The Tennessee Titans are suffering through an embarrassing situation at the right tackle position. In Sunday's defeat to the Minnesota Vikings, the Titans played their fifth different right tackle of the 2024 season. Making matters more humiliating, none of those decisions were forced due to injury. They are simply rearranging seats on the Titanic.
In recent weeks, Leroy Watson and John Ojukwu had been rotating in and out of the lineup per offensive series as the right tackle. Watson was ruled out of the Vikings game due to injury. Presumably deeming they've seen enough of Ojukwu, the Titans went back to Nicholas Petit-Frere, the original starter at right tackle.
The fifth right tackle of the campaign came into play when recent addition Isaiah Prince was elevated from the practice squad. Both Prince and Petit-Frere played versus the Vikings, keeping the rotation strategy in tact. Unsurprisingly, it led to disastrous results.
Petit-Frere played 30 offensive snaps with the remaining 29 being assigned to Prince. Pro Football Focus credited Petit-Frere with allowing two sacks and three total pressures. Starting quarterback Will Levis was under constant duress, particularly behind the right side of the offensive line was completely overmatched by Minnesota's creative and aggressive defensive line. Levis was pressured on 46.2 percent of his dropbacks, per NFL Pro.
Nor did Petit-Frere fare better as a run blocker. The Titans managed just 33 rushing yards with starting running back Tony Pollard limited to 15 yards via nine carries. Petit-Frere was assigned a PFF run-blocking score of 45.0, his worst of the campaign.
"I thought Nick was going to play pretty well for us and that hasn't been the case this year," head coach Brian Callahan bluntly said via Paul Kuharsky following Sunday's loss. "He'd tell you he hasn't had those types of performances. We're trying everything ."
Asked Brian Callahan if Ran Carthon served him well enough with regard to info on holdover RT option. #Titans pic.twitter.com/bigCfG4kLk
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) November 17, 2024
And then there was Prince. The sixth-round 2019 draftee was whistled for three illegal formation penalties. They were highly questionable, with one of them wiping out this 51-yard touchdown pass from Levis to Calvin Ridley. Left tackle JC Latham claimed he and Prince had been warned about their stance early.
3 completions for 80 yards and a sick TD wiped off the board by a petty side judge, who decided RT Isaiah Prince was suddenly lining up illegally (he lined up the same all game long) pic.twitter.com/HjwRrRuEi2
— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) November 18, 2024
Pro Football Focus slapped Prince with allowing one pressure en route to a lackluster 46.8 grade in pass protection. His overall score was a 29.3, undeniably influenced by the penalties. The former Ohio State Buckeye did not help the Titans solve their ongoing woes at the position.
Admire the Titans' willingness to refuse to settle for the status quo. The unfortunate reality is there are no in-house solutions at right tackle. Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon must address the position via a high-priority approach in free agency or the draft.