The Tennessee Titans suffered their fourth-straight loss in Week 15, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers, 17-14. As a result, the Titans find themselves either staying put or moving backwards in NFL power rankings once again.
We start with USA TODAY’s Nate Davis, who is one of the experts that has the Titans staying put, ranking them at No. 19. Here’s what he had to say about Tennessee.
19. Titans (19): They’ve lost four in a row for the first time under head coach Mike Vrabel. Five in a row could well cost them first place in AFC South.
The Titans winning the AFC South seemed like a foregone conclusion just weeks ago, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have made it a race and are sitting just one game out of the division lead.
If the Titans lose to the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the New York Jets, the Jags will be in first place, which would be disastrous for the Titans with just two games left after that.
Even if that doesn’t transpire, it feels like the Titans and Jaguars are on a crash course for a Week 18 win-and-in game, which would take place in Duval.
Now, the rest of our round-up.
Robert Zeglinski and Christian D'Andrea, For The Win: 15 (-2)
Robert Zeglinski and Christian D’Andrea, For The Win:
Tennessee had a 97 percent chance of winning the AFC South at Thanksgiving. That’s down to 55 percent thanks to a four-game losing streak and an offense that has little to offer beyond Derrick Henry.
An upcoming home game against the Texans offers a badly needed get-right opportunity. But losing in Week 17 to the Dallas Cowboys could make the season finale in Jacksonville a de facto playoff game — and these Titans have already lost to the Jags (by 14 points, at home).
Barry Werner, The List Wire: 16 (-2)
The Titans have managed to turn a waltz to the AFC South crown into a tight race because of the poor play in Los Angeles.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 14 (-1)
The Titans kept riding Derrick Henry offensively against the Chargers, but they were once again limited with other sources of scoring. Their loose grip on the AFC South may end with them falling out of the playoffs.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: 16 (-2)
The Titans were up four games on the Jaguars four weeks ago. Now the lead is down to one and that head-to-head loss at Tennessee in Week 14 is a pretty big deal now. The Titans don’t have a lot of offensive pop lately. The defense played better against the Chargers on Sunday but it wasn’t enough. Their season is slipping away fast.
Josh Schrock, NBC Sports: 19 (-4)
19. Tennessee Titans (7-7): We thought the Titans were the best team in a bad division. It turns out neither of those things is true.
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: 19 (-4)
The free fall continues. The Titans battled to the end on Sunday, but watched their losing streak balloon to four after a 17-14 setback to the Chargers at SoFi. The Titans, once in total control of the AFC South, are suddenly just one game up on the surging Jaguars with three to play. Ryan Tannehill gutted through Sunday’s action on a bad ankle, and poor line play continues to undermine an offense that makes every yard earned feel like a World War I trench battle. “The division is still there, but, personally, I could care less about that,” safety Kevin Byard said after the game. “It don’t look like we’re a team right now that’s going to beat anybody, so we’ve got to find a way to get back to work and beat Houston. That’s all we can really do at this point.” Eek.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 15 (-1)
Pleasant surprise: DL DeMarcus Walker
The Titans signed Walker in May and he worked his way into the defensive line rotation during training camp. The sixth-year veteran’s emergence has made him a complementary interior presence next to Jeffery Simmons. Mike Vrabel credited Walker for playing with a lot of energy and taking advantage of the snaps that he’s gotten. Walker has played 35% of the Titans’ defensive snaps, but is third on the team with a career-high 6.5 sacks. He also has career highs in quarterback hits (13) and tackles for a loss (8).
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 17 (-1)
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk:
17. Titans (7-7; No. 16): Suddenly, the 2021 coach of the year may not be on solid ground.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 13 (-2)
They are suddenly in a division race with the Jaguars. They need to turn this thing around quickly or the playoffs will be going bye-bye.
Bleacher Report: 15 (-4)
The Tennessee Titans are teetering. After losing in last-second fashion, they have dropped four straight and five of seven. Their lead in the AFC South has shriveled to one game. And as veteran safety Kevin Byard told reporters, the Titans don’t much look like a first-place team and certainly don’t look like Super Bowl contenders.
“The division is still there, but personally, I could care less about that,” Byard said. “It don’t look like we’re a team right now that’s going to beat anybody, so we’ve got to find a way to get back to work and beat Houston. That’s all we can really do at this point.”
Byard won’t get any argument from Sobleski—especially with quarterback Ryan Tannehill having reaggravated his ankle injury.
“The Titans are fading at the worst possible time,” he said. “The division title is no longer guaranteed, despite how weak the AFC South is. The Jaguars are only one game behind and have the head-to-head advantage. Tannehill is hurt. Derrick Henry’s effectiveness has been limited. Tennessee’s weapons on the outside are non-existent. The Titans’ final regular-season contest against the Jaguars looks like it’ll be a showdown for the division crown and accompanying playoff berth.”
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: 14 (-2)
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated:
We saw a gutsy performance by the Titans in a loss to the Chargers. They are managing to throw their weight around despite an offense that is primarily Derrick Henry– and tight-end-driven at this point. The bright side? Rookie fourth-round pick Chigoziem Okonkwo is an absolute wrecking ball.
Austin Gayle, The Ringer: 15 (-5)
The Titans’ playoff hopes are fading. They’re 2-5 in their last seven games, and their only wins in that stretch came against the lowly Broncos and struggling Packers. In fact, the only team with a winning record that the Titans have beaten this season is the Commanders, and Tennessee’s minus-38 point differential is the worst of any team currently .500 or better.
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: 17 (no change)
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic:
Lost to Chargers, 17-14, to fall to 7-7. This team has lost four straight to suddenly find itself clinging to a playoff berth.
Walter Football: 14 (no change)
The good news for the Titans is that their defense was much better this past week, limiting the Chargers to only 17 points. The bad news is that their dreadful offense produced just 14 points. Now 7-7, Tennessee is in danger of blowing a big lead in the division.
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network: 15 (-4)
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network:
The Tennessee Titans are a mess. They’ve lost four games in a row, and their offense looks completely inept heading into Week 16. The Jaguars are just a game out of first place in the division, and Tennessee faces the Jaguars in Week 18 after playing the Cowboys at home in Week 17.
The Titans’ passing attack is broken. Although Derrick Henry averaged five yards per carry and had over 100 yards, without the complementary passing efficiency, they’ll need superhuman performances from the running back to make the playoffs as AFC South champions.
