NASHVILLE – The Titans head into the bye weekend with a 1-3 record.
Monday's win over the Dolphins didn't wipe away the losses of previous weeks, but the result at least changed the mood for the time being.
Did it change the course of the season? Time will tell.
This much we know: The Titans need to settle in and play better on a consistent basis.
After four games, let's take a look at four positives, as well as four areas where the team needs to improve if this season is going to be interesting until the end.
Titan Ups
The Defense
After four games, the Titans are ranked No.1 in the NFL in total defense (yards allowed). As a unit, the group has played well enough for the team to win at least three games. Inside backers Kenneth Murray and Ernest Jones IV have been incredibly productive, with 31 and 29 tackles, respectively. Edge rusher Harold Landry has four sacks. Safety Quandre Diggs is emerging, and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed has been himself. I'll get to another player in the next graph, because he earned his own spot. But it's too early to throw a parade celebrating this bunch yet, because the secondary still doesn't have an interception (the 2-point conversion INT doesn't count), and let's face it, they've played two games against back-up quarterbacks (Green Bay's Malik Willis and Miami's Tyler Huntley) and another against a QB who was making his first NFL start (Chicago's Caleb Williams). Bigger challenges are on the horizon.
T'Vondre Sweat
An appearance on Monday Night Football allowed the nation to see what Titans fans had already been seeing – T'Vondre Sweat is a disruptive force. Early summer, some folks were already questioning Sweat when he got off to a slow start during the offseason work. Back then, his weight and conditioning were topics that hovered over him. The folks making noise then are quiet now. Sweat has changed the subject with some dominating performances, most recently against the Dolphins. He's been a beast in the middle, and he's just getting started.
Nick Folk
Maybe there's some recency bias going on here, but Nick Folk has proven the Titans right by picking him over young kicker Brayden Narveson after the preseason. This wasn't as much of a decision with the team as it was with a loud minority in the fan base. At 39 years old, Folk proved on Monday night he's still got it, making three kicks of 50-plus yard on a night when he clearly had the distance from 60 yards. Folk is 7-of-7 on the season on field goals, and he's 8-of-8 on extra points. He was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Dolphins. Moving forward, the Titans would rather see him kicking more PATs, of course.
Rookie Class
I mentioned Sweat earlier. If we're looking for positive developments so far, I'm going to give a shout-out to the rookie class after four games. In addition to Sweat, rookie tackle J.C. Latham and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. have also stepped in and performed well so far. Latham has settled in at left tackle – he's arguably been the team's best offensive lineman – while Brownlee is coming off his best game with the team. Rookies Jha'Quan Jackson and Jaylen Harrell have made contributions as well. With more experience, these guys should only get better.
And, here's a look at four areas that need to improve following the bye:
Will QB Will Levis Find His Way?
Right now, Titans quarterback Will Levis needs to focus on getting healthy. His injured right shoulder will be monitored as we count the days to the team's next game, vs the Colts on October 13. When Levis returns to action, the Titans are counting on him settling down and playing better. Levis has turned the ball over nine times so far -- six interceptions and three fumbles. Levis is the team's starting quarterback. He has a ton of talent. Moving forward, he needs to make better decisions, and fewer mistakes.
Pass Pro Needs to Be Better
Not everything was cured on Monday night in Miami. Sure, the unit allowed just one sack in the contest after surrendering eight the previous week, but let's keep it real in here – the Titans didn't have a whole lot of drop-backs against the Dolphins, especially in the second half. Did you know quarterback Mason Rudolph threw just three passes in the second half? It's a night when the team relied on the running game instead. Right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and others will need to prove it week in and week out, because so far, the Titans have allowed 16 sacks in four games.
Punt Protection Has Been Shaky
A blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown doomed the Titans in their season-opening loss at Chicago, and then the Jets came in and blocked another, adding insult to injury. On Monday night, the Dolphins got their hands on another punt from Ryan Stonehouse. While individual players have taken the blame for missing assignments here, the Titans need to be better as a unit. Getting a punt off should be a given in the NFL, but it sure hasn't been for the Titans.
Turnover Differential is Minus-7
I mentioned the nine turnovers by Levis earlier. As a team, the Titans aren't getting it done in the turnover margin, and it's one of the reasons the team is sitting at 1-3 right now. The Titans need to stop turning the ball over on offense, and the defense needs to start making some game-changing plays of its own. Arden Key jumped on a lateral against the Dolphins, and Julius Chestnut hopped on a loose football after the Bears botched a kickoff. I look at those more as giveaways than takeaways by the Titans. Diggs intercepted a two-point conversion try in Miami, but that doesn't count as a takeaway because a change of possession was coming anyway. Moving forward, the Titans need to be more greedy and less generous.
