The Tennessee Titans never came close to competing with one of the league’s best teams, the Philadelphia Eagles, during a blowout loss at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 13.
Even when the game was 14-7, it never felt close. The Titans were simply outmatched in every phase of the game, whether it was offense, defense, or special teams.
Tennessee’s offense saw much of the same issues it has all season long, with poor pass protection, run-blocking, and wide receiver play.
The defense, which has been the strong point of the Titans all season long, had no answer for the Eagles’ pass-happy approach that torched the secondary, partly thanks to the lack of a consistent pass-rush.
The only thing that made this loss even more frustrating was the fact that A.J. Brown had a big hand in it, with eight catches for 119 yards and two scores.
As you’d expect, this list is heavy on the losers, but there were some positives to talk about, albeit just a few. Here are the winners and losers from Week 13.
Loser: Titans' offensive line
Tennessee’s offensive line continued its woeful ways in run-blocking, as Derrick Henry was stifled the entire game. Henry averaged a measly 2.7 yards per carry, with his longest run going for six yards.
Henry has now failed to reach the century mark in four straight games and has averaged 2.8 (I rounded up), 3.1, 2.2 and 2.7 yards per rush over that span.
But the ugliness upfront didn’t stop at run-blocking, as the Titans’ group was a sieve in pass protection, leading to Ryan Tannehill getting sacked six times and hit nine times in total. The veteran signal-caller appeared to injure his other ankle on one of those sacks, also.
Denns Daley stood out the most, and not for good reasons. He was regularly a turn-style, particularly in pass protection.
We hoped the return of Ben Jones would help spark the offensive line, but clearly this group’s issues are too big for one person to fix. As if the pass protection woes weren’t enough, the Titans have a run-blocking issue, also.
In between: WR Treylon Burks
Burks came down with the Titans’ only touchdown on a sensational 25-yard grab that saw him reel it in despite getting sandwiched in between two defenders.
Holding on through the hit 💪 @TreylonBurks
📺: Watch #TENvsPHI on @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/YDGMgUYx93
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 4, 2022
However, he paid a price, as safety Marcus Epps’ illegal hit to the head forced Burks from the game early. That was a big play considering the wideout is Tennessee’s No. 1 receiving option.
Thankfully, Burks appears to be OK after the hit, but it’s a damn shame for him because of how well he had been playing lately. The Titans’ struggling passing attack can ill-afford to lose him for any amount of time.
Loser: Titans' defense
There’s no doubt the Titans fully expected the Eagles to take their normal approach and run the football, but Philly threw a curveball and actually leaned on the pass in this game.
The Titans failed to get any semblance of consistent pressure, giving Jalen Hurts all the time in the world to find his receivers open down the field. Surprise, surprise, he made the Titans pay.
With the help of shoddy coverage, the Eagles got whatever they wanted down the field, including big chunk gains.
This game might’ve actually been worse if not for all the penalties the Eagles’ offensive line committed. This performance from the defense was on par with the defense’s other worst showing of the year in Week 2.
Winner: TE Chigoziem Okonkwo
Along with Burks’ great touchdown grab, the other highlight of the game for the Titans came via rookie tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, who led the team with four catches for 68 yards, both career-highs.
His best play came in the second quarter when Chig ripped off a 41-yard catch that helped set the Titans up for their only other points of the game.
CHIGGY 😁 @ChigTweets
📺: Watch #TENvsPHI on @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/8rBxlS8vco
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 4, 2022
Chig has now tallied three 40-yard catches this season, and four of 30-plus yards. There’s no doubt this kid has something special, now the Titans just need to quit the nonsense and start giving him more looks.
Loser: Titans' wide receivers
Burks had just one catch and didn’t even play through the first quarter and he still had the team-high for receiving yards among wideouts with 25. The next closest receiver was Robert Woods, who had six.
Adding to that, receivers not named Burks were outplayed by Okonkwo and Austin Hooper, who continue to be more reliable options than every other receiver outside of the 2022 first-round pick.
Once Tennessee’s No. 1 receiver went down, that was pretty much the end of any hope for the Titans’ passing attack, as the other receivers predictably failed to get open the rest of the game.
And speaking of Woods: he had multiple drops and continues to look like a shell of the receiver who once thrived in Buffalo and Los Angeles.
Loser: GM Jon Robinson
Even to this day, Titans general manager Jon Robinson takes slack for his decision to trade A.J. Brown to the Eagles during the 2022 NFL draft.
As if Titans fans needed a reminder of how bad that move was, Brown gave it to them with an eight-catch, 119-yard, two-touchdown performance on Sunday afternoon.
Brown said the game was very much personal for him, and his goal was to make the Titans regret they traded him. Mission accomplished.
If you thought Robinson was getting it bad from Titans fans before this game, things won’t get any better after it.
Loser: Titans' Super Bowl aspirations
Tennessee’s Super Bowl aspirations were already on shaky ground going into this game after what we had seen over the first 11 contests, and this loss to Philadelphia certainly didn’t help.
With the loss, the Titans are now 1-4 against teams with a winning record, and they’ve gotten blown out in two of those games, leaving us no reason to believe this team is capable of making a deep playoff run this season.
