The Tennessee Titans are averaging 15.4 points per game, the second-fewest in the NFL ahead of only the Los Angeles Chargers. Their 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday dropped them to 1-6 and extended their streak without back-to-back wins to 65 games, tying the modern NFL record. Even their only win, at Indianapolis, came with just 186 yards of offense. There's plenty of blame to go around.
We've identified four glaring reasons why the Titans' offense is a complete nightmare right now.
Titans QB Cam Ward can't hit anything deep
Ward has completed 2 of 18 passes thrown 20 or more yards this season, with two interceptions, according to PFF. His passer rating on those throws is 1.2. He's thrown only four deep passes down the middle, and two were intercepted.
He's thrown an interception in five straight games, and his 5.7 yards per attempt is tied for the lowest among 29 quarterbacks with at least 150 dropbacks. He's averaging about 168 passing yards per game, down from 186 as a rookie. Ward has regressed as a sophomore.
Brian Daboll's offense rarely takes shots
Under first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, only 8.7% of Ward's throws have traveled 20 or more yards. Ward's average depth of target has dropped from 7.8 yards as a rookie to 7.3, and his big-time throw rate is the lowest of those 29 aforementioned quarterbacks.
Nearly 60% of Ward's aimed throws have been under 10 yards, and his throws behind the line of scrimmage are averaging 4.2 yards.
Daboll joined the Titans after the New York Giants fired him as head coach last November. Seven games into his first season calling plays for the Titans, Ward’s yards per game and yards per attempt are both down from his rookie year, and the Titans haven’t scored a second-quarter point in any of their last three games. As the play-caller, that falls on Daboll as much as anyone.
Titans receivers keep dropping passes in brutal spots
Titans pass catchers have dropped 13 passes, second-most in the NFL, and seven different Titans players have at least one drop. The team's receiving grade ranks 29th in the league at PFF.
Rookie Carnell Tate has four of those drops, but he's also been targeted the most and leads the team with 413 receiving yards. Wan'Dale Robinson, Elic Ayomanor and tight end Daniel Bellinger have two drops apiece.
The veterans haven't produced either. Calvin Ridley, who carries a $15.2 million cap hit this season, has 81 receiving yards in six games. Robinson, at $11.3 million, has 205 yards on 42 targets.
The Titans' run blocking unit ranks last in the NFL
The Titans' run-blocking grade of 45.5 is the worst in the league. Center Austin Schlottmann (40.8), guard Atonio Mafi (40.9) and left tackle Dan Moore Jr. (46.3) have the lowest run-blocking grades among the starters. JC Latham (70.2) is the only starting lineman above 60.
Tony Pollard has 478 rushing yards, but 359 of them have come after contact. That leaves just 119 yards before contact on 112 carries. Pollard had his most productive day of the season in Week 7 versus the Browns, so perhaps the run-blocking unit can carry over that fantastic showing moving forward.
The pass protection hasn't been the problem. The Titans rank sixth in PFF's pass-blocking grades. Latham has allowed just five pressures all season, and Ward has been sacked 11 times in seven games after 55 last season.
The Titans don't have one problem on offense. They have four, and fixing one may not be enough.
Add us as a preferred source on Google