The Titans earned a huge bounce-back win against a fraudulent Bears team. In a Freaky Friday style mix-up, it was the defense that was the star on Sunday and the offense that sputtered a bit.
Three Down:
Derrick Henry: After being extremely effective a week ago, Henry had 21 rushes for only 68 yards. The Titans will need their workhorse to be more effective in a crucial Thursday Night Football matchup with the Colts.
Ryan Tannehill: He was not helped out by his receivers, but you’re not having a very good day when you complete less than 50% of your passes. He still had two passing TDs, but we’ve come to expect more from Tannehill as a Titan.
Injuries: Roger Saffold went out with a shoulder injury, Jadeveon Clowney was a scratch due to a meniscus, and Adoree Jackson still is unavailable. Going forward, the Titans will need Saffold to be healthy to have a chance at a deep run, as the left side of the line is already hurting without Taylor Lewan.
Three Up:
Defense: Desmond King is clearly the most impactful defender in the NFL. One day in the facility was all it took to turn the Titans’ defense from very bad to elite. King had a scoop and score touchdown in the 3rd quarter, essentially icing the game for Tennessee. The Bears were 2 of 15 on third down, a huge improvement for the defense.
I would say take this game with a grain of salt because it is the Bears, and their offense is terrible… HOWEVER, enjoy it, fans have not been able to celebrate a defensive performance like this all year.
A.J. Brown: A staple in this segment, what more can you say about Arthur Juan? The guy is a stud. Every week, even when he doesn’t have many targets, he makes an impact on the game.
This week, when the offense was sputtering in the first half, Brown took a perfectly thrown pass from Tannehill to the house. It has been said before, but the wait for a #1 receiver is over. He is here, and he wears two “1’s” on his back to show he’s twice as good as most team’s top receiver.
Jeffery Simmons: Big Jeff has been a one man wrecking crew all year and this game was no different. Facing the decimated offensive line of the Bears, Simmons was able to absolutely feast. He had the forced fumble that King returned for a TD and almost had himself an interception. Going into the game, I was a bit worried that without Clowney, the defense was not going to be as disruptive. Thankfully, I could not have been more wrong.
Play calling, substitutions, solid D and the third down listed (injuries) had more to do with Derrick Henry making the down list than his play. Corey Davis was more deserving – An WR2 needs to at least contribute, especially with a significant drop off in positional talent after him with Humphries out.
The D is listed as an up as a whole, but only King and Simmons received shout outs. Butler, Brown, Landry, Jones and Borders deserve extra love as well. Everyone that played contributed, but these guys showed up all game.