First down: Somebody, anybody – sack the quarterback. Maybe it would just take one and then an avalanche of sacks might occur for the Titans’ defense. Heck, maybe even Jadeveon Clowney or Vic Beasley could touch a quarterback and actually get him down.
Or maybe inside pressure from Jeffery Simmons could collapse the pocket. Perhaps one of those well-timed blitzes that Dean Pees used to time up with Logan Ryan and Kenny Vaccaro is the answer.
Whatever it is, the Titans need to find a way to get pressure on the quarterback the Bears’ Nick Foles this week because it is leading to disaster on third down. The problem will continue to cost this team until it is fixed.
Second down
Don’t play from too far behind. For the first time Sunday, the Titans lost a game in which Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards or more. The defense was bad, and the offense was stalling out at inopportune times, putting Tennessee in a 24-7 hole. It made the Titans more one-dimensional on offense than Arthur Smith prefers. If the game is a shootout, then the offense has to finish drives and put points up to help placate the struggling defense.
Third down
Fix special teams. Lost in the defensive misery for the Titans is the fact that special teams have played horribly over the past couple of games. Stephen Gostkowski’s continued inconsistency on field goals is just one of the major issues plaguing this unit. They are giving up big kickoff returns, and long snapper Beau Brinkley had an uncharacteristically rough day Sunday. When a team is on the edge as much as the Titans are, special teams meltdowns cannot be tolerated.
Fourth down
Attack Mack. The Bears’ Khalil Mack might not be as dominant as he was a couple of years ago, but he is still plenty good enough to get the job done and pressure Ryan Tannehill. The Titans, who have adjusted well to the loss of Taylor Lewan thus far, will need to be cognizant of where Mack is on the field at all times in order to keep him at bay.