Titans' JC Latham hits rookie wall after disappointing Week 14 showing

The Tennessee Titans suffered their biggest embarrassment of the season on Sunday, losing 10-6 at home to the Mac Jones-led Jacksonville Jaguars. Several players and coaches put forth lackluster performances in the setback. One of them was first-year left tackle JC Latham, who's recent form indicates he's hit a rookie wall.

Pro Football Focus credited Latham with allowing two pressures and one sack. Rookie linebacker Otis Reese IV intercepted Jones with just a few seconds remaining in the second quarter. Head coach Brian Callahan called an ill-advised Hail Mary. Latham got smoked by Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Hines-Allen, who drove Will Levis into the ground on a sack that appeared to injure Levis' shoulder for the second time this season.

It wasn't Latham's lone defeat against Hines-Allen in pass protection. The former Alabama standout earned a 48.2 grade (PFF) in pass pro, the third-worst single grade of his rookie campaign. One of those occurred in Week 1 versus the Chicago Bears (45.1). The other? In Week 12 versus the Houston Texans (29.2). Two of Latham's worst performances of his rookie campaign have occurred in Tennessee's previous three games. The rookie wall is real.

In that game against the Texans, Latham allowed a season-high five pressures, matching his previous worst (Bears). In-between, Latham allowed four pressures against the Washington Commanders in Week 13. He wasn't credited with forfeiting a sack versus the Commanders, but has allowed three total sacks in the last three contests.

It's worth acknowledging Latham was largely outstanding between Weeks 2 and 11. The first-round selection earned a pass protection grade in the seventies or better in six of those nine outings throughout that span. In those nine showings, Latham forfeited just two sacks, and both occurred in the Week 7 defeat to the Super Bowl contending Buffalo Bills.

Latham allowed three or fewer pressures in all of those contests but one. Against the Texans, he struggled against Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Versus the Jaguars, it was Hines-Allen that got the better of him. These are high-caliber rushers, but if Latham is to develop into a long-term shutdown left tackle, he'll need to respond better in those difficult spots than he did versus Houston and Jacksonville.

Latham should see another outstanding rusher in Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson versus the Bengals in Week 15. Hendrickson may spend the majority of reps rushing opposite whichever struggling right tackle Tennessee throws out there, but Latham should be matched up opposite the Bengals' rusher occasionally. It represents an opportunity for a positive response.