The Tennessee Titans were the number one seed in the AFC heading into last year’s playoffs.
But, after Week 1, they looked nothing like that 12-win team from last year.
The Week 1 loss to a rebuilding New York Giants team was a very bad look, especially at home.
The Titans had a 13-0 lead at halftime, then faltered in the second half and allowed the Giants to pull off the incredible upset.
Some people say not to panic after one week, which is true.
But, it is not getting any easier for the Titans as they go on the road to Buffalo in Week 2.
The Titans are staring down the barrel at an 0-2 record and that would be a major cause for concern.
Another cause for concern was how terrible Tennessee’s run defense was.
Facing a mediocre offensive line in the Giants, Tennessee allowed 238 yards rushing and an astounding 7.4 yards per rush.
THERE GOES @SAQUON ‼️
📺: #NYGvsTEN on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/z4k2UMB2UG pic.twitter.com/joBxVzyyuY— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2022
That is an all-time bad run defense after one week.
If the Titans do not get that fixed they will have a hard time beating anyone this season.
The defense was able to be good enough against the pass and rushed the passer quite well recording five sacks.
But, the Giants do not have a good passing offense.
The real test will be this upcoming week against Josh Allen.
The Titans defense will have their hands full against the run and pass facing what might be the best offense in the NFL.
Lack Of Playmakers
The Titans offense did not look sharp either in Week 1.
After trading A.J. Brown in the offseason, the Titans seem to have no playmakers on the outside.
The lack of weapons makes their offense very one-dimensional and reliant on Derrick Henry.
Henry was ineffective on Sunday rushing for only 82 yards on 21 carries.
As a team, Tennessee averaged 3.6 yards per carry, another sign that they need to be better.
The Titans have gone through Henry for years now and will need him to be dominant running the ball this year if they want offensive success.
Their leading receiver was fifth-round rookie Kyle Philips, who caught six passes for 66 yards.
What a clutch dime from Ryan Tannehill 😱
📺: #NYGvsTEN on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/z4k2UMB2UG pic.twitter.com/JWP6ZoRDkv— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2022
He also received a team-high nine targets.
Tennessee also drafted Treylon Burks in the first round of the NFL Draft, who was less involved on Sunday.
Burks brought in three passes for 53 yards.
Four of the Titans’ six drives in the second half led to punts.
Despite having the 13-0 lead at the half, they only scored one more time the rest of the game and even missed a field goal to win the game.
The pressure will remain on Ryan Tannehill to make sure this team does not go into the gutter.
He will have to throw the ball better than ever to make up for the lack of weapons in this offense.
As a whole, this was a terrible game for the Titans.
Both sides of the ball seemed to struggle against a team many think is going to be one of the worst in the league.
You can not lose home games to teams you are supposed to beat.
But, now we will see how the Titans respond with their back against the wall.
NEXT: NFL Analyst Has A Grim Titans Prediction For 2022