What we learned from loss to the Colts

Mason Rudolph may have only taken one sack, but he was hit four times, and you can believe his three interceptions are the result of getting rid of the ball to avoid a sack. Will Levis’ interception problem may not have been entirely on Levis’ shoulders, and Brian Callahan needs to take a hard look at his offensive line. Even with the rotation at right tackle, the line isn’t getting better. There are only two games left this season, so we won’t see any real action taken yet, but Callahan better have a plan for finding better linemen during the offseason.

Tyjae Spears struggled early in the season and then was hampered with an injury. His rookie stats weren’t anything special as he shared the field with Derrick Henry, but as Tony Pollard has battled his own injury in recent weeks, Spears has really stepped up to the plate. And not just on the ground, either, Spears is pulling triple-duty as a return man, a receiver and a running back. And while he’s not accumulating serious stats to lead the league in any of these positions, he has become a huge key for the Titans. He has two touchdowns in each of the last two games, and five on the season. It’s just his second season, too, so who knows what his ceiling is.

A handful of special teams players are doing their jobs well this season: Morgan Cox, Nick Folk, Ryan Stonehouse and Tyjae Spears. Jha’Quan Jackson had an excellent start to his rookie season but struggled down the stretch. He has potential, though. Other than that, this entire special teams unit needs an overhaul, including getting rid of Colt Anderson. This unit is not good and hasn’t been good for weeks. Against the Colts, it was no different as the Titans allowed way too many return yards (127 on kicks) and couldn’t make a field goal.

Let’s be very clear: Tony Pollard is the starting running back for the Tennessee Titans. That is not up for debate going forward. However, the 2024 season is essentially over. Pollard hit the 1,000-yard mark with his 35 yards at the Colts this week, making it the third consecutive season he’s done that. It’s time for him to rest his foot/ankle injury and not risk injuring it further. Tyjae Spears has proven that he can get the job done when he’s on the field and Pollard is too good of an asset to risk a serious injury. His effectiveness has been limited the last few weeks, and now that he hit 1,017 yards, it’s time for him to rest.

The Titans’ defense has been the brightest spot on this team all season. Despite the continued losses, the defense has played relatively well and still ranks near the top of the league in most metrics. Against the Colts, it seemed like they completely forgot how to play for about two quarters when they had no answer for Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson. But they got it together at the end of the game and got some stops. They did this while playing through injury as T’Vondre Sweat, Kenneth Murray, and Otis Reese all left at some point in the game but managed to return. The personnel on the defensive side of the ball are solid and will continue to perform well going forward.