Raiders vs. Titans: Grades, Notes and Quotes
Sloppy weather conditions weren't the only difficult thing to watch as the Tennessee Titans lost their 11th-straight game at home to the Oakland Raiders.
It was another game the Titans had every opportunity to win, and they even had a four-point lead to protect with less than five minutes remaining. An interception on the last drive by Marcus Mariota ended any hopes of breaking a long home losing streak.
Despite an overall conservative offensive approach for much of the season, the Titans seemed too aggressive on their final drive. They still had two timeouts remaining but elected to go for a huge chunk on the final play that ended in an interception. Going with a more conservative play call would have been the better approach with timeouts to fall back on.
The Titans now sit at 2-9, and the main focal point for this them moving forward should be to develop the younger players on offense. Any wishful thoughts of a playoff berth in a mediocre division should be banished after this loss.
Position Grades for Titans
1 of 6
Quarterback: C+
It's easy to jump to the defense of Marcus Mariota with him being a rookie. He has a limited roster surrounding him and still is managing to put up amazing numbers.
You have to judge him for how he plays in crunch-time situations. This game left something to be desired—he had two interceptions, including one that effectively ended the game.
The Titans were on the doorstep of field-goal range to tie it, and it looked like Mariota got too aggressive by throwing it down the line in the direction of Kendall Wright. The field conditions didn't help matters as it looked like Wright may have slipped on the route.
It's worth noting interim head coach Mike Mularkey put more blame on the receivers being in the right place on Mariota's interceptions, per John Glennon of the Tennessean:
"Mularkey says Mariota three to right spots on picks. WRs not in right spots.
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) November 29, 2015"
Mariota is still showing he's worthy of being tagged as the franchise quarterback of the future. He missed a handful of throws in this game that overshadowed his three-touchdown performance. He wasn't spectacular by any means against a bad Raiders defense.
Running Back: C-
There wasn't much to speak of from this unit. It only had seven yards on seven carries at halftime. Antonio Andrews got more involved in the second half but not enough to make a huge impact.
David Cobb has suffered an uninspired start to his NFL career in his first two games. He's had a rough going in limited offensive touches, per Glennon:
"Cobb flubs easy pass there. Hasn't made great impression in limited snaps so far. #Titans
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) November 29, 2015"
Even though Cobb hasn't looked good in his small sample size, Mularkey needs to keep finding ways to get him involved. It's important the Titans see what they have in him for next season.
Wide Receiver: C
The wide receivers were simply average against a Raiders secondary that was ranked 30th coming into the game. They didn't take advantage of a key weakness the Raiders had.
Kendall Wright returned to the lineup but had very little impact on the offense.
The lone bright spot from this unit was the crazy touchdown catch by Harry Douglas that made it a one-possession game. He had a defender draped all over him, and still came down with the touchdown reception.
The development of Dorial Green-Beckham continues to be frustrating. He was the culprit of a precious burned timeout in the second half, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com:
"That burned timeout was brought to you by Dorial Green-Beckham. #Titans
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) November 29, 2015"
He has all the physical traits to be a great NFL wide receiver, but he has a lot of developing to do over the final five games.
Tight End: B
Delanie Walker has been carrying this passing offense on his back all season. He is near the top of all of the major statistical categories among NFL tight ends. He played a major role in the Titans managing 21 points.
The first touchdown of the game was scored by Craig Stevens on a circus catch. It was his first of the season. He hasn't been called upon to contribute much in the passing game, but it may be time to use him more. He's always had good hands for a blocking tight end.
Expect the tight end position to continue to play a big role in what the Titans do in their passing offense. They have more skill at this position than they do wide receiver.
Offensive Line: C
Nothing special from this unit, but they are showing modest improvement since Mularkey has taken over. Mariota was only sacked two times, and one of those looked like a coverage sack.
There wasn't much room provided for the running game. With that said, this unit is making small strides. The big hits on Mariota have gone down, and the offensive line deserves credit for that.
Defensive Line: C
Not a great showing from the defensive line. The Titans rely on putting constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and they didn't have a ton of success with this. Derek Carr had plenty of time to find open receivers, with Amari Cooper being a key beneficiary.
They did do a nice job at stifling the Raiders running game. Latavius Murray averaged less than three yards per carry, forcing the Raiders to win the game behind Carr's arm.
Linebacker: C+
This unit really missed Derrick Morgan's ability to rush the passer. He missed the game with a shoulder injury, per NFL Insider Adam Caplan of ESPN:
"#Titans starting OLB Derrick Morgan (shoulder) is inactive. #OAKvsTEN
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) November 29, 2015"
The Titans weren't able to generate as much pressure on the quarterback from this position as they have in recent weeks.
Avery Williamson keeps progressing into a solid middle linebacker. He had 11 tackles and a sack. On the flip side, Brian Orakpo was held in check with no sacks.
Secondary: D
This will continue to be the colossal weakness teams will feast on when playing the Titans. They have no answer for teams that have talent at wide receiver.
The Raiders were able to find open receivers at will when there was no pressure applied to Carr. Even when there was some pressure from the Titans' defensive front, Carr was able to make the necessary completions.
Coty Sensabaugh had a rough game in particular. He just doesn't seem comfortable lining up outside the numbers.
Special Teams: D
It's been a disastrous season at special teams. The offense consistently has been starting inside its own 20-yard line thanks to questionable kickoff and punt returns.
The margin for error is so small for this team, and mistakes on special teams just further bury their chances of generating points. Starting field position has been a major setback all season, and it continued against the Raiders.
A blocked extra point attempt at the beginning of the game made matters worse, but it really didn't end up affecting the overall score as the Titans failed to attempt a field goal to tie the game.
Coaching: C-
Unless Mularkey strings off an extended winning streak over the final five games, it looks like he won't be able to secure the head coaching position for next season.
Mularkey is working with what he has and has been sticking to his plan of playing conservative football on offense. However, the final play call seemed way too aggressive. The Titans were not far from field-goal range to tie the game and still had two timeouts.
The offense seems to panic in situations like this. It's the job of the head coach to hold everyone together to win close games. The Titans can't seem to hold their composure to win close games, and they're certainly not going to blow out anyone.
It's Mularkey's job with the interim title to inspire this team to win games, and it doesn't look like he's doing that. The team looks defeated at 2-9, after coming off of a 2-14 season.
Final Interception a Miscommunication?
2 of 6
Despite being 2-9, the Titans have lost several close games that they had late opportunities to win. This game definitely fits that mold.
The interception by Marcus Mariota was a baffling one to say the least. The Titans were in business after a long completion to Delanie Walker down the middle of the field. With two timeouts left, the Titans could've been more conservative to get into field-goal range but elected to keep throwing down the field.
Mariota called it a miscommunication, via the Titans official Twitter page:
"Marcus Mariota: INT at end of game was a result of miscommunication. "We saw two different things." pic.twitter.com/sufPZm7AIm
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 29, 2015"
With plenty of time left on the clock, the Titans should've looked for shorter routes to give Ryan Succop a chance at getting it to overtime. He's been reliable all season, and the Tennessee offense has been very unreliable when throwing down the field.
When you have so many young players on offense, these types of things are going to happen in clutch situations. A top priority for next season needs to be to add a veteran presence for the receiving corps.
Hard to Find a Win on the Remaining Schedule
3 of 6
It was hard to imagine the Titans going 2-14 for a second straight season back in July. The overwhelming thought was the Titans would at least show mild improvement. After all, it's hard to be that bad for consecutive seasons.
Despite the close losses, it's time to start coming to the realization that the Titans could be looking at 2-14 once again. The remaining schedule doesn't look very kind. Four of the five teams on the remaining schedule are above .500, and the Jaguars aren't a team to overlook at 4-7.
The last realistic opportunity to beat last season's win total will be to win next week against the Jaguars. It will be another chance for the Titans to end their dismal losing streak at home and at least say they made some progress in terms of record.
After next week, the Titans will face teams that all have realistic shots at making the postseason. They will be heavy underdogs against the New England Patriots and New York Jets on the road.
Draft position is still important for this team, so wins won't mean that much in the grand scheme of things. Losing for a draft positions is still a laughable notion no team should ever consider. A win would do wonders for this young team's confidence, and they need to continue to battle for every win they can get.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
B.W. Webb Says He Didn't Commit Defensive Holding
4 of 6
It looked like the Titans had perhaps held on for their third win of the season after deflecting a pass to the end zone on fourth down. However, a defensive holding penalty thrown on B.W. Webb negated that nice defensive play and gave the Raiders another chance.
Derek Carr took advantage of that second chance and eventually found Seth Roberts for the game-winning touchdown.
Calling that last play demoralizing for a Titans defense would be a gross understatement. The defense did a great job of bending but not breaking until that final score. The offense had time to tie the game, but the overall feeling was it was over after surrendering that score.
Webb contended he shouldn't have been called for defensive holding, per Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com:
"BW Webb said he did not make contact with receiver in defensive holding penalty.
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) November 29, 2015"
It was a frustrating call as it didn't have a direct impact on the play. Despite that, it's a penalty officials regularly make. The game was evenly called, and you can't pinpoint this one play as the only reason the Titans lost.
For what it's worth, Webb has played well in support of all the injuries the Titans secondary has suffered. He may end up being a quality depth player the Titans should try to keep around.
Wesley Woodyard on Players Playing for Mike Mularkey
5 of 6
The margin for error is always small for interim head coaches. Mike Mularkey got off to a great start by defeating the New Orleans Saints in dramatic fashion in his first game. Since then, the Titans have reverted back to their old ways.
Mularkey has stuck with his game plan of being physical and getting the tight ends more involved. He's kept the Titans competitive in every game since he's taken over. That still probably won't be enough to keep the job for next season.
Interim head coaches have a tough gig whenever they're thrown into the fire. The defense has played inspired football all season long, and Wesley Woodyard is one of the few veterans the defense can lean on. He commented on the team battling for Mularkey, via Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean:
"Wesley Woodyard said he's disappointed team not winning for Mularkey. Said players fighting for him
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) November 29, 2015"
It's hard to find another win on the Titans' remaining schedule. Next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars might be the last favorable chance for the Titans to avoid a second straight 2-14 season. You can't blame Mularkey for many of the issues that have been boiling over in recent years, but the organization probably has its eyes on another candidate.
Mike Mularkey on Struggles at Wide Receiver
6 of 6
The Titans have never really been known to have a lot of blazing talent at wide receiver, but it has reached new heights this season. They have virtually no ability to throw to the outside, making them exclusively a team that has to throw to the middle of the field. That makes it easier for defenses to plan for them.
If it wasn't for Delanie Walker having another commendable performance, the Titans would have struggled to keep up on the scoreboard. Walker gives this offense a chance to move down the field as he forces defenses to respect his ability to make plays in the middle of the field.
The same cannot be said of Dorial Green-Beckham or Kendall Wright. They had trouble finding any room on the outside of the field. Mariota made plenty of attempts, but there was no separation created by Titans receivers. That makes it very difficult for a young quarterback to make throws.
Mularkey commented on what the wide receivers have to do, via John Glennon of the Tennessean:
"Mularkey says WRs have to win more battles
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) November 29, 2015"
That's a nice thought to have, but the Titans may not have the talent to do that. Drafting a wide receiver in the early part of the next draft should be a priority. If they don't draft one, then they certainly have to add talent through acquiring a free agent in the offseason.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
