Tennessee Titans top areas of concern ahead of Week 2 versus Seahawks

So, how bad is this Tennessee Titans defense really?

The Tennessee Titans defense had its issues. Getting off of the field on third down was still an issue, and they got torched by Kyler Murray. It isn’t all their fault though. Part of the reason that they were on the field so long was due to the ineffectiveness of the offense.

Their second drive began with the Cards scrimmaging from Tennessee’s one-yard line. When you’re facing Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, you are in trouble right from the get-go.

One player that’s receiving too much criticism is Jackrabbit Jenkins.  Is allowing 83 yards and two touchdowns a good performance?  No, it isn’t but Hopkins is a top-five receiver in the NFL and makes number-one corners look bad with regularity. Cut Jenkins some slack, he didn’t have an easy task.

There were things to celebrate. Harold Landry registered a sack. So did Jeffery Simmons, and Bud Dupree registered pressures and would have dropped Murray at least once if he was not so freakishly mobile.  For a team that only registered 19 sacks last season, this was an encouraging sign and one that may not be talked about much after Week 1 but should provide some optimism.

The secondary might still be a concern moving forward, as Kristian Fulton and Elijah Molden are young and will go through some struggles as they adapt to the NFL game. Yes, Fulton might have been among the few bright spots from this past Sunday, but he will have some off games as he has tougher matchups. Competing with Tyler Lockett in Week 2 might provide us with a perfect example of that.

If the offense can sustain drives and generate momentum, there is a good chance that the defense will have an easier time in Seattle and other future games, but until the youngsters on defense can fully find their place, it might be a few more games of several points allowed.