The loss to Browns wasn’t all bad for the Titans.
The Tennessee Titans recently played the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 of the crazy 2020 NFL season. Unfortunately, a lot of good performances are going to get lost in the result.
In a rematch from the 2019 season opener, the Browns got revenge for the massive beatdown that the Titans handed to them in a 43-13 win over a year ago.
This game was almost the opposite of the last contest, as Cleveland came out swinging and the Titans could barely catch their breath before the Browns were up 38-7. The offense could not get rolling, and the defense couldn’t force stops on third downs, which has been the story of this defense all year.
Head Coach Mike Vrabel had to say something motivational to the team at the half because they played with a different meaning. The Titans defense stepped it up in the second half and only allowed a field goal for the rest of the game. However, the team couldn’t get the job done when needed, costing them the game.
Even in a 41-35 loss, there were still some good performances that we can appreciate now that some time has passed. Let’s look at the three best.
Titans Good Performances:
Corey Davis, WR
Corey Davis has continued to show that he can be a number one option, and his performance in this game was nothing short of excellent. In a year where he needs to prove himself due to his contract ending soon, Davis has done just that. Having his fourth game this season with over 100 yards receiving, Corey Davis topped all his performances this year with 182 yards against Cleveland.
With only 78% of offensive snaps, Davis was able to bust some defensive coverages and find space when Tannehill needed it most. It seemed like Davis was always open for a check down when his quarterback was under pressure, and it showed in Davis’s 12 targets.
Ryan Tannehill, QB
The Titans quarterback played his tail off while being chased continuously by an excellent Browns defensive line that features a potential defensive player of the year in Myles Garrett. While Tannehill took three sacks for 20 yards, he led the team back in the second half of the game and went on a 28-3 run. Because of the game script, Tannehill was forced to throw more than the Titans would have liked initially. Due to the situations Tennessee was in, Ryan Tannehill threw 45 times for nearly 400 yards.
The narrative for much of the season has been “Can Tannehill throw the ball well when playing from behind?” and I think he answered that question. Even without a win, he showcased why the Titans decided to pay him big money.
MyCole Pruitt, TE
While he only had one reception for 22 yards, it felt as if Pruitt’s name was continuously being called. Since his counterpart in Jonnu Smith has not been showing up as of late, MyCole Pruitt took it into his own hands to make an impact. On 75% of the offensive snaps, Smith was not able to be productive at all during the game. With almost half of the snaps that Smith had, Pruitt was able to score twice for the Titans. One of the scores was on a nice lob pass from Tannehill for 22 yards, the other on a great fumble recovery by A.J. Brown.
The Titans did not play well at all in the first half, but fans should not put their heads down. The second half was a sign of maturation and improvement for both sides of the ball.