That one stings for the Titans. Tennessee had a huge opportunity to show the national media that they deserve more respect than they have been given. Last year, the Titans struggled in a few games they should have won. They beat 0-16 Cleveland in overtime, followed by loses to Arizona, and San Francisco. The Titans needed to prove they are not that same team, this is a different team this year. Beating the Buffalo Bills on the road was an early chance for this Titans team to show everyone that they have matured from last season. However, the Titans failed to show their progress, losing to the Bills 13-12.

Key Issues

1. Turnovers

The Titans came into the game with only 4 turnovers all season, 3 of them coming week one at Miami. This week the Titans played sloppy, committing 3 turnovers against the Bills. Two key fumbles, one by Taywan Taylor and the other from Dion Lewis, set up Buffalo for 10 total points. Marcus Mariota threw one interception that was intended for Nick Williams. Mariota was trying to lead Williams with the ball but Williams slowed down on the slant route forcing an interception. Three turnovers in the Titans own zone is unacceptable. This team has shown us in recent weeks that they are capable of taking care of the football, so what happened against the Bills? Turnovers are a variable that can plague a team and the Titans need to make ball security a priority in the coming weeks.

2. Dropped Passes

A crucial drop from a wide open Darius Jennings in overtime, against the Eagles, was overshadowed by Corey Davis’ game winning touchdown reception. Without Davis saving the day, dropped passes would have been a key talking point leading up to week five. This is just one example of the Titans ongoing issue with catching the football. The Titans ranked 9th in passes dropped coming into week five. One of the biggest plays of the game Sunday came in the 4th quarter when Marcus Mariota threw a beautiful pass to a wide open Nick Williams in the end zone. Williams dropped it, forcing a field goal. Dropped passes should have the Titans asking questions. How will they address this issue? Calling up a practice squad caliber receiver in place of Rishard Matthews is regrettable. In addition to dropped passes, the absence of Delanie Walker is evident. Jonnu Smith replaced Walker after he suffered a season ending injury week one, but where has Jonnu Smith been? The second year tight end only has 2 receptions for 21 yards along with some notable drops. The Titans might have some re-evaluating to do after a rough week from their receiving core.

3. Tackling

On defense, the Titans struggled tackling the Bills. Buffalo had 144 rushing yards on 43 carries. Averaging 3.3 yards per carry, the Titans could not make the big stops in key situations. The Titans pass rush did not look pretty on Sunday, against the worst offensive line in the NFL, only sacking Josh Allen once. Wesley Woodyard’s absence on defense has been noticeable. Not having the veteran linebacker is hurting the Titans pass rush and run defense. Other than issues tackling the Bills backs and struggling to apply pressure on the quarterback, Tennessee’s defense was the bright spot of the day.

4. Injuries

Injuries are something that every team in the NFL has to deal with and adapt to each week. The Titans have had key injuries that are having a lasting impact on their season. Most notably, Delanie Walker being out for the year is brutal. Especially for a struggling receiving core. Taylor Lewan left the game in the second quarter against Buffalo with a foot injury. Lewan already missed time this season, leaving game one and not playing week two. The Titans offensive line could not protect Mariota without Lewan in week five. The Bills had 2 sacks and 6 tackles for a loss Sunday. Mariota was constantly under pressure and had trouble getting his running game going due to a collapsing pocket. At safety, Kenny Vacarro was out with an elbow injury but Kendrick Lewis stepped up and played well with 3 tackles. The biggest injury on defense is definitely Wesley Woodyard. Hopefully Woodyard will return to the Titans lineup soon, but until then Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown are sharing the work. Evans finished week five with 6 tackles. As a first round pick, Evans needs to be a bigger force against the run. A positive that has come from Woodyard’s absence is Jayon Brown, who led the Titans with 10 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for a loss. The second year linebacker out of UCLA continues to get better each week and was a bright spot for the Titans on Sunday.

5. Offense

Tennessee failed to score a touchdown for the 2nd game this season. The Titans have 7 touchdowns through 5 games which is a little concerning. Marcus Mariota finished the game 14 of 26 with 129 yards and an interception. Mariota’s passing game started off shaky in the first half after constantly facing pressure from the defense. He failed to run the ball effectively this week which typically opens up his passing game. Mariota looked better in the second half but, without his legs, most of the Titans drives stalled out. In the running game, the duo of Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry had 23 combined rushes for 90 yards. Henry averaged 5.1 yards per carry Sunday but only had 12 carries. The Titans struggled to maintain possession in the first half, causing Henry’s production to be lower than it could have been.  Henry had a productive game on the ground but the Titans need to protect the ball in order for him to get the carries he needs. The Titans can have a deadly offense with Henry running and Mariota passing, but the two styles need to work together in order to produce touchdowns. The Titans scheme looked predictable on Sunday and playing from behind forced obvious passes. Matt LaFleur needs to find a way to get the ball in Henry’s hands for the Titans to become multi-dimensional and less predictable.

What to Watch for This Week

The Titans showed us on Sunday that they have a lot of room for improvement. Tackling, catching the football, and ball security should all be topics for the Titans to focus on this week in practice. Improving in one of those categories would have been enough for the Titans to pull out a victory in Buffalo. Just a few tweaks to the scheme on offense could be enough for the Titans to become explosive. With an already solid defense, an explosive offense would put the Titans on new level. It will be interesting to see if the Titans go after a veteran receiver before facing the Ravens on Sunday. Adding depth at receiver could open up a new dimension on offense, tight end. Tennessee needs Jonnu Smith to get going at tight end or they will continue to struggle putting up points. The loss to Buffalo is only one game. The loss should not be overshadowed, but it should not be overreacted to either. The Titans showed us where they need to improve and with the right adjustments, I expect the Titans to show up ready to play against Baltimore.

Next Game: Baltimore at Tennessee (10/14) at 4:25 PM eastern