The Tennessee Titans lost to the Cincinnati Bengals for a third time in a row, and to put it lightly, it sucked.
The Bengals came out and beat the Titans at their own game with physicality at the line of scrimmage and a great game plan. The Bengals made more individual plays and came up with clutch conversions late.
And yet, I still feel like the Titans had plenty of chances to win that game. They were never entirely outmatched. When the games are tight like that and you lose, you go looking for answers; what happened?
Well, of course you can blame the defensive plan that consistently put the cornerbacks on an island, or the lack of pass rush. You can, of course, blame the run game that vanished, or the offensive line that got moved around all day.
And you would be justified because, hey, football is a team game, but none of those were the biggest issue. The biggest issue is clear: red zone offense.
The Titans scored zero touchdowns in three trips. What had previously been a strength for the Titans throughout the season suddenly became a weakness.
The Titans had a top-three red zone offense coming into the game, so to see the Titans go 0-3 in that area was not only frustrating, but it ultimately was the difference in the outcome.
So, we know WHAT happened — the Titans didn’t score in the red area — but now we ask: why?
As we always do, let’s dive into the film and see how it all went down…
Trip No. 1: 1st down
The Swaim Slant — you all know this one. First thing I want to say is, I love this play design.
The Bengals are running a 6-1 defensive formation against the Titans in multiple tight end sets and the interior is stacked. The Bengals paired that with man coverage on the back end.
So, using motion to identify coverage, creating a one-on-one situation in space, all good things. What isn’t good is using Geoff Swaim on this play. Chig Okonkwo, the most explosive tight end you have, needs to be running this play.
Now, two things we must point out: this pass is high from Tannehill and the play may not have gotten a ton of yards regardless.
With that being said, though, a more athletic player can reel that in, and if you get Chig one-on-one with a defensive back, who knows what happens.
Either way, running this as the first play in the red zone is ill-advised. A few yards would have been super useful.
Trip No. 1: 2nd down
Now it is second-and-10 and we know what Downing loves here: a run.
Against the Bengals’ 6-1, power runs with pullers are going to have a better chance to succeed than the Titans’ traditional zone runs. The Bengals knew the Titans wanted to counter with power runs, though, and switch to a four-man front.
Alas, Titans go power here with Dillon Radunz as the puller and Chig as a second puller. Two key things ruin this play:
1. Nicholas Petit-Frere and Nate Davis need to execute a double team on D.J. Reader to move him off his spot. Credit to Reader, he is not moved.
2. Radunz has to kick out the defensive end on the pull. The Bengals coaches had their DEs squeeze down at the snap to shrink that possible hole, and Hubbard does it beautifully. Radunz can’t execute the kick out and there is nowhere to run; third-and-10 now.
Trip No. 1: 3rd down
Third-and-long, Bengals’ 15-yard line.
As most teams do, the Bengals go man coverage. They pair it with an all-out, six-person pressure. The Titans smartly use a double post route concept. The protection holds up and the route concept has room to work.
In my opinion, the issue here is Robert Woods’ route. Woods needs to flatten this out and create separation by working more laterally. Instead, he continues upfield to the end zone out-of-bounds line, making it easy on the DB to stay in phase.
After the play, you can see Tannehill pointing towards the middle of the field. He may have been communicating to Woods what he was expecting him to do. Big missed opportunity to go up 7-0.
Trip No. 2: 2nd down
This is the drive right before halftime. Big opportunity for the Titans to not only take the lead at half, but double dip by scoring again on the opening possession of the second half.
They enter the red zone with around 30 seconds left. On first down, Hilliard catches a short pass for two yards. We pick it up on second-and-10, where Downing calls a nice route combination that has Austin Hooper on an out route to the sideline. Hooper drops it.
Now, this wouldn’t have been out of bounds and maybe if Hooper catches it the time runs out, but I am willing to say I think the Titans spike it with about eight seconds left and have a chance at the end zone before kicking. Either way, this made it a longer third down and a longer field goal. Big drop.
Trip No. 2: 3rd down
Third down is not on Tannehill, at least not in the way you think. Most folks were screaming on Sunday that Burks was open, but as you can see, the safety was right there on him.
Tannehill tried to drill it in to NWI on the curl — which gives me PTSD — and of course it is batted down.
If you want to critique Tannehill here, I think the right move is to go backside to the seam route with Hooper. Give your big tight end a chance in a one-on-one to go up and get it. Some will fight me on it, but I think a better QB does exactly that.
Tannehill wasn’t bad in this game, but he didn’t do anything special to elevate this team, either. Caleb Shudak missed the FG, but even if he makes it, Titans still lose.
Trip No. 3: 2nd down
This was the red zone trip that really broke the Titans’ back. Titans are down 13-10. You score a touchdown and take the lead and the game feels totally different.
The Titans hit a huge 50-yard bomb to Burks to set them up. The Titans run a power run similar to the one we saw on red zone trip No. 1, but they run it the other direction with Nate Davis replacing Radunz as the puller.
This is where I come back to Todd Downing: Todd, you just got five yards on first down with a power run and the zone run has not worked all day. What do you think Todd did? Went back to zone and Reader ATE IT ALIVE!
This play highlights the issue with Aaron Brewer. On this play his job is to make contact with Reader and allow Davis to “reach” Reader. That allows Aaron Brewer to then go block someone new.
Problem is, Brewer is small and not quite strong enough in his hands to get any movement on Reader. As a result, Davis can’t get to Reader and he pushes both of them into the backfield to lose yards.
In fairness to Brew, Reader is the best in the league at this.
Trip No. 3: 3rd down
The last play of the day is the saddest. The Titans put Robert Woods into the backfield and Dontrell Hilliard out at WR. They are trying to get Woods into a specific situation — it WORKS!
Woods comes out of the backfield and is wide open. Hollister pulls the outside cornerback up the field and there is a ton of room.
Tannehill, man, he just is too impatient. He goes through the progressions too quick and doesn’t realize how open Woods is about to be. Tannehill just can’t anticipate. He can’t throw guys open and see things before they happen. He is a see-it and throw-it quarterback.
Instead of hitting Woods for the designed walk-in touchdown, he hits Chig on the drag.
Now, this may have scored too because Chig is a baller, but Tannehill just puts way too much smoke on this for how close Chig is, like he panics and just throws it as hard as he can.
This is why “if it hits your hands, you should catch it” is generally absurd. This was a bad throw by Tannehill. He choked this play away.
This play is exactly why I said Tannehill doesn’t elevate the team. You think Joe Burrow or Pat Mahomes or Josh Allen are missing any of these?
Missing Hooper on the seam? Throwing high to Swaim? Maybe one, but you think they do all 3? Probably not. That is the difference between Tannehill and elite QBs.
Now, it isn’t all on Tannehill. Todd Downing made questionable calls, Hooper dropped a pass, Woods ran a bad route, the offense couldn’t run.
But that is the NFL right? When everything is going wrong and no one is making a play, your QB steps up in a big spot and finds a way. Too often in big games against good teams, Tannehill hasn’t done it.
So, let’s all hope everyone else starts to play better if the Titans want to win a playoff game this year.
