titans may not be able to salvage another AFC South title and a wild-card berth with rookie Malik Willis thrust into an overwhelming starting QB role without Ryan Tannehill. Their rash of injuries on both sides of the ball and offensive limitations away from Derrick Henry also have been magnified.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: 19 (-3)
It’s rare to get a week of rest for an NFL team at this point in the season but the Titans have that opportunity. Their Week 17 game means nothing and their Week 18 game at Jacksonville will determine the AFC South championship. Why would you play guys on a short week for a Thursday night game against the Cowboys? Titans head coach Mike Vrabel wouldn’t say what he’ll do but he offered a hint that key players could sit. “We’ve got some guys that have played a lot of football for us that are far less than 100 percent,” he said.
Josh Schrock, NBC Sports: 23 (-4)
23. Tennessee Titans (7-8): Tennessee has been abysmal for more than a month, and now the Titans are without Ryan Tannehill. Whether their season ends in Week 18 or the Wild Card Round, the Titans’ 2022 run is coming to a close.
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: 24 (-5)
The Titans are in deep, deep trouble. On Saturday, the season reached a low point with a loss to a Texans team that entered action with one win. Malik Willis provided little spark to the offense starting in place of an injured Ryan Tannehill (ankle), and even Derrick Henry — a running back who has mercilessly bullied the Texans in the past — was held to just 3.5 yards per carry outside his 48-yard score in the first quarter. The Titans can still win the AFC South, but it might be more probable they don’t win another game this season. The vibes around their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Cowboys are not good.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 19 (-4)
Defining moment: Trading A.J. Brown.
Trading Brown was a big step back for the Titans. The wideout was Tennessee’s answer to defenses that focused on stopping running back Derrick Henry. Losing Brown was the start of a bizarre season for the Titans. Wide receiver Treylon Burks was selected in the draft with one of the picks they got for Brown, and Burks showed up in spurts. But injuries and inconsistency on offense kept the rookie from having a major impact.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 19 (-2)
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk:
19. Titans (7-8; No. 17): They still haven’t won since a week before Thanksgiving.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 14 (-1)
They have lost five in a row, which means they have lost hold of first place in the division. But if they beat the Jaguars in Week 18, they win the division. With Malik Willis at quarterback, that won’t be easy.
Bleacher Report: 22 (-7)
Saturday’s game between the Texans and Titans was delayed an hour by rolling blackouts in the Nashville area.
In retrospect, the Titans probably wish it had been delayed longer because the lights just went out on Tennessee’s chances of making any noise in the playoffs. What seemed inconceivable a month ago has come to pass. After a sloppy loss to the then-one-win Texans, the Titans are no longer in first place in the AFC South.
The loss was Tennessee’s fifth straight, and things are getting testy in Tennessee—so much so that head coach Mike Vrabel called out his team’s preparation after the game.
“It’s not the buy-in, it’s just, how much are we doing outside of the time that we’re at the facility?” Vrabel told reporters. “If you as a professional athlete just work 8-4 or 8-4:30, I don’t know how much you get out of it.
“Maybe God gifted you with some really, really cool talents. We just have to all do a little bit more, and that’s with me, with preparation, and that’s with coaches and players. A little bit more of everything.”
“Here’s the hard truth,” Davenport said. “The Titans are done. Cooked. Finished. The offense has completely collapsed with rookie quarterback Malik Willis under center, which happens when you have a quarterback who can’t pass.
“The defense is terrible against the pass. And now the coach is grousing publicly about the commitment level of his players. These Titans aren’t beating the Cowboys next week. Or the Jaguars in Week 18.”
“Tennessee was an easy projection as a regression candidate after posting the AFC’s best record a year ago,” Sobleski added. “However, a 7-3 start made it look like they’d run away with the AFC South yet again. The schedule hasn’t been kind to the Titans since Thanksgiving. Tennessee lost five straight, including an embarrassing upset on Christmas Eve to the Houston Texans.
“To make matters worse, Ryan Tannehill won’t return to the lineup this year after requiring ankle surgery. While the playoffs remain a possibility, the rest of this season is more about evaluating Willis than anything else.”
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: 13 (+1)
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated:
Without Ryan Tannehill, and without a complete reimagination of what they can do offensively, the Titans are likely on the outside looking in. Dallas and its mobile front seven may be the worst possible team the Titans could see this weekend.
Austin Gayle, The Ringer: 21 (-6)
As long as Ryan Tannehill is a “long shot” to return as the team’s starter this season, the Titans are a long shot to make the playoffs. Without him, they’ve really got no shot. The growing pains for third-round rookie Malik Willis are hurting a Tennessee offense that was already struggling to move the ball before Tannehill suffered his ankle injury. Willis has yet to throw for more than 100 yards in any of his three starts this season, and he has had zero passing touchdowns, three interceptions, and 10 sacks in those games.
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: 21 (-4)
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic:
Lost to Texans, 19-14, to fall to 7-8. How bad is the AFC South? The Titans have lost five straight games to fall to 7-8, but they could still win the division.
Walter Football: 28 (-14)
Malik Willis is terrible, but he had no chance because the Titans were missing their three best offensive linemen, all of whom are now on injured reserve. Still, losing to the Texans is an embarrassment, but Tennessee can at least still win the division if it beats the Jaguars in Week 18. No other results matter.
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network: 16 (-1)
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network:
The Tennessee Titans lost their divisional lead with their loss against the worst team in the NFL on Saturday. The Jacksonville Jaguars have ascended to another level of good over the past six weeks. The Titans have disintegrated due to injuries on the defensive side of the ball and on the offensive line.
The problem is their offense was already bad. Now, there’s a very good chance we don’t see Ryan Tannehill again this season, and they clearly do not trust Malik Willis to consistently drop back and pass the football.
They still control their own destiny in the AFC South, but they have to get past a Dallas offense that’s on a roll right now and then somehow beat a Jaguars team that’s playing some incredibly good football right now.
