Category: Game Recap

Stock up, stock down for Titans going into Week 17

Shaun Calderon lists the Titans players who helped or hurt their stocks the most in Week 16.

The Tennessee Titans dropped another close contest in Week 16, losing to the Seattle Seahawks in a game that they probably should’ve won despite all of their notable absences.

Tennessee was without several notable names on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Will Levis, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, guard Daniel Brunskill and safety Amani Hooker, just to name a few.

These absences opened the door for several players to potentially take advantage of the opportunity to play more. Some of them seized the moment, while others showed why they’re better suited to be depth pieces and not full-time starters.

Also, there were a couple of the Titans’ standout players who bounced back in a big way following a dud of a performance in Week 15.

This article is going to highlight which players increased their stock after the loss to the Seahawks, and which players ended up lowering their stock the most. Let’s find out who they were in this week’s stock report.

Where Titans QB Ryan Tannehill ranked analytically in Week 16

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill had a massive drop-off in air yards per attempt as compared to QB Will Levis.

With rookie quarterback Will Levis out with an ankle injury, the Tennessee Titans were forced to give the reins back to veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill last Sunday.

This was the chance for Tannehill to not only prove that the Titans made the wrong decision by benching him, but a solid outing would’ve undoubtedly raised his stock heading into free agency this spring.

Unfortunately for him, he did neither of those things. In fact, you could argue that the complete opposite occurred, and the Titans got reassurance that they made the right choice while Tannehill’s personal stock plummeted further.

To say that the Texas A&M product had an uninspiring performance would be putting it mildly. This wasn’t the worst game of his season or anything of that nature, but it surely wasn’t anything to write home about, either.

Tannehill finished with 152 yards passing and made several unacceptable mistakes in the process for any quarterback, let alone a 12-year veteran.

Unsurprisingly, his numbers analytically reflect the underwhelming performance, with Tannehill ranking in the bottom half of the league in nearly every category, per RBSDM.

One of the most notable drop-offs came in air yards. One week after Levis led the NFL with 15.0 per attempt, Tannehill ranked near the bottom of the league, failing to crack even five air yards per attempt.

Because of this safe approach, his completion percentage ended up being among the best in the league for the week, but when a quarterback is only averaging a smidge more than four yards in the air on each pass, I would certainly hope he’s at least completing a high rate of throws.

Now, let’s take a look at where Tanne ranked at the conclusion of Week 16, which could very well be his last start in the two-tone blue.

Titans’ PFF grades and pass-rush, coverage, OL stats from Week 16

The Titans PFF grades and stats from Week 16.

With the Week 16 game now in the books, it’s time to take a look at the Tennessee Titans’ best Pro Football Focus grades, along with the coverage, pass-rush and offensive line stats from the loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Titans’ highest-graded player on either side of the ball was edge rusher Arden Key, who notched an 86.6 after tallying two pressures and one sack.

On offense, tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo was tops with a 78.3. Chig continued his bounce-back second half with a team-high 63 receiving yards and one touchdown on a pass from running back Derrick Henry.

Now, a look at the rest of the PFF stats from Week 16, via John Glennon of Nashville Post.

Analyzing Titans’ snap counts from Week 16 loss

A look at the Titans’ snap counts from their Week 16 loss to the Seahawks.

The Tennessee Titans entered their Week 16 game against the Seattle Seahawks without the services of several starters, and especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The list of missing starters included defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, safeties Amani Hooker and K’Von Wallace, linebacker Jack Gibbens and cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Kristian Fulton.

On offense, the Titans were without their starting quarterback, Will Levis, and right guard Daniel Brunskill.

So, how did the Titans fill their many voids on Christmas Eve? Find out now as we take a look at Tennessee’s snap counts from the Week 16 loss at the hands of the Seahawks.

Titans Week 16 report card: Grading each position group

Shaun Calderon gives his grades for the Titans’ position groups in Week 16.

The Tennessee Titans lost another close game at home in Week 16, this time to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 20-17.

While this was obviously another disappointing outcome, this was a much better overall showing than they had against the Houston Texans’ “B” team back in Week 15.

Tennessee’s position groups ended up finishing that week with six position groups that received a “D” or worse, with the highest grade going to the specialists who received the only above-average grade.

This week, things aren’t nearly as bad when it comes to the positional report card grades. There are a couple of below-average marks scattered around, but there’s also a handful of “C’s,” “B’s” and one “A”.

It was also a good bounce-back performance by the Titans’ ground game after a pathetic performance the week prior.

Having said all of that, let’s find out which position groups graded well, which graded poorly, and which groups were average, at best.

Biggest takeaways from Titans’ Week 16 loss to Seahawks

The biggest takeaways from the Titans’ Week 16 loss to the Seahawks.

Depending on how you look at it, Tennessee Titans fans either got coal in their stockings or a great present following the Week 16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Christmas Eve.

If you want the Titans to win, no matter the situation, you got coal. However, if you see the bigger picture in terms of Tennessee needing to improve its draft position, Sunday’s loss was a gift.

With the loss, the Titans fell to 5-10, tying the highest single-season loss total of the Mike Vrabel era. On the flip side, Tennessee managed to move up two spots in the 2024 NFL draft order, where they now sit at No. 7.

The Titans remain very much in striking distance for the No. 5 overall pick, and they could end up as high as No. 2 overall if everything goes perfectly from here on out.

Securing a top-five pick would almost certainly guarantee Tennessee leaves with one of the best players at their biggest positions of need, which are wide receiver and left tackle.

But we still have two weeks to go before Tennessee’s draft position is locked-in. For now, let’s take a look back at the biggest takeaways from the Week 16 defeat at the hands of the Seahawks.

2 truths, 1 overreaction following Titans’ 20-17 loss to Seahawks

Shaun Calderon takes a look at two truths and one overreaction following the Titans’ Week 16 loss.

The Tennessee Titans lost their third straight game at home, dropping the Week 16 contest to the Seattle Seahawks, 20-17.

Tennessee was in control for most of the game, but a late touchdown drive by Seattle, followed by a horrendous sequence of events from quarterback Ryan Tannehill, ended up putting the dagger in the Titans’ chances of pulling off the upset.

Truth be told, the most disappointing part about today was the fact that we didn’t get to watch rookie quarterback Will Levis play due to his ankle injury.

When you’re five games below .500, getting your young signal-caller reps and experience matters more than almost anything. When he doesn’t play, there really isn’t much to cheer for, unless you’re just someone who wants to see the team win meaningless games.

I’m not going to tell someone how to be a fan, but this article is going to discuss some truths that will argue how losing is better for this franchise’s long-term future.

I’ll also be discussing one narrative that is being drastically over-exaggerated by a section of the fanbase that is just looking for reasons to cope.

Let’s not waste anymore time and dive right into this week’s truths and overreactions article.

Titans’ winners and losers from Week 16 loss to Seahawks

The Titans’ winners and losers from Week 16.

The Tennessee Titans found a way to lose yet another close game in Week 16, dropping their contest against the Seattle Seahawks, 20-17.

The Titans put up more of a fight than expected, considering how short-handed they were — and especially on defense — but in the end they just weren’t good enough to win once again.

On the bright side, the Titans will almost certainly improve their draft spot, which was at No. 9 going into this game.

Tennessee could finish the week as high as No. 5, which would put them in range to grab one of the top left tackles in the 2024 draft.

Because a win was the best result for a Titans team that desperately needs the highest draft pick possible, you could label the “losers” as actual “winners” for helping Tennessee fall on Sunday.

But we’ll stay the course and use our traditional method. Here’s a look at the Titans’ winners and losers from Week 16.

What Titans said about Seahawks loss: ‘There are no moral victories’

What the Titans said about their Week 16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Tennessee Titans suffered yet another tough loss in Week 16, this time at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, 20-17.

Despite missing a ton of key players, the underdog Titans managed to play the Seahawks tough and nearly pulled off an upset, but they simply couldn’t make the stop down the stretch when they needed to.

While the game was closer than expected, head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t subscribing to the idea of a moral victory.

“There are no moral victories in life, there are no moral victories in professional football,” Vrabel said.

“I thank the staff, I thank the players, but we strive for much more than that. That’s plain and simple; that’s the mindset that we must have to get back out of this thing and find a way to win next week.”

If there’s one good thing to come out of this loss, it’s that the Titans will almost certainly improve their draft positioning from the No. 9 pick.

Now, a look at what else Vrabel and the Titans had to say.

Titans Twitter reacts to 20-17 loss to Seahawks

How Titans fans reacted to the Week 16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Tennessee Titans dropped another close contest, this time to the Seattle Seahawks, 20-17. After starting the year off undefeated at home, Tennessee has now dropped three straight contests inside Nissan Stadium.

The Titans drop to 5-10 on the year and are in prime position to land a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Tennessee could get as high as the top five with some help over the final few weeks of the regular season.

This was a game that the Titans probably should’ve won. They looked like the better team for the majority of the game, but in the end, they imploded, subsequently allowing the Seahawks to snatch a victory out of the jaws of defeat.

The funniest thing about today’s outcome is how a large majority of the fanbase wasn’t even upset about the end result, largely due to the fact that losing will help this team secure a premium draft pick next April.

Scroll down below to see some of the reactions following today’s three-point loss to the Seahawks.