Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - 2021 Tennessee Titans-Coaster Part 2: Complete Recap of Weeks 7-12

Episode Date: February 3, 2022

On today's show we continue the 2021 Titans-Coaster Season Recap. Going week by week to relive the Titans season that was. It's part two going through Weeks 7-12 on tap. Tyler goes over the best winning streak of the year including a dominant performance against the Chiefs, a divisional comeback, a prime time showcase & some some major letdowns.Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitansSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.GetUpsideJust download the FREE GetUpside App and use promo code TOUCHDOWN to get 25 cents per gallon or more cash back on your first tank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, it is a Thursday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. And on today's show, we are going to do part two of the 2021 Titans coaster. That's right. We are going week by week through the ups and downs, the highs and lows from the Tennessee Titans season that was on Wednesday.

We checked out part one, the first six games of the year. Now we are going to go into what could be considered the best stretch of the Titans season week seven through week 12. So a lot of great performances in there. We're going to get into all of them. It is part two of the 2021 Titans Coaster on a Thursday edition of the Locked On Titans Podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked On Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast.

Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Titans fans, it is a Thursday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast, part two of the 2021 Titans coaster going through week seven through week 12. Excited to dive into all these games. Probably the four best games of the season for the Titans are in this stretch. Before we get into it, do want to let you guys know that today's episode is sponsored by Get Upside. Make sure you download the free Get Upside app. Use the promo code TOUCHDOWN. You'll get $0.25 per gallon or more in cash back on your first tank. Also want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day.

If this is your first ever listen to the Locked on Titans podcast, make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream. Check out the show on video at the Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Subscribe over there. Smash that notification bell so you know when all of my content goes live. Throw a thumbs up on the video if you're watching on YouTube right now. Also, check me out on social media on Twitter at TicTacTitans, on Facebook at Locked on Titans Pod.

But time to dive into the Week seven game for the Tennessee Titans. And it is a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. And boy, did the Titans destroy the Chiefs in this game. The Titans were at home and beat the Chiefs 27 to three. And I know going through this season, we're going to talk a lot about slow starts for the Titans. The offense came out and did nothing to help the defense, despite the defense having some good performances. Well, this is one game where the Titans just jumped on the Chiefs right away. The Titans scored on their first five possessions of the game, three touchdowns and two field goals. The Titans had all 27 of their points in the first half.

It was pretty incredible, quite frankly. They didn't even score in the second half, and they didn't need to. Derrick Henry had his touchdown throw to Michael Pruitt. A.J. Brown went superstar mode, eight catches, 133 yards and a touchdown. That touchdown coming on a deep fade, very similar to what we saw in the Bengals game, just on the opposite side of the field. A.J. Brown made a great catch in the end zone on the sideline.

The chemistry between him and Ryan Tannehill on those back shoulder throws, just absolutely fantastic to see, and this was another display. And quite frankly, this is one of Ryan Tannehill's best games. He had 270 passing yards, had one touchdown in the air, one touchdown on the ground. It wasn't even a game where the Titans ran the ball down their throat.

The Titans were throwing the ball all over the place, and the defense just completely obliterated Patrick Mahomes. They sacked him four times, including that play that has to stick in your mind. Jeffrey Simmons' knee hitting Patrick Mahomes in his head. I mean, you don't want to see injuries, and Patrick Mahomes wasn't injured ultimately, even though he looked super concussed walking off the field after that hit. Either way, you just love to see the physical dominance from the Tennessee Titans defense against the Chiefs. Again, those four sacks

had two fumbles in the game. Kevin Byard coming through, knocking the ball away from Mahomes while he was on a scramble. What an awesome play. So just a tremendous performance from the Titans. Maybe their best all-around game of the year when you look at the success of the offense and coming out playing hot, ready to go with a good plan.

The defense getting sacks, forcing turnovers against a good team that made it all the way to the conference championship. Now at this time, everybody was kind of downplaying the Chiefs, saying they were having a down year, this and that. Well, they still ended up with a home game in the conference championship, even though they lost to the Bengals. After this game, where the Titans won 27-3, the vibes around the team were just, let's F and go. I mean, coming off the win against the Bills,

following up with the win against the Chiefs, nothing can stop us now is the vibe around the team. Maybe the height of the high. Maybe not. Maybe that could be coming in just a few weeks. But definitely one of the best games of the year, one of the best feelings of the year for the Titans and their fan base. The next week wasn't as celebratory, but boy, it felt good too.

And that was a week eight matchup on the road against Indianapolis. The Titans won this game in overtime 34-31, but the Colts came out ready to go. They started out with an 82-yard touchdown drive to kick things off and go up 7-0. Ryan Tannehill throws a terrible interception, poor decision, not reading the field. Gives the Colts an easy second touchdown within the 10-yard line, 14-0. Tannehill battles back, though. Tannehill battles back, though. Tannehill battles back.

The Titans score a touchdown, 14-7, but then it looks like things are going haywire. Tannehill throws his second interception to a defensive lineman, and it's unfortunate that it went this way, but it did favor the Titans. While the defensive end is returning the interception, he tears his ACL. He hits the ground. He fumbles.

The Titans recover the fumble, get the ball back, and instantly, one play later, a 55-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. He runs an out route on Xavier Rhodes, takes it all the way down the sideline. I was at that game. I was on the sideline. The A. that game. I was on the sideline. The A.J. Brown ran down on that side of the stadium.

Boy, what a tremendous play. I think that 55-yard touchdown catch by A.J. Brown, which was mostly run after catch, has to be one of the best plays of the entire season for the Titans. But this game, this game was full of them. So the Titans were able to tie it up there 14-14. And then the entire second half, it's just back and forth. Both teams getting after each other until we get to late in the fourth quarter.

The Titans punt. The Colts are backed up. They're on the one, on the two-yard line. Bud Dupree gets pressure on Carson Wentz in the end zone. And Wentz tosses the ball up in the air like a fool. Elijah Molden, interception, pick six, touchdown for the Titans. And of course, because this game was just this way, a battle back and forth.

The Titans thought they had it wrapped up. I thought the Titans had it wrapped up, 31-24. But nay. But nay. Carson Wentz, to his credit, great drive all the way down the field. You get the big defensive pass interference penalty on Kevin Byard who lets Michael Pittman get past. And Pittman had a great game.

Had 10 catches in this game, I believe, for two touchdowns. Really good performance. It leads to a Colts touchdown, 31-31, two overtime. Both teams punt. Colts punt. Titans punt. Colts get the ball back. And this truly was one of the biggest plays of the entire year. Kevin Byard gets the interception on Carson Wentz, sets the Titans up for a game-winning field goal. And as he did throughout most of the year, bulletproof Bullock

hits the field goal, gives the Titans the win, really slams the door shut on the AFC South. Again, A.J. Brown, 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. The big win against the Colts, but it extracted a heavy toll. Derrick Henry breaks his foot and is out for the rest of the regular season. So, it took a lot. It cost everything, as the Thanos meme says. What did it cost? It cost Derrick Henry.

But a big win for the Titans that mattered a lot going into the last week of the season. So that is week seven. That is week eight. Two of the best games of the year. We're going to continue going to what may have been the best game of the entire year for the Titans in week nine. Before we get into that, though,

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use the promo code touchdown, and you'll get up to 25 cents per gallon or more cash back on your first tank. That's promo code TOUCHDOWN on the free GetUpside app. Titans fans, let's continue our ride on the 2021 Titans coaster. We are going through the middle part of the season. Week 7 through week 12.

We just talked about that big dominant win over the Kansas City Chiefs. 27-3 in week 7. Talked about the crazy comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts. With some of the best moments of the season in week 8. Indianapolis Colts with some of the best moments of the season in week 8. Now, I want to go into what some of you guys may consider the best game of the year on a national stage. Sunday night football in week 9. On the road, the Titans took on the Los Angeles Rams

and they won 28-16. And just defensive domination in this game. This was the first game after the Titans lost. Derrick Henry, the world had basically called the Titans dead. Said they were a fish out of water. Nothing they could do without Derrick Henry. And the defense said, not on my watch. Now, in this game, it was a little bit of foreshadowing.

The offense didn't really play all that well. But the defense, I just can't talk about the Titans defense enough in this game. David Long gets a big interception on the goal line off of Jeffrey Simmons' pressure. Kevin Byard gets the pick six, one of the best plays of the entire year. The Titans got five sacks on the day. Three of them came from Big Jeff. And Jeffrey Simmons getting a sack

and going out there and counting the sacks down. I mean, how could that not fire you up? I use that picture as my thumbnail for the episode on Monday or Tuesday. I mean, just how could that not have been one of the best moments I remember in a long time for the Titans? Because it's not just about the Titans defense playing well.

It's that Jeffrey Simmons pick paying off to the max. I mean, the highest, highest potential that you could think of for Jeffrey Simmons was on display in that game. I mean, J-Rob was 100% A-plus accurate on Jeffrey Simmons. He got healthy. He's a great guy off the field, and he has turned into the second-best interior defensive lineman in the entire league outside of the guy who is on the other sideline, Aaron Donald. So for Jeffrey Simmons to announce himself so dramatically against the Rams while going up against Aaron Donald,

everybody tunes in and they know Sunday Night Football is the most watched television program in the world on a weekly basis. So, for everybody in the football world to tune into this game and be like, oh, Aaron Donald's one of the best players. He's going to eat this Titans offensive

lineup and then to see the opposite of that. Oh, wow. Who is this Jeffrey Simmons guy? Lordy. I still remember that bull rush sack where Simmons just literally went through the guard. It was just disgusting. I mean, it's just one of those moments. That game right there is why Jeffrey Simmons made All-Pro second team.

That game right there is why Jeffrey Simmons is going to make the Pro Bowl for the next six or seven years. That game announced to the world, oh, Jeffrey Simmons is one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL. Just incredible. Love that game. Adrian Peterson got a touchdown. You guys remember that Adrian Peterson era? One of the Titans greats, Adrian Peterson. He got a touchdown in that game, so that was a nice moment. But coming out of that game, it's like, yeah, the Titans lost Derrick Henry, but man, this defense is for real. For real. That was a great moment. And, of course, got to call back one of the greatest reverse jinxes

in Tennessee Titans history, my sit everyone tweet. I mean, that was an all-timer. Quite frankly, you guys are welcome. For my reverse jinx powers being put on display again, but couldn't pass through that Week 9 matchup without at least making a mention of maybe the most controversial tweet I've ever sent in my history of running my account and doing this show. So, I'm sure a lot of you guys will

remember that. Moving forward, Week 10, one of the ugliest wins that the Titans got all year in a home game against the New Orleans Saints, 23-21. And I remember the article I wrote after this game was all about special teams. This was basically a special teams win in my mind. Completely ugly. I mean, it was 13-6 at halftime against Trevor Simeon. Not a good day for the Titans offense. It was ugly. It was tough throughout.

Simeon had way too much success against the defense as well. But the second half started. Dylan Cole. Boom. Cole World. Makes the ball carrier on the kickoff fumble. It was Deontay Harris. I do believe Titans get the ball immediately and they score.

So they go up 20-6 off the opening fumble of the second half on the kickoff. And put themselves in a great spot, even though it was an ugly game. I mean, the Saints came back. The Saints came back. They're a well-coached team with a really good defense themselves. I mean, we're talking punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, back and forth all day long. It was 23-13 going into the fourth quarter.

The Saints put up nine points. So they really tried to get back into the game. They missed two extra points in this game. And the Titans won 23-21 because the They missed two extra points in this game. And the Titans won 23-21 because the Saints missed two extra points. Randy Bullock made all his kicks. There were good punts. Forced to fumble on special teams. I mean, the special teams really saved the Titans in this game. The Saints went for two at the end. Didn't get it. Other than that, I mean, the Saints almost won this game for sure if they just make, if the Saints make their extra point

kicks, they win this game 24-23. So, an ugly game for the Titans, and one thing that stuck out to me, six drives for the Titans in this game got less than six yards. That's almost half of the drives in the game the Titans offense wasn't able to get more than six yards. That's almost half of the drives in the game. The Titans offense wasn't able to get more than six yards. Gross. Just a gross win. Now, it was a Marcus Johnson game.

The only game we got all year of a big Marcus Johnson game. Five catches for 100 yards. RIP Marcus Johnson. Appreciate that effort in that game, though. Couldn't have done it without you. But my ultimate takeaway after this game and how everybody was feeling was, ugh, that was gross. But it was a W, and the Titans move

to 8-2. So that is all the way through Week 10. We're going to get into Week 11 and Week 12 where things get a little bit off the rails. Probably two of the three worst games that the Titans played all year. Well, I'll say two of the four. Two of the four worst games that the Titans played all year. Well, I'll say two of the four. Two of the four worst games that

the Titans played all year long. Also, do want to tell you guys before we get into those two games about our sponsor, BetOnline.net. So, power rankings jump in there. Either way, BetOnline.net has

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presented by BetOnline.net part of the Locked On podcast network. But moving into week 11. This one hurts. Even though it didn't matter, it was still gross. And that was the Tennessee Titans losing at home to the Houston Texans, 22-13.

And this is one of those games where, in my mind, I just said, the injuries have caught up to the Titans. The injuries weren't an issue throughout the year. The Titans had a good next man up philosophy, mindset, good culture in the building, so they were able to fight through. But this game, A.J. got hurt in this game. No Marcus Johnson because he got hurt early in this game. No Julio, no Derrick Henry.

I mean, the Titans were playing Nick Westbrook-Akina and Des Fitzpatrick out there at wide receiver. It was just all too much for them to overcome. The real story of this game by far was the turnovers. Five real story of this game, by far, was the turnovers. Five turnovers in this game. Four interceptions for Ryan Tannehill. Two of those were on Des Fitzpatrick running the wrong route, doing the wrong thing.

Chester Rogers muffs a punt and gives the Texans an easy touchdown in their own 10-yard line. Both the touchdowns that the Texans scored in the game were on Tyrod Taylor scrambles. I mean, I've been writing down a little phrase or a little quote to kind of sum up the feeling after each game.

This one in my notes I wrote, my God, this was despicable. I mean, it was just awful. Everything bad about the Titans in 2021 was on display in this game. A little bit of undisciplined play on defense, which led to the quarterback scrambles. I remember Mike Vrabel screaming at the sideline,

at the defensive line, the quarterback can run. We know that, right? He was just perplexed by the fact that the Titans let Tyrod Taylor out of contain. Ryan Tannehill making stupid decisions. Practice squad wide receivers running wrong routes. Chester Rogers being way too risky as a punt returner, muffing a punt.

I mean, just everything dumb that the Titans did all year long, they did all of it in this one game against the Texans. So 22-13, the Titans lose at home. The injuries caught up. The turnovers killed them. That was just a despicable loss. And these are the losses that just take away some of your confidence and some of your faith in the Titans as a team.

There's no way that they couldn't have. It was very disappointing. And then the Titans follow that up with a week 12 loss on the road to the New England Patriots, 36-13, where once again, it's the turnovers. It was a problem all year, and it was the Titans undoing at the end of the year as well. The Titans fumbled the ball three times in this game.

Tannehill threw an interception. Again, no Henry, no Julio, no AJ, no Marcus Johnson, no Nate Davis in this game. Tannehill threw an interception. Again, no Henry, no Julio, no AJ, no Marcus Johnson, no Nate Davis in this game. Hilliard and Foreman both went over 100 yards. The Titans ran for 270 yards as a team. But, Foreman and Hilliard both fumbled after they broke off long runs. Just inexplicable, quite frankly. And if not for that Hilliard long run right before halftime, 68-yard touchdown run,

this thing was even uglier. So, again, we look at all these losses for the Titans. It's either sacks or it's turnovers. No way around it. And, you know, I think we all get on Tannehill, and I was as well. But one thing I will say is it's hard to deny that there's a correlation between Ryan Tannehill not having his weapons and Ryan Tannehill being turnover prone.

Now, I know he had his weapons in that final game against Cincinnati, but it's kind of just a momentum thing throughout the year. You cannot say that his confidence wasn't shaken by all the turnovers in the play throughout the year and the pressure on him. So all of that kind of culminates in these two weeks, nine turnovers in two weeks. You're not going to win many football games in the NFL doing that.

So that is the middle part of the Titans season, week seven through week 12. We are going to wrap up the 2021 Titans coaster on tomorrow's show Friday, breaking down the last six games of the year. Some really fun games in there and some disappointments as well. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.