LANDOVER, Md. – The Titans dug a big hole for themselves here on Sunday.
They weren't able to climb out.
The team's discouraging 42-19 loss to the Commanders included a disastrous start, and a brief comeback that ultimately fizzled out.
It also included a lot of bad football.
"All the way around, nothing was good enough today," Coach Brian Callahan said. "That was tough to watch, to start the game. … Just too many negative things, all the way around. We have to do a lot of things better if we want to beat good teams on the road, and that wasn't it."
In the process, the Titans dropped to 3-9 on the season.
The defeat came one week after what many believed could be a momentum-building win in Houston.
"It's crushing, to be honest," Callahan said. "I didn't think we were going to look like that today. I'm disappointed in that. I'm disappointed in myself. I thought we were making some strides, and we'd come play really good against a good football team on the road again, and we didn't do that."
Fumbles, penalties and overall shoddy play on both sides of the football contributed to the poor start for the Titans.
The Titans tried to make it a contest in the second half, but they couldn't do enough.
On a day when the offense had trouble finishing in the end zone, the defense couldn't get stops.
"We were hungover from our success last week, and that showed in the first half," defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said. "The signs of it started in the first half. We saw that. We were flat, we were turning over the ball, we couldn't stop anything they were doing. From top to bottom, we had no answers.
"At the end of the day, we have to be able to handle success."
Titans quarterback Will Levis connected with receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a pair of touchdown passes in the contest, but on this day, the highlights were few and far between for Tennessee.
Levis completed 18-of-37 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns in the contest.
Defensively, the Titans allowed the Commanders to rack up 463 yards of offense, and 29 first downs. The Commanders ran for 267 yards, including 103 from running back Brian Robinson.
The Titans turned the ball over twice, and they were penalized 12 times for 93 yards.
"We just have to keep going, that's all we can do," Levis said. "We just keep finding different ways to shoot ourselves in the foot. It's hard to come back starting out like that, and expect to get going."
It was really ugly early, as the Commanders jumped out to a 21-0 lead over Titans after one quarter of play.
After a three-and-out on their opening possession that featured a pair of false starts, the Commanders scored quickly on their opening possession, as Robinson sprinted in for a 40-yard touchdown just 3:02 into the first quarter to make it 7-0.
After another three-and-out by the Titans offense, the Commanders surged ahead on a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jayden Daniels, who ended up throwing for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the game.
Following a fumble by Titans running back Tony Pollard, the Commanders made it 21-0 on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to receiver Terry McLaurin.
Titans returner Jha'Quan Jackson then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and it was recovered by the Commanders, who made it 28-0 at the 10:59 mark of the second quarter on another Daniels to McLaurin touchdown pass, this one from four yards out.
The Titans got on the board with 23 seconds left before halftime on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Levis to Westbrook-Ikhine, which capped a nine-play, 64-yard drive, to make it 28-7 at the half.
The Titans tried to rally in the third quarter, but some missed opportunities in the red zone spoiled the effort, as the team settled for field goals instead of touchdowns.
A 41-yard field goal by kicker Nick Folk cut the lead to 28-10 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
The Titans then got a little closer on a 44-yard field goal by Folk, which made it 28-13 with 3:40 left in the third quarter.
But the Commanders surged back ahead 35-13 on a four-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to tight end Zach Ertz with 14:15 remaining.
The second touchdown pass from Levis to Westbrook-Ikhine, this one from 17 yards out with 7:07 remaining in the game, made it 35-19, before a seven-yard touchdown run by Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez with 3:31 left made it 42-19.
And, in the end, the mistakes from earlier in the game proved to be too much to overcome.
"I feel like we knew the formula," Westbrook-Ikhine said. "We just didn't start fast enough. We started way too late. … This is not what we expected, but we still have a lot in front of us, a lot of division games in front of us. It sucks, getting beat. We started way too late, and it's not a testament to who we are as a team."
The Titans return to action next Sunday against the Jaguars at Nissan Stadium.
The Tennessee Titans take on the Commanders in Week 13 at Northwest Stadium.
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByDonald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders compete at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo ByJessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
