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Tennessee Titans: Five takeaways from loss to Colts

By Garrett Sanders

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 30: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans blocks Darius Leonard #53 of the Indianapolis Colts while running with the ball during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 30: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans blocks Darius Leonard #53 of the Indianapolis Colts while running with the ball during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee Titans lost to the Indianapolis Colts 33-17 on a rainy night in Nissan Stadium on Sunday Night Football. While the Titans fanbase showed up tonight, the team did not. Here are five takeaways from tonight’s game from my point of view.

1. The Tennessee Titans cannot win the big game.

I think we can all agree with this as Tennessee Titans fans. When the Titans play on national primetime television or have an important match that defines their season, they never live up to their expectations to win. There is a common denominator here when you think about it. We are now 0-11 against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. We also have a losing record when we play on National Television. Also, when you think about it, the Titans seem to get blown out regularly whenever they play on primetime television. There is a reason why the NFL never schedules the Titans on National Television. And tonight showed us exactly why.

2. The Titans made the right decision not to play Marcus Mariota.

The last thing I want to hear from Titans fans is that if Marcus Mariota had suited up tonight the result of the outcome would have been different. If you think that as a Titans fan, you’re being blasphemous. Mariota was dealing with a very significant injury, with the whole right side of his body being numb. Had the Titans decided to bring him out, it may have done more damage than good for both Mariota and the Titans. I get it, without Mariota it hurt our chances. It showed tonight. But would you instead take a chance on Mariota suffering a career-ending injury that would not only end his career in the NFL, but would also make the Titans desperate for a quarterback? The answer is most likely no. The matter of the fact is, the Titans made the right decision not to play Mariota.

3. Andrew Luck owns the Titans.

The Titans cannot get the Andrew Luck monkey off their backs, even if they are the more superior team talent- and scheme-wise. Luck is so good against the Titans that he now has the record for the most wins by any quarterback against one single team. The Titans have to face the facts; there is terrible “Luck” for them when facing the signal caller.

4. Jurrell Casey & Brian Orakpo were dearly missed tonight.

Without question, the reason the Titans were dominated was because of the Colts’ offensive line. Andrew Luck was protected, he had all day to throw in the pocket, and the Colts’ running backs ran all over the Titans. It helped that Dean Pees was able to call the plays tonight, but, ultimately, without Casey and Orakpo, there was a mismatch for the Titans. Had those two been in, you would have seen this be a more well-controlled game on defense for the Titans.

5. There is no single player to blame for this loss; it was an overall team loss.

Sure, Blaine Gabbert played horribly. So did Adoree’ Jackson. But everyone on the team looked to be out of place. Malcolm Butler made a critical mistake, Quinton Spain kept holding, and Derrick Morgan dropped a game-changing interception that could’ve turned the game on its head. If the Titans were to win, they would have had to have their best team effort and execute their game plan to perfection. Sadly, it did not happen.

While the Titans’ season is over, we can certainly look to one thing, and that is there is always next season. With a few additions, this team could finally rise to their potential and be the team we Titans fans know they can be. Until then, this one is going to hurt us as Titans fans for a while.

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