Blanked by the Broncos: The who, what, how and why

Quarterback switch does nothing to get the offense going in another Week 6 shutout defeat

An odd bit of consistency now exists in Mike Vrabel’s first two seasons as Tennessee Titans head coach.

Sunday’s 16-0 loss to the Broncos – in a way – kept them right in step with where they were a year ago. This performance, which included two Tennessee quarterbacks being sacked seven times and throwing three interceptions combined, followed a physical, low-scoring loss (14-7) to Buffalo last week.

Last year in Week 6, the Titans were shut out 21-0 by Baltimore in a game in which Marcus Mariota was sacked 11 times. That one followed a physical, low-scoring (13-12) loss to Buffalo in the preceding contest.

The key differences are that this loss dropped their record to 2-4, one game worse than in 2018, and Vrabel’s decision to pull Mariota late in the third quarter of this one means he will face questions about who is – or should be – his starting quarterback for the remainder of this season.

How it happened

The defining moment was Phillip Lindsay’s 2-yard run with 4:56 to play in the third quarter. It was the game’s only touchdown and it capped a six-play, 41-yard drive set up by Mariota’s second interception of the contest (and the season). The sequence made it 13-0 and prompted the decision to replace Mariota with Tannehill.

Tennessee’s offense went three-and-out on its first two possessions and never generated any momentum. It ran one play on Denver’s side of the field in the first three quarters, didn’t have a running play gain more than six yards or produce a first down rushing the entire contest and failed to take advantage of Kevin Byard’s third-quarter interception that could have changed momentum at a time when the outcome was very much in doubt.

Those struggles undermined a sparkling performance by the defense, which limited Denver to two third-down conversions on 14 tries (the same as Tennessee). Dean Pees’ unit consistently forced the Broncos – at worst – into field goal attempts that kept the score from getting out of hand or the outcome from getting out of reach until the final minutes.

Why it happened

Once again, the offensive line could not protect the passer, regardless of who it was. Mariota was sacked three times and Tannehill was taken down four times. Between them, they averaged 4.0 yards per pass attempt. Five different Broncos registered at least half a sack led defensive ends Derek Wolfe and DeMarcus Walker, who had two each.

The offensive line struggles were compounded this time by Mariota’s inability to take care of the football. His first interception cost the Titans a chance to score in the final minute of the first half. Starting a drive 52 yards from the end zone after the defense kept Denver pinned in its own end, Mariota was picked on the first play of the series. His second was the result of a bad decision to put the ball up for grabs after he had deftly avoided a sack.

Third down struggles (also nothing new) and a mediocre run game (39 yards on 21 attempts) also were factors in an anemic offensive output.

Who made it happen

In his first action for the Titans, Tannehill completed 13 of 16 passes for 144 yards against a defense that – at the time – was willing to trade yards for time off the clock. His last throw was an interception with 1:35 remaining. His final numbers looked much better than Mariota’s. The starter was 7-for-18 for 63 yards with two interceptions, all of which equated to a 9.5 passer rating – by far the worst of his career.

Byard deserves recognition for his performance, which included five tackles and his team-leading third interception. Two of his tackles were third-down stops that left Denver less than a yard short of a first down (one in the first quarter and one in the third) and forced punts.

Inside linebacker Wesley Woodyard replaced an injured Jayon Brown early in the contest and registered six tackles as well as the Titans’ only sack, his first of the season and second in his last 13 contests. Brown entered the game tied for the team lead in tackles and Woodyard made sure his absence was not a problem for the defense, which held the Broncos to a season-low 270 total yards.

What happens next

Three of the next four games will be at home but the focus this week will be on the quarterbacks, specifically which one will be the starter next Sunday against the L.A. Chargers, a team that has had the same starting quarterback (Philip Rivers) for the past 215 games.

The quarterback issue and the fact that Tennessee is two games below .500 for the first time in his tenure makes this a critical moment in Vrabel’s brief coaching career. Players, franchise officials and fans will look to him to deliver. If he can’t, this season could get ugly quickly.