The Tennessee Titans are FINALLY in the win column in 2022 after beating the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, 24-22.
Tennessee got off to a red-hot start on offense, scoring a touchdown on their first offensive drive for the third time this season, and they found pay dirt on each of their first three drives, ultimately staking themselves to a 24-10 halftime lead.
However, things unraveled for the Titans’ offense after that, which allowed the Raiders to claw their way back into the game. Tennessee failed to score a single second-half point for the second straight contest.
Thankfully, the defense, which was bend-but-don’t-break all game long, was able to make the first-half lead stand up. The Raiders had an opportunity to tie the game late, but Tennessee’s defense made a stop on the two-point conversion to secure the win.
Now, let’s dive a bit deeper into the details to see how the Titans pulled off their first win of the 2022 campaign against the Raiders.
Final score: Titans 24, Raiders 22
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| LVR | 3 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 22 |
| TEN | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
It was over when...
Titans linebacker Dylan Cole and safety Kevin Byard both got a piece of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s pass on a two-point conversion, leading to an incompletion and a Titans win.
Injuries
–LB Zach Cunningham (elbow): Cunningham suffered the injury in the third quarter and was listed as questionable but he didn’t return.
–DL Denico Autry (hand): Autry suffered the injury in the third quarter but managed to return to the game.
–CB Kristian Fulton (leg): The injury happened on the final drive of the game so there really wasn’t time for an update.
Titans' top performers
–QB Ryan Tannehill: 19-27, 264 yards, TD, INT; 4 carries, 2 yards, TD
–RB Derrick Henry: 20 carries, 85 yards, TD; 5 catches, 58 yards
–WR Robert Woods: 4 catches, 85 yards
–OLB Rashad Weaver: 2 tackles, 1 sack
–CB Roger McCreary: 10 tackles, 1 PD
–CB Kristian Fulton: 6 tackles (two for loss), 1 PD
Instant analysis: Offense and special teams
-The Titans had more yards of total offense in the first half (275) than they did in all of Week 2 (187). Unfortunately, things grinded to a halt in the second half, as Tennessee notched just 86 total yards in the final two quarters.
-It was a tale of two halves for Tannehill, who was very sharp in the first half but struggled in the second. His interception in the third quarter was about as ugly as they come. Still, Tannehill did enough on this day to get the Titans a win.
-Not only did Henry have his best game of the season, he looked quicker and stronger than he had the past two games and had the best blocking he’s had all season. The Titans also utilized him heavily in the passing game, and it paid off with The King ripping off a few chunk plays through the air.
-The offensive line was night and day from where it was last week. The fact that Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones had just one sack combined says a lot about its performance, especially at left and right tackle. Tannehill not only didn’t face much pressure, he actually had time to look downfield.
-Run-blocking was much better, also, but Henry is still getting hit behind the line of scrimmage far too often. That doesn’t take away from the fact that the O-line’s performance was very encouraging.
-Keeping with the theme of a season-best performance, Woods had exactly that. The veteran led all Titans receivers in yards and even ripped off a 41-yard reception. Woods appears to have improved his chemistry with Tannehill, which is great news because the Titans desperately need the veteran to step up in 2022.
-Tennessee must do a better job of playing a complete game. The Titans have scored just seven points in the second half this season and played not to lose rather than staying aggressive on Sunday. Todd Downing needs to keep his foot on the pedal moving forward.
-Tennessee scored a touchdown on all three of their red zone trips and were 5-for-10 on third downs.
-Hassan Haskins handled kick returns and had a great one on his second attempt but it was called back because of holding. He later had a 29-yard return. Haskins deserves another look next week.
-Robert Woods handled punt returns and ripped off a 21-yarder near the end of the half that helped the Titans get a field goal. We don’t love the idea of an important player like Woods returning, but he should get another look next week.
-Ryan Stonehouse’s leg continues to be a weapon, with his ability to flip the field on full display once again. He averaged 60.3 yards per punt and had longs of 70 and 57, as well as two that landed inside the 20.
Instant analysis: Defense
-Recently-acquired CB Terrance Mitchell was playing ahead of Caleb Farley in this game, which tells you how bad the situation with Farley is. In case you were wondering, Mitchell was terrible, as he gave up some big plays and a late touchdown. Farley would eventually see the field after Kristian Fulton was hurt in the fourth quarter.
-Tennessee’s defense let up too many chunk plays but was able to limit the damage by holding the Raiders to 2-of-6 in the red zone and an astounding 1-of-12 on third downs. Las Vegas did convert all three of their fourth-down attempts, though.
-The Titans only had one sack but got decent pressure during the game considering their injuries at EDGE. Weaver was responsible for the one sack, which was his third of 2022, and he had a few pressures and QB hits.
-Tennessee’s secondary wasn’t great by any stretch and made Mack Hollins look like a Hall of Famer, but the unit didn’t break and made some big plays when it needed to. Roger McCreary and Kristian Fulton were excellent in this game, both as tacklers and in coverage. Holding Davante Adams to just 36 yards was a major accomplishment.
-The run defense continues to have issues after giving up 5.1 yards per carry. However, the unit avoided giving up big plays and forced Las Vegas to earn every yard.
What's next?
It wasn’t pretty on Sunday but a win is a win and Titans (1-2) fans will certainly take it. Up next for Tennessee is a huge divisional matchup against the Colts (1-1-1) in Indianapolis. The Colts won their game over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, 20-17.
