Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Potential Playoff Matchups, Predictable Offense & Corners On An Island

Episode Date: November 30, 2022

The Tennessee Titans are almost a lock to make the playoffs this year. With the AFC playoff picture taking shape, who could the Titans end up playing and who SHOULD they want to play? Tyler goes over the conference standings. Next, dive into the tape as Tyler goes over his Week 12 All-22 Review. The Titans offense was just outsmarted at every turn Sunday. Finally, the Titans defense was beaten at their own game and Cincy took advantage of what the Titans gave them.Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFLBuilt BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!PrizePicksFirst time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDONSimpliSafeWith Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnNFL to learn more.TuroForget boring rental cars and find your drive at Turo.com AudibleHead over to Locked On NFL for a sneak peak of Block Forever or catch the full series available anywhere you get your podcast. Available everywhere now!   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, with the AFC playoff picture becoming more clear, who do the Titans have a chance to play in the playoffs and who should they want to play in the first round of the playoffs? I'll tell you my ideal playoff opponent for the Titans in round one. Then we'll dive into our all 22 review of week 12. I'll tell you how the Cincinnati Bengals defense just completely figured out the Titans predictable

offense. And then on the defensive side of the ball for the Titans, how the Bengals use different schematic adjustments to dominate the Titans in the trenches. I'll dive into all of that and more on today's 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, we are getting even closer to the playoffs and that playoff picture in the AFC is starting to take shape.

Who are some potential first round opponents for the Titans? Who should they want to play? I'm going to tell you guys my thoughts and rank them before we get into it. Thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. If this is your first ever listen, make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream for Monday through Friday. subscribe on whatever platform you do stream for Monday through Friday. Free Tennessee Titans content on all platforms all year round, including on the Locked On Titans YouTube channel.

Subscribe there, smash the notification bell, and throw a thumbs up on the video. It goes a long way to help support the channel, and I really do appreciate it. But diving right in here to the AFC playoff picture, and what I want to do is for the folks watching on YouTube, I'm going to throw up a little bit of a graphic for you guys showing the top nine teams in the AFC. So right now at number one, the Kansas City Chiefs. At number two, the Miami Dolphins.

Miami Dolphins. At number three, your Tennessee Titans. At number four, the Baltimore Ravens, who also, like the Titans, have a 7-4 record. Then you go to the Buffalo Bills as the first wildcard team, the Cincinnati Bengals as the second wildcard team, who are also 7-4, but lost to the Ravens earlier this year, And that's why the Ravens have the tiebreaker over the Bengals, similar with the Dolphins and the Bills. Then, to round things out, you have the New York Jets at 7-4,

who look like they are going to be able to stay in the playoff race now that Mike White has come in and saved the day. Then, at the end, the bubble, you could say in the hunt, as Joe Buck was complaining about on Monday Night Football. You have the New England Patriots at 6-5, and you have the Los Angeles Chargers at 6-5. So that's the way things are looking. And the first thing that I want to say is, for the Titans, the best thing that could possibly happen

is for the Bills and the Bengals to find a way to win their divisions. Because I do not want to play Cincinnati, Buffalo, or Kansas City in the first round of the playoffs. It's really that simple for me. I do not want to play any of the teams that I think have a clear better quarterback than the Titans. You could argue Lamar. I get it, but Lamar's up and down sometimes. Tua been pretty solid this year. Mike White, Mac Jones, Justin Herbert very

good, but at 6-5, I don't think the Chargers are going to get in. So the three quarterbacks that I think are far and away elite are Burrow, Allen, and Mahomes. I don't want anything to do with them until the second round. So that leaves. Let's for a second

hope and let's act like we got our wish. And the Ravens, I think the Bengals are a better team than the Ravens. Period. Just outright. I know the Ravens beat them earlier in the year, but I'm expecting Cincinnati to win. I think Cincinnati has a better record at the end of the year.

Same thing with Buffalo. Buffalo has had their struggles. They've had their ups and downs, but I think the Dolphins do eventually succumb and go down to a wild card. So with that in mind, even if Miami and Buffalo stay the same, okay, that is what it is. The Bengals are going to have the tiebreaker on the Titans in the standings, and I think the Bengals finish with a better record than the Titans as well.

So it looks like the Titans are going to get the three or the four seed. I would imagine the four seed. So with that in mind, we would be looking at, again, just to throw the visual up for you guys, we're looking at potentially Miami or Buffalo, potentially Cincinnati or Baltimore, and then the Jets or the Patriots or the Chargers.

I want to play, and I think realistically it could work out this way. I want to play the Ravens. I want to play the Ravens. The Titans always have an excellent game plan for the Ravens. Another chapter in the rivalry, and I just think the Titans have a much better chance to win against

Baltimore than they do against Cincinnati or Buffalo. Now, of course, of course, of course, if I had my way, I'd take the Jets. I'd take the Patriots. That's really what I would hope for. But I have a feeling that one of those teams is going to finish in the 7th seed, and that's not going to be something that the Titans are going to be able to do to get all the way up to 2. I don't expect that to happen. So for me, I want the rematch against Baltimore. If I can't get it, then go ahead and line up the Dolphins.

I'd much rather play the Dolphins than play Buffalo. So if I had to rank them realistically, I'd want to play Baltimore and then I'd want to play Miami. And if they can't play any of those guys, then let's hope that maybe somebody like the Jets climbs the standings and gets up there to somebody the Titans can play. That's what I want. I want the Ravens.

I want the Dolphins. And they're both right in that window of teams that could realistically be there for the Titans. Let me know down in the comments who you think would be the ideal matchup for the Titans in the first round. Again, I'm going Ravens. I'm going Dolphins. I think those are realistic. Of course, if the Titans could play the Jets or the Patriots, then'm going Ravens. I'm going Dolphins. I think those are realistic. Of course, if the

Titans could play the Jets or the Patriots, then I'd take that. But let's hope that the Bengals and the Bills find a way to get into first place by the end of the year so that the Titans can get their hands on one of these teams that I do think they have a good chance to beat. But with that in mind, it's time to dive into the tape. It's time for our all 22 review. We're going to dive into the offensive side of the ball first. And I'm going to tell you just how since he had things completely figured out and the Titans should have expected it, and they just simply weren't ready to counter it. Before we get into all of that though, do want to let you know that today's episode is sponsored by Turo. Turo is the world's largest car sharing marketplace. With Turo, you can book any car you want wherever you want it from a community of local hosts spread out over the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Get that spacious SUV

or minivan for your family road trip. You can book a classic or luxury car for a special event like your birthday or a holiday. You can even test drive a new electric vehicle that you've had your eye on to see just how it fits in your everyday life. Many Turo hosts can even deliver the car right to you. Every trip is backed by liability insurance. Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Forget boring rental cars and find your drive at Turo.com. Also, do want to tell you

guys about Audible. Audible is releasing a slate of new football podcasts that we're sure you're going to love. Find Block Forever now wherever you get your podcasts. Block Forever is a brand new podcast from former NFL, all pro Ryan Khalil and audible Khalil takes the conversation about football to the next level.

It's available free on audible or wherever you get your podcast, check out the full block forever series available anywhere. You get your podcast available everywhere. Now, Audible, get in the game. Titans fans, it is time, my favorite time of the week. We are going to dive into the tape and see what the Titans did schematically against the Bengals in week two. We are going to start with the offensive side of the ball. And I just want to start here with my overall take about what happened. The Bengals just know what the Titans are going to do.

They just know. They simply know what the Titans' moves are going to be. So, for example, let's dive in here a little bit to some of my notes from watching the tape on offense. Number one, the Bengals did exactly what I said they were going to do, exactly what Green Bay did, and they went with a 6-1 front. They had four down defensive linemen, and then they had two outside linebackers on either side.

They would have one linebacker in a normal linebacker position creating the 6-1, and then often what they would do is they would walk down a safety to create a 6-2. If the Titans went into three wide receiver, if the Titans went into two running back sets, a fullback in the backfield with one tight end, the Bengals would then go a five-man front with two linebackers and a safety at the second level, still putting eight men in the box.

But what they would do is they would walk one of those linebackers all the way up to the line of scrimmage. So you're essentially presenting a 6-1 front no matter what the personnel is that you decide to use, whether it's four down linemen or three down linemen with a linebacker on the line of scrimmage. So the natural counter to that, like I said on Friday, would be power runs. Power runs. But here's the problem. The Bengals knew it was coming.

The Bengals knew that on second and short, the Titans like to go to that power run game. Short yardage situations. And they were ready for it. They were literally calling out the plays, pointing to where the ball was going to be run. And here's the thing. The Bengals line up in a 6-1.

The Titans counter it with power runs. Well, when you run a power run, and guys, when I'm saying power run, think about pullers. In a zone scheme, you double team, and then one guy climbs to the second level. In a power scheme, you block one-on-one, and then you pull a guy from the backside and he goes up through the hole to take on the guy at the second level. Essentially becomes a fullback if you want to look at it that way. So that's what the Titans were trying to do. But the real issue

became the Titans weren't winning one-on-one. Aaron Brewer was getting smoked by DJ Reader. Nate Davis wasn't winning. Dylan Radins wasn't winning. I mean, it's just hard to operate a power run scheme when you can't win one-on-one down blocks. And the Titans weren't winning. The Titans' offensive line didn't allow them to run the football in this game. They simply didn't. Now, the Titans say,

okay, you're going to run that 6-1 front. You're going to put a bunch of defensive linemen on the field. How do we counteract that? Well, you go with the power run game. That's not working. How can we counter it even more? Well, what the Titans tried to do is they tried to have three tight ends on the field, and then they'd go spread formation.

You remember seeing the Titans being five wide spread shotgun a ton? That's because the Titans think they're cute. Todd Downing thinks he's cute. spread shotgun a ton. That's because the Titans think they're cute. Todd Downing thinks he's cute. He says, hey, I'm going to put all three tight ends out there with Derrick Henry and Robert Woods, and then I'm going to spread everybody out in shotgun,

and you're in a 6-1. What are you going to do about it? The Bengals were ready. Lou Anarumo had Ryan Tannehill and Todd Downing completely figured out. Anytime, anytime that the Titans put 13 personnel on the field, three tight ends, and went spread shotgun, the Bengals dropped eight into coverage.

Because what do the Titans like to do when they go in that 13 personnel spread? They just throw quick passes. There's a, hey, you got a heavy personnel of defense on the field, we're going to spread you out, throw quick passes, get five to six yards on first down, and it's an effective early down play. Well, the Bengals said, we know you're going to do that. We watched the film too, you bums.

And they just dropped their defensive ends into coverage and rushed three. And they had eight guys back in coverage while the Titans have three tight ends and Derrick Henry has four of the five receiving options. Who's open? You know what I mean? Who's going to be open in that scenario?

And the tackles for the Titans are cut blocking, which means they just dive at the legs of the defensive ends who are rushing because they expect the ball to come out quickly and then the ball doesn't come out quickly. And it just creates a ton of problems. So the 6-1 up front, the Titans' inability from a personnel and execution standpoint to win one-on-one on power runs, the counter to that front.

Then the Titans' other counter to go to quick passing with a spread out 13 personnel. The Bengals just had all of the counters ready for what the Titans wanted to do. Had them completely sewed up. The Titans were predictable and the Bengals knew what was coming and they shut it down. Now, to the passing game completely. The Bengals either ran cover one man

in passing downs. And what they would do is, again, they would drop eight into coverage and only rush three. what they would do is, again, they would drop eight into coverage and only rush three. One particular play I remember, the Bengals were in man coverage with a deep safety, an intermediate zone defender,

and then an extra intermediate zone defender. Almost like a QB spy that isn't really spying the quarterback, is just reading the quarterback's eyes. So they were dropping eight and playing the cover one coverage the Titans like to play with an extra zone defender to read Ryan Tannehill's eyes. And they were doing it the same way the Titans were. If a guy crosses into the zone defender zone,

the zone defender then takes that guy in man coverage. The guy who was in man coverage on that player drops into the zone and they pass off the responsibility. There was nobody to throw to on a lot of times because of the coverages that the Bengals were playing. It was masterful, quite frankly. And I know a lot of you guys, a lot of you guys loved the Titans.

And through that, started loving football. I loved football. And through my love of football, I started loving the Titans. So to me, watching the Titans operate and watching Lou Anarumo come in with the game plan that he had to shut that down and literally know exactly what they're... And go back to the playoff game. The Bengals knew the plays.

The Bengals know the Titans plays. They know what they're running. They know. They know their tendencies. They know their shifts. They know exactly what they are doing every step of the way. Every step of the way. It was insane to watch on film.

It was. Again, another reminder. I post all my film clips on my Twitter account at TicTacTitans. Go there. Look at all the film clips that break down everything I'm telling you. Right now, the link for the TicTacTuesday film thread is in the description. You don't have to have a Twitter. Click on it.

Scroll through. Press play on all the plays. Watch the film. I'm explaining everything I saw. Can't have film on the channel. It's monetized. The NFL will send their goons to my house to beat me up. So there you go.

All the films down in the content, down below. But the last thing that I want to touch on here is the cover zero looks that the Bengals were given. So the Bengals, what they were doing is they were putting six people on the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they brought all six people. Sometimes they dropped people back.

But they were just trying to confuse the Titans. And I thought, to be honest with you, the Titans did a really good job of blocking those six-man rushes. Tannehill did a pretty good job of getting the ball out quickly when the Bengals did that as well. So not bad from that standpoint. There were some successes. But overall, the Bengals just had a good beat on what the Titans wanted to do. The last, very last thing is the red zone issues.

Everybody was in the chat the other day saying, Tannehill should have hit Burks on the crosser before halftime. That is false. That is not open. There was a deep safety right there. He would have intercepted Tannehill in a split second if he threw that ball to Burks. So that's not correct. That is not

right. And thank God for all 22. Burks was not open there. It would have been an interception. But, but, motion and Jeff sway mountain to the slot and running a quick slant to him. Why is that not Chigaconquo? That's in the red zone.

That's a killed play from the start. A second and manageable. And you blow it doing that, giving yourself a third and long. Then, the one where Robert Woods lined up in the backfield is the running back. He was wide open. He came out of the backfield as the running back, he was wide open. He came out of the backfield. He went to the flat. The play is designed to go to Robert Woods in the flat.

He's wide open. And for some reason, Tannehill gets off his progression too quickly and passes him by. And then to double down, he threw it to Chigaconquo and it bounced off Chig's hands up into the air and was almost an interception. You guys can do that thing where you say,

if it hits your hands, you're supposed to catch it. That's nonsense. Blatantly nonsense. People in the NFL, I mean, they don't really think that way when they watch the tape. Tannehill fired a pass, drilled a pass as hard as he could to Chikokonkwo five yards away. Tannehill misread the play, missed a wide-open touchdown,

and then threw a terrible too-hot pass to Chikokonkwo on the drag route, not giving him even a chance to catch it and get in the end zone. So, you know what? I'll take the L on this one. I was pretty upset with Mike Rabel's comment about execution in the end zone. So, you know what? I'll take the L on this one. I was pretty upset with Mike Grable's comment about execution in the red zone, always laying it on the players. But, after looking, yeah, it's more on the execution.

But the thing is, I'm not absolving Todd Downing of blame when he's running screens and slants to Jeff Swain. So it's always a combination. That's why I get mad when Vrabel goes up there and says, we need to execute better. Well, what about Todd Downing? Why can't you say, hey, we need to call some better plays

and we need to execute better? Because clearly, clearly, the coaching staff wasn't doing the right things in the red zone. From the run plays that they called, which are in the Tic Tac Tuesday film thread, and from the personnel that they're using.

So everyone is to blame in this game. Tannehill, the play calling, the offensive line. It's a share of blame. But we're going to get into the defensive side of the ball. The Titans did some good things on defense, but the Bengals really took advantage of a vulnerability that the Titans created for themselves.

Before we get into that, I do want to tell you guys about LinkedIn. LinkedIn Jobs is the best place to post your job right now. is the best place to post your job right now. LinkedIn has helped millions of people find the right candidate for them. They have simple tools like screening questions that really help you narrow down the candidates and find the ideal person for you.

LinkedIn Jobs is giving you a free opportunity to post your job at linkedin.com slash locked on NFL. Post your job for free. Exclusions do apply. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about potential playoff opponents for the Titans, who they want to see. We talked about what I saw from the Titans on offense from the All-22 perspective.

Now I want to dive into what I saw schematically from the defense. Before we get into it, I do want to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Make sure you subscribe. I got Monday through Friday free Tennessee Titans content coming to you every single weekday all year long on all platforms. Tomorrow is crossover Thursday. We're going to be talking with the hosts of Locked On Eagles about that matchup. Friday

is Game Plan Preview Friday. And if you've been tuned in to the last two Game Plan Previews, you knew exactly what the Titans were going to do, what their opponent was going to do, and what they should have been doing. I've been on my game the last few weeks

with my scouting of the opponents. So you won't want to miss all of the content coming up. And then, of course, Sunday, I'm live immediately after the game breaking down everything that we saw. As for your second listen, though, check out the Locked on Sports Today podcast. All the biggest stories

behind the scenes with local experts. It's a great way to get caught up on all the biggest stories in sports every single day. Check out the Locked On Sports Today podcast, free and available on all platforms. But diving back into the tape here. So the Bengals were able to run for over 100 yards.

And I admit, I said coming into the game, I didn't think the Bengals' run game was going to be a big issue. Now, it wasn't the reason that the Titans lost the game, but they definitely made it easier on the Bengals by their lack of execution and run defense. So as we know, if you've been following all year long and you read my film article in week one and you listen to the rewatch Wednesday episode in week one after the Titans played the Giants. What was the big issue with the run defense? One phrase, squeeze and scrape. Squeeze and scrape.

What does that mean? Well, it is a technique to play gap defense in the run game. So what you would have is the defensive ends squeeze down in. You know there's a gap between the defensive end and the defensive ends squeeze down in to the, you know, there's a gap between the defensive end and the defensive tackle. Well, basically the defensive end squeezes down into that gap. And then the linebackers, instead of coming straight forward, they kind of loop out to the outside where the defensive end is. It's a great way to play option football. It really has helped the Titans against teams like the Ravens and Lamar Jackson and the option run.

Well, sometimes teams that pull a lot out of shotgun, the Titans will want to do that squeeze and scrape because you want your defensive end squeezing in to take on the pulling offensive lineman rather than your linebacker coming up through the hole and taking on that pulling offensive lineman. So that's why the Titans do that. It's smart. But the Bengals were able to take advantage in a similar way that the Giants were able to take advantage because the reality

is if your defensive end squeezes in, he's moving inside to the interior of the formation. That's where his momentum is going. Then it's going to be a lot easier to wash him down. So the offensive tackle would basically just go with the defensive end as he moves inside and wash him down. So the offensive tackle would basically just go with the defensive end as he moves inside and wash him down. And then the guard coming from the opposite side on the pool can come up and get to that linebacker, which is not what the Titans want. Basically, the Titans defensive ends,

Sam Okwe and Onu, Rashad Weaver, Mario Edwards, Bud Dupree, they got dominated in this game. They got moved all over the field. And what was happening was, it wasn't just the Bengals were hitting holes. The defensive end was getting washed down into the interior. And then the offensive lineman was getting to the linebacker, David Long, Dylan Cole.

And there was easy cutback lanes for the Bengals on the backside. It's the same way, the same way Joe Mixon scored in the playoffs on his run. It's the same thing. Guys, the Bengals just executed. The Bengals offensive line bullied the Titans defense. David Long was so bad in this game. Everything bad about David Long's game, all of the negatives about David Long's game, his ability to shed, his ability to stack, his ability to hold up against, you know, offensive linemen. If he's not kept clean by the defensive line, he's cooked. He's not big enough to fight through blocks consistently. It's just not his game. He jukes out

offensive linemen. He doesn't go through them like you would be traditionally taught to play linebacker. Now, that's great when the defensive line keeps him clean and he can fly all over the place, but they didn't. And David Long, if the defensive line doesn't do their job, David Long is not a good linebacker. It's so tied together. It's so important. Moving forward, though, I do want to talk a little bit about

the pass defense. The Bengals just had a solid plan. You know what the Titans like to do. They come out, they'll show too high safety and then they'll bring a safety down at the last second, roll the other safety into the middle and they'll play cover three even though they showed a too high look. Well, the Bengals were

ready for that. Anytime the Titans did that, the Bengals quickly tossed it out to the running back to the side that the safety is rolling down to. And we saw one time Samaj P. Ryan had a big catch out of the backfield when the Bengals were in the shadow of their own goalpost. What happened? Andrew Adams was a high safety with Kevin Byard, too high. And then Andrew Adams came down to linebacker level during the snap of the play. They were rolling the coverage into cover three. Well, Andrew Adams' momentum was coming forward. They quickly dump it to Smaget Piran,

and Adams is all balanced and can't make a tackle on Piran. Piran makes a move and gets up the field for about a 20 to 30-yard gain. So the Bengals were just like, hey, if you're going to be gets up the field for about a 20 to 30 yard game. So the Bengals were just like, hey, if you're going to be coming up the field with that much momentum, we're going to test you. It was just smart. It's just smart. Oh man, I'm not going to lie. I did enjoy watching the film, even though it was a Titans loss because the Bengals coaches are so, so smart. Oh man, they had such a great plan for the Titans. The real issue though is, we can talk about rolling safeties and the little things that that gave, but the real issue is the Titans just did what they do.

They play man cover one and they leave their cornerbacks on an island outside. And you can get away with that when your pass rush is consistently getting home. But I said on Friday, I shouted on Friday, you can't do that in this game because without Danico Autry and without Harold Landry, with just Jeffrey Simmons as the difference maker, you're not going to get the pressure that you got in the playoffs, which means you can't leave your cornerbacks on an island consistently

throughout the game because Burrow is going to have more time to take advantage of that matchup. And that's exactly what happened. All of the plays, you go back through and you look at the Bengals' plays. You look at the big plays that made the difference in the game. 75, 80%, maybe 90% of them are completions on the sideline where it was one-on-one coverage with the cornerback, Roger McCreary against Tee Higgins.

Christian Fulton got smoked by Tee Higgins all day long. Three plays in a row. Three plays in a row on the Bengals' last touchdown drive. Joe Burrow, sideline on a cornerback. Joe Burrow, sideline on a quarterback. Joe Burrow, 40-yard sideline down the field on a cornerback. Touchdown, T. Higgins. Masterful throws by Joe Burrow, quite honestly.

But also, the Titans are setting themselves up to be beat there. Look, if you're an alcoholic, and I say to you, just don't drink. Just don't drink. No big deal, just don't drink. Just don't drink. No big deal. Just don't drink. Just like saying to a cornerback, just win one-on-one.

Just win one-on-one. But an alcoholic doesn't go to a bar because they know, yeah, I could just not drink. But when I put myself in a situation like that, there's a bigger chance that I mess up. So like the Titans, yeah, Titans,

if you don't lose one-on-one battles on the outside to wide receivers, then you'll be fine. But if you consistently throughout the game put your cornerbacks on an island against Tee Higgins in one-on-one on the sideline, which is what the Bengals want to do against single high coverage, and you get beat. You have walked your alcoholic

self into a bar. It is only logical that you may mess up and have a drink. The Titans were alcoholics who went to a bar against the Bengals. And they paid for

it repeatedly over and over in the biggest moments of the game. they paid for it repeatedly over and over in the biggest moments of the game. They paid for it for their just absolute cockiness. Cockiness. Christian Fulton is about 6 foot. Roger McCreary is about 5'11". You are

going to consistently have those guys go one on one against T. Higgins down the sideline all game? Why? The bravado. I can't come back to any other word than cockiness. It's unbelievable how cocky the Titans defense was this week. And they got smoked for it. I beg the Titans coaching staff to play two high

coverages. To not let the Bengals get single high looks one-on-one and cover one. I begged them. And they did it anyways. They did it anyways. And they got smoked for it. All the big plays. McCreary on Higgins. Even, what was it, Trent Taylor?

Is that that dude's name? The white guy? 16? He even caught a pass on the sideline on Trey Avery. But you're setting yourself up for failure by running that consistently throughout the game. Too high safeties. Too high safeties. If the Bengals are going to run the ball all the way down the field because you're in too high,

then let them run the ball all the way down the field. But don't give them explosive plays to their best player on the field and do what, basically, Shaq, Shaq liked to post up on the left-hand side, on the left block. So what you do is, you don't let Shaq get to the left block. No matter what you do, do everything you can to not let him get there. The Titans not only didn't stop Shaq from getting to the left block,

they invited Shaq to come to the left block. Yeah, Joe Burrow, here's the sideline. Here's your favorite target. One-on-one matchup with a cornerback. Have at it all day, buddy. Go ahead. It's yours. And it killed him. And it killed him. And it killed him.

It made no sense. So the Titans were incredibly predictable on offense. They were incredibly cocky on defense. And both those things got them beat. So let's see how they respond. Really don't think anyone is going to beat the Bengals. Joe, you got to be a Bengals fan. Just some of your comments I've seen in here. You got to be a Bengals fan.

Let's calm down. I think the Bengals are a really good team. But they play the Chiefs this week, and we get to the playoffs. We'll see. Just relax. But anyway, that's going to do it for me today, though, folks. I'll be back with you guys tomorrow.

It's crossover Thursday. So excited to talk to my guys Gino and Louie from Locked on Eagles. I know you guys will enjoy it, too. That's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this is Locked on Titans. you