NASHVILLE – The Titans lost 30-14 to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at six things that stood out from the contest.
Poor Pass Protection
I'll write about quarterback Will Levis in the next paragraph, but I'm starting out with the fact he was under siege most of the game on Sunday. Levis was sacked eight times by the Packers on a day when he didn't have a whole lot of time to throw. Sure, it looked like Levis could have gotten rid of the ball sooner on some of the plays, but the overall protection failed him on Sunday. Nicholas Petit-Frere allowed his man to get by him and sack Levis, which resulted in a fumble – and a turnover – in the third quarter, just when it appeared the Titans might get back in it. Petit-Frere was benched in favor of Jaelyn Duncan at right tackle. We'll see what the team does moving forward at the position. This much is certain: If the Titans can't protect their quarterback any better than they did on Sunday, it's going to be a long season. Levis has now been sacked 15 times in three games.
Levis Turnovers
Levis and the Titans continue to make things easier for their opponents. Levis turned the ball over three times on Sunday, and he's now turned the ball over eight times (five interceptions, three fumbles) in three games this season. His pick-6 on Sunday was his second pick-6 of the season. The eight turnovers by Levis are the most by any QB through his team's first three games. Levis had some good moments on Sunday – his opening drive was a beauty, and he guided another nice drive in the third quarter. On the day, he was 26-of-34 for 260 yards with two touchdowns and a 92.8 rating. But the good was overshadowed by the turnovers, and him getting sacked, so it's hard to get very excited.
Third-Down Defense, Poor Tackling
Look at the final numbers and Tennessee's third-down defense doesn't look so bad – the Packers were 5-of-14 in the game (35.7 %), and that's not terrible. But that's also a little misleading, because when the Packers took control of the game early, they were converting third downs (and some long ones), while surging ahead and never looking back. The Packers converted 5-of-8 (62.5 %) on third down in the first half, with long runs and throws by quarterback Malik Willis. When the Titans needed stops early to change the momentum, they couldn't get them. It was all part of a frustrating day for the Tennessee defense, which also didn't tackle very well.
DeAndre Hopkins Impact
I feel like I need to at least mention something positive in this space, so I'll give receiver DeAndre Hopkins a shout-out. After being limited in the team's first two contests, Hopkins played more against the Packers, and he performed well. Hopkins made a contested catch near the goal line on his 11-yard touchdown grab, and at one point it seemed like every big play was being made by him. Hopkins was targeted seven times in the contest, and he caught six passes for 73 yards. Unfortunately for the Titans, there weren't many plays being made around him.
Simmons Penalty
Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons was flagged for another costly penalty on Sunday, and it ended up costing the team a touchdown. It happened in the third quarter, when Packers kicker Brayden Narveson misfired on a 46-yard field goal. On the play, however, Simmons was whistled for defensive holding. It resulted in the Packers getting a first down, and two plays later Willis connected with Emanuel Wilson for a 30-yard touchdown. So, instead of the Titans trailing 20-7 midway through the third quarter with the ball at their own 36, they found themselves down 27-7. It was too big of a hole to climb out of.
Malik Willis Success
If I'm doing a six things that stood out from the game, I have to mention Malik Willis in here, and how he performed against the Titans. Willis, traded to the Packers last month, completed 13-of-19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown in the contest, while also running for 73 yards on six carries and a score. Willis frustrated the Titans with some of his runs, and he hurt them with some of his accurate throws. There were a lot of frustrating things for the Titans in Sunday's game against the Packers. Being unable to stop a guy the team knows so well has to rank among the top of the team's frustrations coming off the third loss of the season.
