Players Don't Question Vrabel's Unusual Decision to Play it Safe
In a playoff game no less, Mike Vrabel finally had enough reasons to have confidence in his defense.
A week earlier, in a 41-38 division-clinching win over the Houston Texans, Vrabel decided to keep his offense on the field on fourth-down-and-11 early in the fourth quarter as the contest turned into a shootout. The Titans didn’t get the first down, and many questioned the move.
In wake of Sunday’s season-ending 20-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Wild Card matchup, many will question him again. This time, it was his decision to punt on fourth-and-2 from the Ravens’ 40-yard line in the fourth quarter instead of letting his offense, one of the best in the league, attempt to pick up the short gain.
“Thought we were playing well defensively,” Vrabel said. “Thought we would get a punt inside the 10 and be able to play the field position game. Had some time there that I felt like, you know … we held them to a field goal.
“The way we were playing defensively, I was really proud of those guys.”
In the regular season, an offense that scored 30 or more points in five games and 40 or more in five others, often had to bail out an inconsistent defense.
Against the Ravens, the defense made more than enough plays to advance in the postseason. The unit registered an interception, five sacks and produced multiple timely stops to keep the game in reach.
“Guys just playing relentless – that’s really what it was,” outside linebacker Harold Landry, who had two sacks and eight tackles in the contest, said. “Guys, I thought, prepared extremely hard for this game and they just went out there and played their butts off.”
The offense mostly spoiled that effort.
The Titans had all of the momentum in the first quarter after a defensive stop and an A.J. Brown touchdown.
Cornerback Malcolm Butler ended Baltimore’s next possession with an interception. It was his first playoff pick since he famously stepped in front of a pass by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on the goal line to end Super Bowl XLIX. The Titans drove deep into Ravens territory but ultimately stalled and settled for a Stephen Gostkowski field goal and a 10-0 lead.
From there, the Titans generated more pressure on Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson than in any quarterback they faced in their 16 regular season games.
On a third-and-7 from the Tennessee 34-yard line, the Titans sent a blitz at Jackson, who heaved an errant pass down field. That led to a missed field goal attempt from 52 yards, which gave the ball to Tennessee’s offense at its own 42 with a chance to take the lead.
That drive lasted six plays and was capped off by Vrabel’s call to punt. While there are ample reasons for the offense to believe they could have picked up two yards to extend the drive, no offensive player appeared to be surprised or unhappy with the decision.
“He called what he called, and we all believed in it and we came up short,” running back Derrick Henry said. “It's just a team effort. We just didn't execute the way we needed to (Sunday) to win. They were just the better team.”
The defense validated Vrabel’s confidence when it eventually held and forced another field goal attempt. This one was good, but it kept the Titans’ deficit at seven points with 4:19 to play.
For an offense that repeatedly came through in late-game situations during the regular season, the moment was at hand.
The series never materialized into anything promising. On a plunge up the middle, Tannehill needed every last yard on a fourth-and-1 to move the chains. A short completion to undrafted rookie wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine brought the game to the two-minute warning. One play after the break, Tannehill threw the season-ending interception to write the final chapter of an overall deficient day for the offense.
“We just didn't take advantage of our opportunities and execute,” Tannehill said. “We got ourselves in some long yardage situations and didn't execute good enough on third down and weren't able to sustain drives. When you're not able to do that against a good defense, you're not going to score.”
In a historic season, Henry rushed for 2,027 yards in the regular season to become the eighth member of the 2,000-yard club. The Ravens held the first-team All-Pro to a season-low 40 yards. Second-year wide receiver A.J. Brown went over 1,000 yards receiving for a second straight season. After a fast start, he was silent. Tannehill so often proved that he is more than a passenger quarterback on Henry’s run-away train. Against the Ravens, he completed 18 passes for a season-low 165 yards.
For as good a season it was, the final taste will be one that carries the most weight. It will also be the one that lingers.
“This definitely is going to sting. Probably be in my mind for the rest of this year until we suit back up,” Henry said. “We accomplished a lot as a team this year during these difficult times, and you know, I'll never forget all the things we accomplished. Just came up short. Got to get back to work.”
