NASHVILLE – The Titans lost to the Patriots 36-13 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
On Monday, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel talked reporters at Saint Thomas Sports Park.
Here's a look at the hot topics from the presser, as the Titans enter their bye week.
The Titans will return to action on Sunday, December 12 against the Jaguars at Nissan Stadium.
-Vrabel said he believes the Titans can get healthier during the bye week, "and it's needed just from an injury standpoint." Vrabel said the players will work on conditioning and do some lifting over the next few days before having the weekend off. "It doesn't look like we're playing with the same sort of speed that we had a few weeks ago," Vrabel said. "So, I'm very hopeful (the bye) will help us and that everybody will get ready to get back to work for Jacksonville."
-The Titans currently have 17 players on Injured Reserve. All of the team's inactive players on Sunday were unavailable because of injuries. Through 12 games, the Titans have now used 86 total players this season, the most of any team in the NFL in any season since at least 1993. Since 1993, the previous record number of participants in a season was 84 by the 2019 Dolphins and the 2020 49ers. Vrabel isn't blaming the ailments on the team's strength and conditioning staff, or the training staff. "I have the utmost confidence in Frank (Piraino) and Brian Bell and Mondray (Gee)," Vrabel said of the team's strength and conditioning staff. "And our training staff, (Director of Sports Medicine) Todd (Toriscelli). … I have never suffered an injury – and I don't like to refer back to when I was playing – but I will in this instance. I never suffered an injury and said: "That damn strength coach." I never said, "That trainer sucks." I know that that is not the case. Some of these things are unfortunate, some of these injuries are just a part of football. And there is a large responsibility on the player to make sure they are doing everything that they can to stay on top of things, the programs that we have them do. … And some of it is just unfortunate that guys get injured out there playing."
-Running back Derrick Henry has been coming to Saint Thomas Sports Park in recent weeks rehabbing following foot surgery, Vrabel said. "He's on an Injured Reserve program," Vrabel said of Henry. "So, he comes in … and starts treatment (when other players are in meetings). … He is around, he is around the guys. I see him in the training room, and he is working hard to do everything he can to get back."
-The Titans signed veteran receiver Golden Tate to the team's practice squad last week, but he was not activated for Sunday's game. Vrabel said Tate needs more time and he thinks he'll be in a position to help after the bye. "That's a tough task, to come in here and grasp enough of the game plan and what we are doing," Vrabel said. "I know he is working hard to learn what it is we're doing, and we'll see where he is on Monday. But I know he has lot into studying in the few days he's been here, and we'll see if he can help us."
-Vrabel said the interceptions, critical mistakes, penalties and fumbles can't continue to happen if the team is going to be successful. The Titans fumbled three times on Sunday against the Patriots, when they committed four turnovers in all. The Titans have turned the ball over nine times in the past two games. "There's just a lot of things in all three phases they just is not going to be good enough to win," Vrabel said.
-Vrabel said the injured Titans will remain in Nashville to get treatment at Saint Thomas Sports Park during the bye week. "I think this is a good time for everybody to do what's best for them," Vrabel said. "Obviously the ones that have to be here will be here, to try and focus on some mental recovery and some physical recovery."
-Vrabel said Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has thrown 14 touchdowns vs 13 interceptions this season, needs to play better, but he said he's not alone. "Ryan has to be better," Vrabel said, "but I think everybody has to be better around him," from protection to receivers getting open. "We do have to be better throwing the football," Vrabel said. "But it is not just one guy."
