The Titans find themselves reeling, dealing with only the second three-game losing streak of Mike Vrabel’s tenure as they head west to face the Chargers.
The Titans must somehow turn back the clock and ratchet up a strong all-around effort if they want to have a chance to win and preserve their playoff hopes.
First down
Stop the turnovers. The Titans turned the football over four times against Jacksonville. Three of them in the first half gave the Jaguars life, and the fourth turnover eventually snuffed what remaining life the Titans had out of them. Such a short-handed team has very little margin for error, especially critical ones like the ones Sunday.
Second down
Find the pass rush. Let’s see. Jalen Hurts threw for 380 yards two weeks ago. Trevor Lawrence racked up a career-high 368 yards Sunday. Justin Herbert is arguably more dangerous as a passer than either of them. The Titans’ pass rush, which was fueling the team earlier this season, has vanished since Denico Autry’s injury. Sunday would be a good time to find it again; otherwise, it might be another long day for the defense.
Third down
Get a positive contribution from special teams. When a team is in a rut like the Titans, sometimes a big play on special teams – a blocked punt, a kickoff return for a score – can provide a spark. Truthfully, the Titans special teams have been just treading water for most of the season, providing very few game-changing plays in a positive way.
Fourth down
No finger-pointing. To Mike Vrabel’s credit, the Titans have done a great job of staying unified, no matter the situation. But now with a promising season coming unraveled, it is more important than ever that the team come together, because right now, it will take a near perfect showing in all three phases to find the win column again.
-- Terry McCormick