The Tennessee Titans are sitting at 0-4 for a second straight season, and Coach Robert Saleh is still preaching that his team will be “good, really good.” The painful truth is those self-inflicted mistakes won’t stop, obscuring any glimpse of the improvement Saleh insists he sees. How many more brutal losses can this team take before something changes?
This isn’t “Not Losing,” This is Losing Badly
Saleh put it bluntly on Monday: “You’ve got to learn how not to lose a football game before you can start winning.” Right now, the Titans are masters of losing. Their 24-18 road loss to Baltimore wasn’t even that close. They handed the Ravens 10 points on two turnovers. And get this: for a second straight game, they had a first-and-goal that netted exactly zero points. Last week, it was Cam Ward getting picked off in the end zone to seal a loss to the Giants. Against Baltimore, they turned it over on downs in the second quarter. The Ravens promptly marched 98 yards for a touchdown, a brutal 14-point swing. Saleh knows it, too. “More often than not, we’re getting into scoring position and we’re coming away with nothing,” he said, “And when that happens, it’s always going to look a little lopsided.” No kidding.
Defense Is Holding On, Offense Is Sinking
It’s a tale of two teams out there. The defense? They’re trying their absolute best to keep this team in games. They’re tied for ninth in the league, giving up 20.8 points a game, despite being on the field longer than any other defense in the NFL. They stifled Baltimore, holding them to just 2 of 10 on third downs, and now rank 10th in the league with a 35.8% third down efficiency. Jermaine Johnson even sacked Lamar Jackson, knocking the Ravens quarterback out of the game, and the defense kept Baltimore out of the end zone in the entire second half. All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons had a quiet day because the Ravens were putting four hands on him every snap, leaving other Titans with 1-on-1 chances that Saleh says they need to be better on.
Then there’s the offense. Yeah. They actually had 14 first downs in the first half against Baltimore, their best first-half total since way back on November 24, 2004, against Houston. But that’s a fleeting bright spot when you remember they only managed one first down before halftime against the Giants. They just can’t score points, ranking ahead of only Miami at a miserable 13.8 points a game. And yards? Forget about it. They’re dead last in the league, averaging only 261.3 yards a game. That’s just not going to cut it.
Rookie Flash, Veteran Fade: Who’s Stepping Up?
Let’s talk players. Rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate had himself a day against Baltimore, pulling in 145 yards receiving. That’s the best by a Titans receiver since A.J. Brown put up 145 yards in 2021. Tate caught nine of the 12 passes thrown his way and busted out the Titans’ longest play with a 33-yard reception. He’s leading the team by a mile with 268 receiving yards, which puts him 15th in the entire NFL. The problem? He fumbled, setting up a Baltimore field goal. Brutal.
On the other side, veteran running back Tony Pollard found the end zone with a touchdown run. But that’s about all the good news. A pass went right off his hands for an interception on the Titans’ second possession, and that mistake led to a Baltimore touchdown. Plus, he averaged a measly 3 yards a carry.
Saleh keeps saying “Eventually this team’s going to become really good,” and that “I know it’s been a painful process in the interim, but this team’s going to be good. I believe it.” The belief is there, but the results? That’s what the Titans need to deliver. They’ve got to stop giving away games with these mistakes if they ever want to turn that belief into reality.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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