Tennessee Titans: Week 3 Winners and Losers
Sep 23, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker (10) shuttle passes against the Detroit Lions during overtime at LP Field. Tennessee defeated Detroit 44-41 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-US PRESSWIRE
Here’s this week’s list of Winners and Losers from the Tennessee Titans after their win against the Detroit Lions:
Winner: “Big Play” JAKE LOCKER!!!
Yeah, I just gave Locker a new nickname. Perhaps someone else has already started using that name – if so – well done. He’s going to need a nickname. He earned the one I gave him against the Lions, and then some. (And yes, I just all-capped Jake’s name as well. If anyone deserves the all-cap treatment after this game, it’s Jake Locker.) Jake Locker showed everyone watching why the Titans drafted him and more importantly, why they decided to go with him as the starting QB in 2012. He was everything you could hope for in a QB. He was decisive. He was accurate. He was mobile. He was fun to watch. Titans fans: The future is bright.
Loser: Second Half adjustments
This is on the coaches. This team has not been good at adjusting the game plan in the second half. We have seen it time and time again: The Titans keep things close in the first half, and then the wheels fall off in the second half when the opposition switches things up. That’s not acceptable. This team has to start adjusting on the fly better than they have shown so far. If they don’t, this team won’t win many games this season.
Winner: Special Teams minus Rob Bironas
What can I say about the big plays on Special Teams that has not already been said? Only this: Without those big plays this game would have turned out like the first two games. Those plays happened at exactly the right time, giving the Titans a huge boost in momentum. Don’t ever discount how much of a factor momentum is in an NFL game.
As for Bironas, I’m going to give him a pass for this game. He was evidently injured on the first kick-off, and it affected his kicking the rest of the game. Also, he has won more games for this team with his leg than we have any right to expect.
Loser: Akeem Ayers
I hate to put him on this list as a Loser since other than two plays, he was fantastic. But, those two plays nearly cost the Titans the game. It just goes to show you how important each play actually is. If Ayers doesn’t rough the QB late in the 4th quarter, it’s game over. If Ayers doesn’t tip the ball directly to Titus Young, everybody goes home. The second mistake, I can forgive since that is a very difficult play to make. The first mistake though, there is no excuse for that kind of lapse in judgment. Every defender knows how QB’s are protected in the NFL. Every defender knows that you can’t throw a QB to the ground seconds after the ball has left his hand. If the Titans had lost the game, this article would have looked something like this:
"Tennesse Titans: Week 3 Winners and LosersLoser: AKEEM AYERS!!!!!!!"
And that would have been the extent of my article.
Winner: The Fans
Whether you were a fan of either the Titans or the Lions, there were plenty of things to enjoy about this game. Even if you weren’t rooting for either team, this game provided so many big moments that it quickly became an embarrassment of riches. Honestly, the NFL Network should just have this game on repeat for the rest of the season. We won’t see another game this crazy.
Loser: My mental, physical, and emotional well being
I think I nearly died three separate times watching this game. I’m pretty sure I had a minor stroke after the onside kick was recovered by the Lions. As much as I enjoyed this one, I really don’t think I am capable of watching any more games like this. It might be the end of me.