The Tennessee Titans once again started out strong and then hit a wall. The offense put together a couple of competent drives after the defense started out strong with a couple of early sacks against Lions quarterback Jared Goff. But then the Titans remembered who they are, and everything reverted back to what we’ve seen in weeks past.
It was an incredibly frustrating game to watch and there wasn’t a whole lot of positive to take away from this game for the Titans, but there are a few players who played better this week than they have all season. There are a few who fell off, and a few who did what they always do.
Here’s a quick look at the studs and duds (and studly duds) from Sunday’s loss.
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For all of his complaining and venting his frustrations this week, Calvin Ridley finally got his hands on the ball. He recorded a season-high 10 receptions for 143 yards. Although he didn’t record a touchdown and he fumbled the ball once, we’ll cut him some slack since he left the game with an injury and returned knowing the Titans had zero chance to win.
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At the end of the first quarter, when the Titans still looked like they might stay in the game, Mason Rudolph threw a touchdown pass to rookie Jha’Quan Jackson that was nullified by a holding penalty on guard Peter Skoronski. The Titans would go on to eventually score that touchdown, but a penalty changes momentum. He would commit another holding penalty later in the game as well.
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The one player who did his job better than anyone else on Sunday was punter Ryan Stonehouse. He punted six times for 296 yards, an average of just over 49 yards per punt. The Lions managed to return those for decent field position, but Stonehouse put the ball where he was supposed to put it.
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Two of the Titans’ three turnovers came on plays involving Chig Okonkwo. Mason Rudolph’s second interception was intended for Chig early in the second quarter when Kyle Joseph dipped in and grabbed it out of the air. Rudolph put the ball where it was supposed to go, but Okonkwo did not keep his body in front of the defender. The second turnover came early in the fourth quarter when Okonkwo did not catch a backward pass and it was recovered by the Lions. He was also dinged for offensive pass interference in the first quarter.
Not one of Okonkwo’s better outings, and a sure disappointment on National Tight End’s Day.
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In a surprise outing, linebacker Jack Gibbens led the defense on Sunday with eight tackles (four solo). Normally not a huge factor on the field, Gibbens took advantage of the hole left by Ernest Jones IV. The Titans will need him to keep playing at this level going forward.
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Kenneth Murray Jr. was one of the players impacted the most by the departure of Ernest Jones IV. Today was proof that Murray has either checked-out, or he needs a better sidekick on the field to be productive. Normally, Murray is at or near the top of the stat line for tackles. Today he recorded one tackle. Not nearly what we expect or are used to seeing from the linebacker.
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For the third game in a row, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine caught a touchdown pass. But, again, that’s about all he did. He had two catches on four targets for 39 yards. He needs to be more involved to become a full-on stud.
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- RB Tony Pollard
- RB Julius Chestnut
- TE Josh Whyle
- WR Jha’Quan Jackson
- S Quandre Diggs
- S Amani Hooker
- LB Arden Key
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- WR Tyler Boyd
- LB Jaylen Harrell
- LB Harold Landry III
- S Mike Brown
- LB Luke Gifford
- All special teams players save Ryan Stonehouse, Nick Folk, and Jha’Quan Jackson
