The Tennessee Titans dropped another game away from Nissan Stadium, losing 20-16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of the entire country on Thursday night.
This was another game that was there for the taking, but it got away from a Titans team that simply cannot find a way to win a game on the road. We’re now approaching an entire calendar year since the last time the Titans won outside of Tennessee (Week 11, 2022).
After the Week 8 win over the Atlanta Falcons, this team received a ton of positive grades in our report card article. However, this time around, it was the complete opposite for everyone outside of the special teams.
That type of inconsistency is a microcosm of the Titans’ season.
Let’s not waste any more time and dive into this week’s positional report card following the Titans’ gut-wrenching loss to the Steelers that dropped their record to 3-5 on the season.
Quarterback: B+
Will Levis didn’t have the eye-popping four touchdowns like he did in his NFL debut, but he had another strong all-around performance.
He definitely had a few throws he’d like back, but Levis already has unflappable poise that will only get stronger with more experience.
The future is bright with No. 8 under center.
Running backs: C+
This wasn’t the best game of the season for the tandem of Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears, but they certainly did their part to give the Titans a chance.
Unfortunately, they were often held back by the blocking of a lackluster and banged-up offensive line.
The biggest miss of the night came on what should’ve been a touchdown pass to Spears in which he was at least partially responsible for the play not connecting.
Nonetheless, this tandem continues to be one of the most reliable units on the team.
Wide receivers: C
DeAndre Hopkins started the day out like his dominant self, but the Steelers eventually adjusted by bracketing him with two defenders, and it made him non-existent the rest of the way.
Kyle Philips finally looked like the player we hoped he would be in spurts, but they need him to be much more consistent in situations when teams are essentially daring someone other than DHop to beat them.
Tight ends: D+
The Titans’ tight ends continue to be one of the biggest disappointments of the season thus far. Chig Okonkwo is a shell of what he was last year and there wasn’t much to speak of for the rest of the group.
Offensive line: F
There were points in the game where the offensive line was legitimately embarrassing to watch.
The tandem of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith had their way with the Titans’ tackle tandem of Nicholas Petit-Frere and Andre Dillard. Dillon Radunz was able to come in and stabilize one side, but not nearly enough to save this group from getting a failing grade.
Defensive line: F
It was less than a week ago that this group was being praised for dominating against a stout Falcons offensive line. However, just days later, the defensive line completely laid an egg against an offensive line that had been struggling going into Week 9.
Tennessee didn’t record a single sack and surrendered 166 rushing yards on a day where the Steelers set the tone in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
The Titans’ defensive line was supposed to be one of the strengths of this team. Instead, ots turned into an inconsistent group that goes missing way too often.
Outside linebackers: D-
After flashing signs of life the week prior, Harold Landry once again went missing on Thursday. Meanwhile, Arden Key, Denico Autry, and Trevis Gipson made a minimal impact, at best.
The only thing this group of edge rushers is consistent at is being inconsistent, and their grade reflects that.
Inside linebackers: C-
Azeez Al-Shaair had another decent, albeit inconsistent game of his own. The most spectacular play he made came when he broke up what was about to be a massive gain to Calvin Austin on a deep pass. Al-Shaair somehow ran step-for-step with the speedy wideout and was able to knock the pass down before the reception was made.
However, outside of that, he struggled in coverage for the most part.
As for Jack Gibbens, he noticeably struggled in his own right against a physical Steelers offense, with Gibbens getting displaced way too easily in the run game.
Cornerbacks: D+
Outside of Kristian Fulton, the secondary really struggled against the Steelers. Luckily for the group, it was bailed out a few times by a combination of poor throws and/or poor receiver play.
Otherwise, things could’ve been even worse.
It certainly didn’t help that the team was without its two best cornerbacks, as Sean Murphy-Bunting was knocked out early with an injury and Roger McCreary was ruled out during the week.
So, Fulton was essentially left to play with a ton of backups, and it showed.
Safeties: D
The absence of Kevin Byard on the back end of the defense cannot be overstated. Byard was sneakily one of the team’s best run defenders, so his absence only made things worse for the defense in that area.
The guy who replaced him, Terrell Edmunds, was around the ball a handful of times, yet he wasn’t able to make the play for whatever reason. Amani Hooker didn’t do anything truly noticeable, either.
This group has to start doing a better job as the last line of defense while also making plays whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Specialists: A
Per usual, the group of specialists consisting of long snapper Morgan Cox, kicker Nick Folk, and punter Ryan Stonehouse was arguably the best unit on the team. The three of them are legitimately some of the best players at their respective positions in the NFL and it continues to show every week.
