3 Things We Learned From the Tennessee Titans After Week 9
The Tennessee Titans kept their Thursday Night Football game close against the Pittsburgh Steelers but ultimately lost.
SportsGrid has more on the Titans after Week 9.
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1. Will Levis has Earned Starting Quarterback Job
It wasn’t a flattering stat line for rookie quarterback Will Levis in his second career start, but much of that blame can go toward his makeshift offensive line. Levis made the throws he had to and didn’t force passes into difficult coverage. We’ll forgive him for the game-ending interception on the final drive and label that as a teaching moment. Levis has looked comfortable in the pocket, even against a ferocious pass rush in Pittsburgh. Levis looked better in his NFL debut against the Atlanta Falcons than he did against T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Still, there was a lot to learn and build off from this short week. We’re bullish on his future in the league.
2. Rushing Defense Needs Work
The Titans’ defense has been a low point for this group. More often than not, it’s been an issue for this team and hindered their results. That was no different on Thursday night, but the real back-breaker was that they allowed the Steelers to run the football. It’s no secret that when the Steelers are finding success on offense, running the football is a primary key. The Titans let Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combine for 157 yards on the ground and a touchdown. For a Steelers group that has had significant issues running the football this season, that type of stat line is unacceptable from the Titans. After a problematic showing in Week 9 against the Steelers, the Titans find themselves in a troubling position with their run defense. It’s unlikely this group makes a charge toward a playoff spot, but if they do, they’ll need this aspect of their defense to improve.
3. Offensive Line Can’t Stay Healthy, Hurts Quarterback
It’s hard to fault players for not staying healthy. Let’s get ahead of that right away. When multiple offensive linemen continue to go down, it is hard to find continuity on offense. This is even more prevalent when dealing with a rookie quarterback who might need more time in the pocket. A big reason that the Titans were unable to come out on top on Thursday night in Pittsburgh was because of the lack of stability of the offensive line. They still managed to run the football at a solid clip, but the Steelers high octane edge rushers had no issue getting to the quarterback, and that was ultimately one of the significant keys to victory.
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