NASHVILLE – The Titans lost 20-17 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at six things that stood out from the contest:
Tannehill's Day
Ryan Tannehill started at quarterback in place of an injured Will Levis, and he nearly guided the team to victory. Tannehill threw for 152 yards while also running for 37 more on a pair of scrambles. Tannehill guided a 15-play, 75-yard drive late that gave the Titans the lead. But after the Seahawks reclaimed the lead, the Titans got the ball back, and they couldn't get in position to answer back. Tannehill was sacked six times in the game, including two sacks in the final series when Tannehill said the offense was trying to make plays downfield with long-developing routes. "I definitely had to get back in the flow a little bit," Tannehill said. "But it felt good to be back out there. I felt like once we settled in a little bit, it felt good." What doesn't feel good: Titans quarterbacks have now been sacked 56 times in 15 games this season.
Running Game
A week after being stifled in the run game, the Titans were much more effective running the football on Sunday. Running back Derrick Henry ran for 88 yards on 19 carries, a 4.6-yard average, and Tyjae Spears carried the ball nine times for 40 yards. Throw in Tannehill's rushing yards and the Titans racked up 162 yards on the ground against the Seahawks. "The line did a great job being physical," Henry said. "The guys blocked, and I just made my reads, and tried to make something out of it."
Tre Avery's Tough Day
Titans cornerback Tre Avery was victimized several times down the stretch while in coverage. It was Avery who was flagged for defensive pass interference on Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf at the five-yard line, and it was also Avery in coverage on Seattle's last-minute touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Avery was in coverage on Geno Smith's 11-yard touchdown pass to Metcalf. "It's definitely tough; we work hard," Avery said after the game. "There's some plays we want back, that we wish we could get back. It's definitely the worst feeling."
Penalties
Titans Coach Mike Vrabel calls it "dumb (stuff) that hurts the team." On Sunday, the Titans failed to make plays when it mattered most, but they also made things harder on themselves with penalties. Linebacker Garret Wallow, defensive back Mike Brown and defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson all picked up 15-yard personal foul penalties for roughing. On the day, the Titans were flagged 10 times for 97 yards. The Titans aren't good enough to help the opponent, which they did on Sunday.
Young Peyton Manning
Derrick Henry likes to refer to himself as a "young Peyton Manning." It started after Henry first started getting opportunities to throw the football. Well, Henry got another chance on Sunday, and his success continued. Henry threw a career-long 14-yard touchdown toss to tight end Chig Okonkwo to give the Titans a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. In his career, Henry has now completed 7-of-9 passes for four touchdowns. "It was exactly how we practiced it," Okonkwo said. "Derrick put it out there, and it was a touchdown."
Another Close Loss
With Sunday's loss, the Titans have now lost seven games by single digits, including five losses by four points or less. The team has lost three consecutive games (with a win over Miami sandwiched in between) by three points, and two of those loss came in overtime. A play here or there in each game, and the Titans could be on a five-game winning streak. Instead these Titans are 5-10. The frustration can be seen on the faces of coaches, and players. "It's no longer draining, because we've been doing it all year," edge rusher Arden Key said. "We have to find a way to be better. There's no such thing as moral victories. You either win or you lose, and we lost."
