
7. Titans missed Jayon Brown
I mean, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Titans weren’t the same defense without an elite coverage linebacker like Jayon Brown, but Tennessee sorely missed their young stud in Week 7. Of course, Brown missed the game with a groin injury.
The Titans struggled to cover Austin Ekeler and Hunter Henry for much of the game, as the pair continuously beat the Titans defense over the middle of the field. Some of that certainly can be blamed on the secondary, but there is also a huge step down in terms of coverage when you go from Brown to Wesley Woodyard.
We saw that late in the game when Ekeler beat Woodyard for a huge 41-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter that brought the Chargers to within one score.
It isn’t clear how long Brown will be out, but his being designated doubtful ahead of Sunday’s game means he wasn’t too close to returning. The Titans need their top inside linebacker to return as soon as possible or we could see more performances like those of Henry and Ekeler, which is something Tennessee can’t afford.