The Tennessee Titans are sleep-walking their way through the 2022 season on offense, but that hasn’t stopped them from winning games lately.
Tennessee saw another brutal performance from its offense in Week 7, but the defense, which has been elite to say the least, once again saved the day, giving the Titans a 19-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Through all of the issues, the Titans are in first place in the AFC South and now have stranglehold on the division after sweeping the Colts for a second straight season.
However, this offense must pick things up if the Titans are going to make noise should they make the playoffs. It remains to be seen if this unit is capable of that, though.
The subject of the offense is just one of the six takeaways we’ll talk about after the Titans’ crucial Week 7 victory over the Colts at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sunday.
Offense still stinks
The Titans keep winning, but their offense still stinks.
Tennessee’s unit wasn’t able to get much going in Week 7, as the passing attack struggled and Derrick Henry had to fight for every single yard.
While the pass protection was sufficient, Tannehill struggled with his throws and it didn’t help that his wide receivers weren’t getting much separation. In fact, the two pass-catchers who had the best average separation were not the guys you’d expect: tight end Austin Hooper and wide receiver Cody Hollister.
Adding to that, offensive coordinator Todd Downing made a questionable play call late in the game when he ran a reverse to Malik Willis that was fumbled, leading to a turnover and points for Indianapolis.
The good news is the Titans actually scored second-half points, and for the first time all season they scored in the fourth quarter, but it was still only six points and the defense was wholly responsible for at least 10 of the 19 points Tennessee scored overall.
The Titans not only desperately need Treylon Burks back, but this team also needs to make a move at wide receiver on top of getting the rookie back, and adding a starting-caliber left tackle wouldn’t hurt, either.
If Tennessee keeps it status quo the rest of the way, this team has no chance of making noise in the postseason, assuming the Titans get there in the first place.
Ryan Tannehill is hurt
As if the Titans needed anymore injury concerns, they now have one with their starting quarterback.
Tannehill suffered an apparent ankle injury on Sunday, and while we wish we could make an excuse and say his poor performance was a result of that, the injury came in the fourth quarter.
The veteran quarterback was replaced by Malik Willis for one play but was able to come back in and finish the game. However, he was clearly hobbled and was wearing a walking boot after the contest.
“[The ankle] doesn’t feel great,” Tannehill admitted. “I had to battle through it there at the end. Sometimes that comes with the territory, right? I’m going to be out there if I can at all possible. I’m going to do everything I can this week to get it right and feeling best I can for Sunday.”
Now, Tannehill is in danger of missing his first game as a Titan, which is insane to think about when you consider the abuse he’s taken over the years behind shoddy offensive lines.
We may get to see Willis’ first NFL start sooner than we thought, but perhaps Tannehill can get right before Week 8.
Bud Dupree is a major difference-maker
Dupree has taken a lot of slack over the last season-plus. Injury has no doubt riddled his tenure in Tennessee thus far, which is only made worse by the fact that the Titans are paying him a ton of money.
But Dupree reminded everyone in Week 7 why the Titans paid him that money.
The veteran pass-rusher tallied one sack, but two of his pressures forced Matt Ryan into errant throws and interceptions. One of them was returned for six, while the other led to a field goal.
Even when he doesn’t notch a sack, Dupree’s ability to create pressure off the edge makes everyone’s jobs easier. The Titans need Dupree to stay healthy because their defense is simply better when he’s on the field.
More three-safety looks, please
The Titans decided to change things up in the secondary in Week 7 by putting Amani Hooker in the slot and starting Andrew Adams at safety, which also allowed Roger McCreary to stay on the outside.
The move paid off big time, as not only did Tennessee’s secondary look much better than it has all season long — and more specifically in Week 4 against the Colts — but Adams came up with a huge interception for a touchdown that changed the course of the game.
The Titans have been looking for answers in the slot with Elijah Molden out, as Caleb Farley and Terrance Mitchell have been terrible. It appears they’ve found a solution, and it’s one they need to stick with until Molden returns.
Shoutout to the defense... again
Another week, another game in which the defense bailed the offense out.
Tennessee’s unit was sensational once again and might have played its best game of the 2022 campaign thus far. Indy’s rushing attack was shut down again, and this time around the Titans limited the Colts’ passing attack.
The defense also notched three turnovers, two of which were turned into points, while the other sealed the victory for Tennessee late in the fourth quarter.
The Titans could very well be winless without the unbelievable effort from the defense this season. And, with no improvement from the offense in sight, it’s clear this team will only go as far as the defense will take it.
Titans control their own destiny
With the win over the Colts, the Titans wrapped up the head-to-head tie-breaker over their only threat for the AFC South crown, which means Indianapolis must finish with a better record to win the division.
Earlier in the season it looked like the Jaguars might give both the Titans and Colts a run for their money in the division, but Jacksonville has begun reverting back to the same old Jaguars recently.
And the Texans? Well, they’re still the Texans.
Things haven’t been great by any stretch for Tennessee, but the Titans are now in control of their own destiny for a playoff spot, and that’s really all we can ask for with everything that has transpired thus far in 2022.
