Make no bones about it, the Titans 12-7 loss to the Cardinals last Sunday was a very bad loss. Coming into the game, the Cardinals’ playoff hopes were nearly extinguished, and they were playing without quarterback Carson Palmer and future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson. The loss cost the Titans their division lead after Jacksonville defeated Seattle and left them as the #5 seed. Even though the Titans lost, they are still right in the thick of things in the AFC playoff picture, which is all you can ask for this late in December. The real issue for this team is that the Titans had plenty of chances to win the game outright and were unable to do so. The offense led by Quarterback Marcus Mariota again struggled to find a rhythm and there were several other offensive issues. However, like any coach would tell his team the result is never as bad or as good as it looks in the immediate aftermath.
Dick LeBeau’s defense continues to play exceptionally well and Nick Eason’s defensive line group had another great game. The eight sacks by the unit up front was part of an incredible effort. If current trends hold, this defense is playing playoff football and their ability to keep the Titans in close games and keep offenses out of the end zone has allowed the Titans to be a playoff team today.
One glaring statistic is that the Titans currently sit at (-6) in turnover margin. Teams that are not able to at least come out even in turnover margin for the season often struggle to win enough games to make the playoffs because turnovers are so critical in professional football. Of the 12 teams currently in the playoffs after Week 14, only Tennessee and three other teams are even or worse in turnover margin. Carolina sits at (-4) and Atlanta is (-5), but none of the 12 teams are as far underwater as the Titans. Unfortunately for the Titans, division rival Jacksonville currently lead the NFL in total takeaways with 30 and turnover margin (+14). If the Titans can play clean football and force turnovers in the final three contests, including a Week 17 showdown at Nissan Stadium against the Jags, then they should be able to stay in contention for the AFC South and or a wild card playoff berth.
(8-5) is certainly better than the alternatives and this week is yet another chance for the Titans to wrack up another key victory. The 49ers are out of playoff contention, but they have won both of Jimmy Garoppolo’s starts and Garoppolo’s emergence under center seems to have helped the 49ers offense develop into a more credible threat. If the Titans defense can maintain its current level of play and force turnovers, then this game should come down to whether the Titans offensive play calling, and execution are able to improve. If the Titans can accomplish those goals they should be able to salvage this West Coast road trip at (9-5) and then get ready for two huge matchups in Week 16 and Week 17.
The Titans have elected to stay out West for the entire week. They will stay in Arizona until Friday before heading to the Bay Area for the showdown at Levi’s Stadium. Titans Radio and 104.5 the Zone will have coverage and team reports all week long leading up to Sunday’s late afternoon kickoff. Listen to 104.5 the Zone, starting at 1:30 PM Central Sunday for the Lee Company Countdown to Kickoff, followed by Titans Countdown Presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. After Titans Countdown, the broadcast of Titans vs. 49ers will begin with full coverage live from San Francisco with the Voice of the Titans Mike Keith and Coach Dave McGinnis.