Titans vs. Broncos: Takeaways from Tennessee's 51-28 Loss to Denver
The Tennessee Titans went up to Denver to face a familiar foe in former longtime Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
They started strong and actually had a lead on Denver until three minutes into the fourth quarter, when the Broncos took a lead they would never relinquish.
Manning picked the Titans apart, throwing for 397 yards and four touchdowns on the way to an 11th win.
So now, an eighth loss puts the Titans officially out of the race for the division crown and makes a winning season impossible.
Here are some takeaways from the defeat.
1. Justin Hunter Is an Emerging Playmaker
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Kendall Wright has been the best receiver on the team this season, but Justin Hunter may end up being better. Both Wright and Hunter are fast, but Hunter has six inches on Wright, which makes things a lot easier for him.
Needless to say, Hunter had a big game against the Broncos. With only four catches, Hunter had 114 receiving yards and a touchdown. Not bad.
Hunter's hands also seem to be improving steadily. Dropped passes were a big problem among Titans receivers earlier in the season, so it's good to see that problem starting to disappear for Hunter.
He's going to be a go-to guy in Tennessee for a long time.
2. The Titans Can't Win with the Run Alone
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The Titans are a team that's designed to run the ball a lot. However, you can't always run the ball. The game against Denver was a great indicator of that.
Chris Johnson only had 12 carries against the Broncos. Shonn Greene didn't fare any better with nine carries, and the only other run was a four-yard carry to convert on fourth down by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
As much as they would've liked to run the ball more, when you're playing from behind, you can't run the ball all that much, and the Titans were behind for almost the entire second half.
Of course, being behind doesn't mean Fitzpatrick needs to try for 20-yard passes every throw either.
The Titans' offensive coaches need to figure out what works for Fitzpatrick the way they did with Jake Locker. They're different players, and they do different things well. And as much as the Titans would like to rely on the run, there will be times when Fitzpatrick has to be the bulk of the offense.
They need to know how to operate their offense when running isn't an option.
3. The Defense Is Still Vulnerable Against the Run
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The Titans pass defense has been excellent this season overall. Now the Broncos game was a bit of a deviation, but when you're playing against Peyton Manning, that will happen.
There was little pressure on Manning, but other than that, the pass defense was pretty good. Manning put on a clinic against the Titans and picked them apart, despite a good effort.
What worries me is the run defense. The Broncos aren't a power running team, but they still managed 155 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns between Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball on 29 carries.
The interior defensive line usually generates a great pass rush, but it's been fairly weak against the run. I doubt it's from a lack of talent at the defensive tackle position, so the Titans need to figure out what they're doing wrong against the run and fix it.
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4. The Titans Are on the Verge
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The worst thing for me about this game was watching a team that was the first to lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars, then the worst team in the NFL, play pretty close with the Broncos, perhaps the best team in the NFL, for most of the game.
What that tells me is that the Titans are a team that is on the verge of being very good, but they just aren't there yet.
Now a healthy Jake Locker might have put them over the edge this season, but at this point, it's starting to look like getting 16 games out of Locker won't happen.
Quarterback isn't the only hole, though. The Titans need an upgrade at middle linebacker, and the offensive line has to play better, but quarterback, being the most important position on the team, is obviously the big need.
Chances are that a new regime will be in Tennessee for 2014, and it'll probably want a quarterback of its own. If it can get one to play well and stay healthy, the Titans can be a playoff team.
5. Gutsier Play-Calling Will Be a Staple for the Rest of the Season
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It may be too little, too late, but you can expect that, so long as the Titans aren't mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, Mike Munchak will continue to make more aggressive decisions.
Both the Titans and the Broncos went for it on fourth down. Both squads made two attempts to convert on fourth and succeeded both times.
Remember, it is technically possible that an 8-8 Titans squad could get a wild-card berth with the tiebreakers that they control. And as long as the possibility exists that winning out could get the Titans in, Munchak will continue to make those aggressive calls.
6. A Reliable Kick Returner Helps a Lot
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Last week, I suggested that Leon Washington might finally be the kick returner the Titans were looking for all season. After the Broncos game, I'm certain he is.
In five kick returns, Washington managed 209 total return yards. Of course, a lot of those yards came on one return, but even discounting it, Washington had a great game.
The field position clearly helped, because the Titans put up 28 points on a pretty good Denver defense. That isn't a ton of points, but it's the second-highest-scoring game for the Titans this season.
Going forward, the offense ought to be a lot more reliable as long as Washington remains so.
7. The Titans Ought to Start Thinking About Extending Some Free Agents
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The easiest way to keep a player on your team is to negotiate an extension of his current contract. Otherwise, you end up competing with every other team that wants that player.
The Titans are about to see some important players hit the market. This offseason, Ropati Pitoitua, Alterraun Verner and Bernard Pollard will all be free agents, and since all three have been important cogs in the defense, replacing all of them will be tough.
Verner will probably get a lot of big-time offers after the season he's had, so he should be the priority. However, Pitoitua and Pollard have been solid players most of the season, and they'll certainly be cheaper to retain than Verner will be.
Either way, the Titans don't have the picks to replace a starting corner, defensive end and strong safety in the draft, and they know what those players bring to the table. If they can lock one or two up before they hit the open market, it'd make their offseason a lot easier.
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