Falcons vs. Titans: Grades, Notes and Quotes
Another heartbreaking defeat for the Tennessee Titans has sent them to 1-5 following a 10-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
It was a huge surprise to see this game end as a defensive battle. Both teams struggled to cash in on drives, but the Falcons made one critical touchdown drive in the third quarter that the Titans couldn't overcome.
You certainly can't blame the Titans defense for this defeat, as it held the Falcons to just 10 points.
The door was wide open all day for the Titans to take control of the game, but they never took advantage. A late interception by Zach Mettenberger iced the game for the Falcons.
Now the Titans have to go on a two-game road trip that starts in Houston after losing their first four home games of the season.
Position Grades for Titans
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | C |
| RB | B+ |
| WR | C+ |
| TE | C |
| OL | C+ |
| DL | B- |
| LB | B+ |
| DB | B- |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | C+ |
A very average performance is what you see out of these game grades. Unfortunately, average wasn't enough to beat a Falcons team that was coming in at 5-1.
The Titans were facing some serious depth concerns all over the roster, and it started with Marcus Mariota missing his first start of his young career.
Mettenberger came into tough circumstances and managed the game well for the most part. He was inaccurate on several throws, which contributed to some stalled drives. Some of that can probably be contributed to nerves.
A late interception on the final drive to try to tie the game showed why Mettenberger is still a backup quarterback. He made an ill-advised throw with his team around 10 yards away from attempting the game-tying field goal.
His other interception came at a crucial time to close out the first half. The Titans were in great shape to possibly go up 14-3, but an interception under pressure kept the Titans from getting any points. An apparent facemask call was missed by the officials on this play, which could've played a factor in Mettenberger throwing that pick.
Overall, Mettenberger put his team in position to win until the end. It still wasn't enough, and you can't help but wonder if Mariota could've managed more points against this Falcons defense.
The Titans established a reliable power run game with Antonio Andrews in the first half. They didn't go back to it nearly enough.
Andrews averaged just under six yards per carry but only got 10 rushing attempts. He even seemed frustrated at times when being taken out after a big run.
It was also another inspired outing by Dexter McCluster. He was valuable as a safety valve for Mettenberger in the passing game.
We didn't see any of Bishop Sankey other than on special teams.
The offensive line has become a major area of concern but was finally up against a pass rush that was manageable. Its blocking was solid for most of the day, but it did allow some pressure on Mettenberger late in the game.
Even after the loss, you can't help but be impressed with the overall defensive effort. It was another strong showing from the Titans linebackers, most notably in coverage. They forced Matt Ryan to make some throws into tight windows.
The secondary was thin with Perrish Cox not being able to suit up. It even forced rookie Cody Riggs to get a lot of playing time, and he played well.
This loss is certainly not on the back of the defense. It even managed to keep Julio Jones from completely taking over the game.
Another reason this game was kept so close was due to the effectiveness of Brett Kern. Punters get overlooked all of the time, but he consistently gave the Falcons a long field to drive.
It was an average day for a coaching staff that can't afford any more average. This team is quickly going down the same road it went down last season, and Ken Whisenhunt is now 3-19 as Titans head coach.
Mettenberger's Performance
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It's difficult to pinpoint Mettenberger's outing against the Falcons. He definitely walked into tough circumstances but did do a decent job at managing the game early on.
Mettenberger finished with 187 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He did this with just three wide receivers at his disposal, as Harry Douglas missed the game due to injury.
The interception just before halftime came when a Falcons defender was grasping his facemask. It was clearly a missed call and kept the Titans from at least attempting a chip-shot field goal.
It would've been unrealistic to think Mettenberger was going to come in and put up lights-out numbers and carry the Titans to victory. He did what he had to do as a backup quarterback to put his team into position to win at the end.
There were a few throws that were inaccurate, and a lot of that was probably due to nerves. It's difficult coming into a situation when you've seemingly been replaced by another quarterback for the future.
In the end, Mettenberger looked very similar to what we saw out of him last season. He's always capable of making impressive throws, but his decision-making was his ultimate undoing. Until he shows he can win close games like this one, he'll continue to just be an everyday backup quarterback.
Titans Battled a Lot of Injuries
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Injuries are always a part of the game, and the Titans fought through their fair share during this battle.
The Titans entered the game without Mariota, Cox, Douglas, Michael Griffin and Sammie Hill. They can all be considered key parts to the team.
There were several other injuries the Titans fought through in a game that could've gone either way.
The secondary took the biggest hit with both Jason McCourty and Blidi Wreh-Wilson missing portions of the game, via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com:
"McCourty out now, Riggs playing as nickel. #Titans
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 25, 2015 "
"Blidi Wreh-Wilson now hurt. If out, Huff would be playing CB.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 25, 2015"
The fact that the Titans figured out a way to hold the Falcons to just 10 points is beyond baffling considering all of the moving parts they had going on in the secondary.
Riggs stepped in and played some valuable snaps to keep the Falcons from getting on track.
The offensive line also battled through injuries. Taylor Lewan had to leave the game briefly, and the Titans had to go extremely deep on the depth chart after Andy Gallik had to leave the game with what turned out to be a concussion, via Kuharsky:
"Gallik, stinger, questionable. Joe Looney, signed this week, is in at center. #Titans
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 25, 2015"
Gallik was already filling in for starting center Brian Schwenke.
This was a horrible timing considering the Titans only had three wide receivers at their disposal and an inexperienced Mettenberger seeing his first action since last December.
It can't be too puzzling as to why the Titans only managed seven points. They left some points on the table with costly mistakes, but this offense was behind the eight ball from the start.
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Antonio Andrews Puts Stamp on the Run Game
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The Titans have been searching for a feature back all season, and they've had one all along. They're just not using him enough.
Antonio Andrews made the very most out of his 10 rushing attempts against the Falcons. He was running over defenders and gaining big yardage after contact.
His final rushing total of 57 yards doesn't do him justice as to how well he ran the ball. There were some early drives that flipped field position into the Titans' favor thanks to the hard running of Andrews.
This game should be proof that Andrews needs the ball more, with other Titans running backs being used as only a change of pace.
McCluster is the perfect player for that role of stepping in on certain packages.
This offense isn't going to turn into a prolific passing offense anytime soon. It has to start establishing a power run game with Andrews on a regular basis. This is especially true in low-scoring, defensive battles like this one was.
Andrews is dynamic and feasts off getting fed the ball 15 to 20 times per game. This game remained a one-possession game until the end, so it's still puzzling that the Titans didn't use the run more often.
Mettenberger on Late Interception
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The probability was high that Mettenberger was going to make some mistakes, but mistakes late in the game always hurt more. His late interception that sealed the game for the Falcons came with the Titans on the doorstep of field-goal range to tie the game.
Mettenberger commented on the turnover, per Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com:
"Zach Mettenberger called his interception a "poor decision" and a "bonehead play."
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) October 25, 2015"
Mettenberger didn't see the defender dropping back into coverage and threw it right to him. He was trying to get the ball to Kendall Wright, who was wide open if Mettenberger could have gotten the ball over the defender.
He basically played the role of game manager for most of the day. There were some big throws that he missed badly and some completions that were still inaccurate throws. You really couldn't have expected much more from him after being thrown into the fire for an offense that is sputtering.
Brian Orakpo on Defense Moving Forward
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Say what you will about this 1-5 team, but the defense continues to play an aggressive brand of football. It didn't necessarily show up the previous week against the Dolphins, but it certainly answered the bell against a balanced Falcons offense.
The defense had to figure out a way to back up its top-five ranking entering the game.
Brian Orakpo finished with five tackles and talked about the defensive effort, via the Titans' Twitter account:
".@rak98: We're not happy about losing, "but we're optimistic about the possibilities we have as a defensive front." pic.twitter.com/l7qDwy407F
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 25, 2015"
The Titans get another struggling team at the quarterback position with the Texans next week. This defense needs to go and grind out a victory to get rid of the sour moods swirling around the team.
When the defense plays like it did against the Falcons, the team has a chance to beat almost anyone. The defense has clearly made a step forward in the right direction from last season.
Chance Warmack on His Taunting Penalty
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It was a rough day for Chance Warmack, which included three penalties. He had an explanation for his taunting penalty, per John Glennon of the Tennessean:
"Warmack says taunting call terrible. Said he had hands in air for TD and happened to be talking to Babineaux at same time.
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) October 25, 2015"
Calls like this are unfortunately unavoidable. They're going to happen from time to time in today's NFL.
Warmack has not lived up to his first-round draft status from just a couple of seasons ago. This may have been a bad call, but holding penalties have also become too much of the norm with him.
The Titans have tried desperately to rebuild this offensive line, and Warmack is a key piece to that happening. He really needs to step up his game for the remainder of the season to justify where he was drafted.
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