Once again, we find ourselves facing the mirror, contemplating the bitter taste of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory and delivered to our doorstep like a flaming pile of disappointment. As much as it stings, let's revisit Sunday's letdown in this week's edition of 'The Good, The Bad & The WTFugly.'
THE GOOD
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THE KING GAVE THE KITCHEN SINK
Week in and week out, there is one unwavering force on the team, and his name is Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. Showcasing his dominance with 100 total yards and two touchdowns, including another pinpoint pass from the arm of "Young Peyton Manning," King Henry's reign was on full display. With an impressive average of 4.6 yards per carry, Henry delivered stiff arms and gained chunk yardage all day long. The upcoming offseason will be interesting for Derrick Henry, and everyone has an opinion, but I'm optimistic that we can secure the King for the long term, allowing him to retire as a Titan.
BACK TO BACK BURKS
For the first time this season, Treylon Burks has showcased consistent production in back-to-back games. While it might not be a groundbreaking achievement, his nearly ninety yards on five catches is practically half of his entire 2023 season production. Burks has faced a challenging journey, dealing with injuries and concussions, but witnessing him back on the field is a positive step. Despite some rooting against Burks, perhaps to fit their narrative of the Jrob/AJ Brown situation, I believe he should be integral to the team's plans for 2024 and beyond.
LET'S GO DENICO
Denico Autry's sack tally has reached an impressive 28.5 and continues to grow since joining the Titans in 2021. These numbers aren't just good, these numbers stand among the best in the franchise's history. Whatever Lord of the Jabronies, Jim Irsay was sniffing when he let Autry walk, I'd prefer to steer clear of it! Let's raise a toast to the hope that Denico Autry finishes his career adorned in Titans' two-tone blue.
Is Azeez Al-Shaair the greatest free-agent signing in Titans history? People are asking. Well, by "people," I mean me, but let's roll with it. Currently sitting as the sixth-leading tackler in the NFL, this football player by day, superhero by night consistently carries the team on his back, punches the clock, and gets down to work. Al-Shaair epitomizes what it means to be a Titan, and I'm grateful to have him on our side. Ran knew precisely who he was bringing from the Bay, and it's been more than a home run – it's been a grand slam.
THE BAD
THE RETURN OF TANNY
There is nobody who has been in Tanny's corner more than me over the years. From the second we traded with the Dolphins, I was clamoring for him to start. I knew he could be uber productive in our system just because his arm alone forces the defense to be honest, which, if we're being honest, was one of the main catalysts that helped Derrick Henry kick his career into overdrive. This season didn't start out how any of us hoped, especially seeing since this is the Levis regime moving forward, but if we learned anything from Sunday, it's that it's finally time to say goodbye to Ryan Tannehill.
PENALTIES COST US THE GAME (AGAIN)
Every week it's a broken record here as I preach about penalties. Well guess what? We lost another winnable game because of a terrible pass interference call on Titans Tre Avery. To be fair, the team as a whole gave up 10 total penalties for 97 yards. Yep. We gave up the entire length of a football field. We're currently tied with Houston for 5th in the NFL with 102 penalties on the year (and counting) included 12 DPI calls alone. How many yards do those 102 penalties account for you ask? Oh, you didn't ask. Well I'm going to tell you anyway that it's a depressing 838 yards. Yep, eight hundred and thirty freaking eight.
OBLIGATORY OL BLURB
Fix it? We tried that. Kill it? We can't. Build with Peter and Jaylen? Sure, but use every damn draft pick until you get the thing right. That's all we can do at this point but holy smokes, this thing is getting out of hand. It's like a SNL skit that should have ended two seasons ago. News flash. We have a future franchise QB so it's time we invest in some protection or he'll be retiring early like our ol' pal Andrew Luck.
THE WTFUGLY??!!
Live Look At Our Secondary Avoiding Pass Interference Calls
SECOND RATE SECONDARY
Stop me if you're heard this one but the Tennessee Titans secondary can't stop a nose bleed. The fact that you didn't stop me makes me think you may be a member of the Titans secondary. The Titans committed their 12th defensive pass interference of the season on Sunday, which is good for third worst in the NFL. (14) Our Titans are 5-17 in their last 22 games and it's safe to say that our secondary woes have played a critical role in this continued downward spiral. Countless games over the last two seasons have been lost solely on the inability to stop even the most average pass catchers, much less the elite speedsters like Chase, Jefferson and Hill. This offseason we need to back the brinks truck up to whichever top corner is available and pair him to build with SMB and McCreary. Everyone else can kick rocks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TI is the brains behind the "Titans Idiot Nation" and an avid sports fanatic and pop culture enthusiast who is unhealthily obsessed with football, especially the NFL. When he's not yelling at his TV, he enjoys running, spending time with his family and of course, yelling at his TV.
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