Three things to feel good about heading into the week off

1. Jurrell Casey is playing as well as ever.

The Titans’ best defensive lineman is having a banner season, providing even a good part of the pass rush, despite spending some of his time as a five-technique end, which isn’t exactly a prime spot from which to pass rush.

2. The bye comes at a good time, even with a losing streak.

The Titans need to take some time this week to heal up, self-scout and try to find ways to salvage a season that has suddenly gone south with three straight defeats. The schedule does ease up a bit in December, but the Titans need to use the off week to get back on track to make those games late in the year count for something.

3. The AFC South is weak.

Despite their many struggles, the Titans are still only one game behind Houston for the lead in the division. Their 3-4 record doesn’t look good, but they remain 2-0 in division play. If they can hang around in a division where it looks like nine wins might be enough to win it, then they currently hold tiebreakers over both the Texans and Jaguars.

Three things to be concerned about heading into the bye

Will the real Marcus Mariota please stand up?

Now in Year 4, Mariota still is enduring ups and downs. He looked awful two weeks ago against Baltimore and was much better when the Titans played the Chargers in London. It is the inconsistency that is a major concern, which leads us to …

The skill position players must step up.

The run game has been inconsistent at best, and Derrick Henry has not provided the type of tough yards this team needs. Dion Lewis has been the best player on offense at times, but sometimes seems to disappear from the game plan. The receivers – especially Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor – are struggling with drops and inconsistency. Tight ends, since Delanie Walker went out, have made only miniscule contributions.

The defense has been OK, but could be better.

Other than Jurrell Casey, the pass rush has not been consistent. Derrick Morgan is out, and neither he nor Brian Orakpo have sacked a quarterback this season. Harold Landry, after a good start, has disappeared. Kamalei Correa and Sharif Finch have flashed on occasion, but not consistently.