Field Gulls
I usually don’t believe in the “power” that certain taboos seem to have. The 1–9 Tennessee Titans didn’t look like a team capable of keeping the game within one possession — but that’s exactly what happened. The Seattle Seahawks committed several mistakes that prevented this matchup from being a major improvement compared to the game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Still, as I always say: a win is a win.
All data in this article was taken from PFF.
The unit forced no turnovers against a rookie quarterback and failed to finish countless plays. They allowed 27 rushing yards to non-QBs and another 37 yards on Ward scrambles. The team simply wasn’t prepared for this — even though it’s one of the QB’s main strengths.
Two wide receivers made their season debut for Tennessee, meaning the rookie QB didn’t even have his top weapons, as Calvin Ridley and Elic Ayomanor were injured. It became the third-best game of Chimere Dike’s career, the best game of Gunnar Helm’s (TE) career, and the defense allowed 42 and 26 yards to James Proche and Xavier Restrepo in their first appearances. Those aren’t the numbers of a defense that aims to be dominant.
The secondary did its job, but the pass rush failed to accomplish its main task: speeding up the quarterback. The defense looked overconfident that “the play would happen eventually,” and didn’t execute with full intensity to finish plays.
They covered well deep and generated pressure, but consistently let Ward escape, leading to completions and yards after the catch.
There were sloppy moments, but also clear execution errors. In one play, Derick Hall attempted an improvised stunt two gaps inside and opened a lane for the QB to escape.
The OL continues to be unstable across the board. They committed 5 penalties (4 accepted). Ken Walker finished with over 100 scrimmage yards, but his first half was rough: 5 carries for 12 yards (10 of those on the first run) and one reception for 5 yards. He improved in the second half with 6 carries for 59 yards and two catches — one for 29 yards and one for –4.
There was a great snap against a stunt — arguably their best in communication and execution this season. Zach Charbonnet initially read the #33, but when he didn’t blitz, he shifted to the opposite side. The DTs executed the stunt, but Anthony Bradford, Grey Zabel, and Olu Oluwatimi identified it well. The movement drew enough attention to free a late blitz in the B-gap, but Zabel made solid first contact, though his technique came dangerously close to a holding penalty.
The run game also had a highlight: Olu slowed down the DT, Abe Lucas blocked the backside, Charles Cross sealed the edge, and the guards climbed well to the second level — something the team has struggled with. Result: a beautiful run by Walker.
But...
