Titans-Seahawks: Live Updates, Analysis
Before they won their first five games in 2020, the Tennessee Titans had a run of seven straight seasons in which they started 1-1.
Three times during that stretch, they bounced back from a loss in their opener to win in Week 2. That included 2018, their first season under coach Mike Vrabel.
Their goal is to do it again this season. Tennessee (0-1) is at Seattle (1-0) following a disastrous performance in Week 1, a 38-13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
It won’t be easy. The Titans are without starting linebacker Jayon Brown and tight end Anthony Firkser, who are among the day’s inactives because of injuries. Left tackle Taylor Lewan was a late addition to that list after he was hurt early in pre-game warmups.
The last time Tennessee started 0-2 was 2012. That year, under coach Mike Munchak, started with four losses in the first five games and ended with a 6-10 record.
On to kickoff.
FIRST QUARTER
Tennessee won the coin toss and deferred its option until the second half. Seattle gets the ball to start.
Randy Bullock, the Titans’ second kicker in as many weeks, sends the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback.
(13:49) Tennessee’s defense starts with a three-and-out (a good sign) when Russell Wilson is limited to a seven-yard scramble on third-and-8. A 66-yard punt results in a touchback. Titans’ ball at their own 20.
Ty Sambrailo is the starter at left tackle in place of Lewan. Sambrailo stepped in last season when Lewan tore a knee ligament in his knee. Sambrailo started five games before he sustained a season-ending foot injury.
(13:40) For the second straight game, the first play for the offense is a handoff to Derrick Henry. He gains one yard, which is an improvement of four yards over their first play last week against Arizona.
(11:30) Three plays and a punt for Tennessee as well. Henry lost two yards on second down, which meant that Ryan Tannehill’s 10-yard completion to Chester Rogers was one yard short of a first down. Brett Kern’s first punt goes 41 yards and out of bounds at the Seattle 30.
(11:23) Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett do what they do so often -- a 51-yard completion on first down. Lockett got behind safety Bradley McDougald, who is starting for Amani Hooker, who was placed on injured reserve this week. Seahawks are at the Titans' 19.
(9:30) Tennessee’s defense stands its ground and forces Seattle to attempt a field goal. Jason Myers’ 31-yard kick is good. He has made 36 straight field goal tries. Scoring drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:58. SEATTLE 3, TENNESSEE 0
(7:55) The game’s first penalty is an offsides call against the Seahawks on third-and-2. Tennessee’s first first down and first third-down conversion comes via penalty.
(7:38) Play-action on first-and-10. A.J. Brown is open down the seam. Tannehill puts the ball on him. Drop. Terrible mistake by the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
(4:06) Two more third-down conversions – a 14-yard reception by tight end Tommy Hudson on third-and-4, and a 17-yard catch by Julio Jones on third-and-5. Tennessee is in business with a first down at the Seattle 16.
(2:49) The Titans are forced to attempt a field goal of their own. Bullock, their eighth different placekicker since the start of 2019, with his first chance. It is from 33 yards – and it is good. Scoring drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 6:40. TENNESSEE 3, SEATTLE 3
Henry has just nine yards on six carries, which is actually an improvement over Week 1. He had eight yards on his first nine rushes against the Cardinals.
(0:00) End of the first quarter. Seattle has run three fewer plays (12) than Tennessee (15) but has more total yards (85-74).
SECOND QUARTER
(14:54) Tennessee’s defense forces a punt but Nick Westborrk-Ikhine is called for roughing the kicker. It was third-and-4, and the 15-yard penalty gives Seattle a first down at the Tennessee 41.
(12:55) Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry combine on a sack that turns a third-and-14 into a fourth-and-21 and forces the Seahawks to punt again. This time, there is no penalty, and the kick goes to the end zone for a touchback.
(12:47) Tennessee starts this drive at its own 20 and has a chance to take a lead for the first time this season.
(12:10) Julio Jones with the biggest gain of the season – thus far – for Tennessee’s offense. He hauls in a deep pass for a 51-yard gain that makes it first-and-10 at the Seattle 25.
(10:43) Henry’s best run yet, a seven-yard gain to the Seahawks’ 3 is negated by an illegal motion penalty against Josh Reynolds.
(8:22) Tennessee settles for another field goal, this one a 30-yarder by Bullock. Tannehill was sacked by a blitzing Bobby Wagner, who was untouched, on third-and-goal from the 5, which left Vrabel no choice but to kick. Scoring drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 4:29. TENNESSEE 6, SEATTLE 3
(6:47) Well, the lead was short-lived. Locket gets deep again. Elijah Molden got beat and then knocked McDougald out of position to make the tackle, which allowed Lockett to go all the way for a 63-yard catch-and-run. Scoring drive: 3 plays, 83 yards, 1:44. SEATTLE 10, TENNESSEE 6
Lockett now has the two longest gains against Tennessee’s defense thus far this season. He has 114 receiving yards on two catches.
(6:11) More bad news for Tennessee’s offensive line. Left guard Rodger Saffold is injured is being tended to by team trainers.
(5:48) Aaron Brewer comes in for Saffold. On his first snap, Tannehill is sacked -- two rushers came from the left side -- and fumbles the ball. Seattle recovers at the Tennessee 6. First-and-goal.
(5:22) Two Chris Carson runs and it’s another Seahawks touchdown. That’s two touchdowns in a span of three plays. Scoring drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:28. SEATTLE 17, TENNESSEE 6
(5:12) Saffold is back at left guard for the start of the next drive.
(3:51) Julio Jones tops 100 yards receiving for the first time as a Titan. His 19-yard reception gives him four catches for 102 yards and gives the Titans a first down at the Seattle 31.
(1:15) Tannehill keeps looking for – and finding Julio. This time it is a 6-yard connection for a touchdown, Jones’ first with Tennessee – or so it seemed. A video review determined that the heel of Jones’ second foot came down just out of bounds. That means it is fourth-and-5 from the Seattle 6.
(1:09) The good news? Randy Bullock is now 3-for-3 on field goals. The bad news? The Titans still have not scored a touchdown. Scoring drive: 8 plays, 63 yards 4:15. SEATTLE 17, TENNESSEE 9
Seattle has two timeouts to try to make something happen before halftime. Remember, Tennessee gets the ball to start the second half.
(0:21) One play after a Chris Jackson pass interference penalty made it first-and-goal from the 1, Carson scores his second rushing touchdown. The Seahawks made it look easy – they did not even use a timeout. Wilson completed his first four passes for 39 yards and three first downs. Then came a 25-yard run right up the middle by Alex Collins, which gave them all kinds of options. Scoring drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 0:48. SEATTLE 24, TENNESSEE 9
(0:00) Tannehill takes a knee after Chester Rogers' 13-yard kickoff return and lets the first half expire.
Seattle has outgained Tennessee 233-187. Jones is responsible for 55 percent of the Titans' total. Henry has 35 yards on 13 carries.
Last week the Titans trailed 24-6 at halftime. So, this could be considered progress.
THIRD QUARTER
(14:03) After two Henry runs for 14 yards to open the half, Saffold is hurt again. Brewer once again comes on to replace him.
(10:46) As was the case in Week 1, Tennessee’s first touchdown comes on its first possession of the second half. Henry caps this one with a 9-yard touchdown run (he carried five times for 25 yards on the drive). Tight end MyCole Pruitt had two receptions for 21 yards. Scoring drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:23. SEATTLE 24, TENNESSEE 16
Saffold is questionable to return with a shoulder injury.
(5:41) The Titans defense gives up three first downs and 41 yards but forces a punt. Seattle had scored touchdowns on each of its previous three drives. Now, Tennessee can tie it with a touchdown and two-point conversion – but it will have to go 92 yards after Chester Rogers fair catches the punt at the 8-yard line.
(4:58) MyCole Pruitt with his third catch of the day. This one goes for 22 yards and gives him 43 yards receiving on the day. His previous career-highs were two receptions and 42 yards.
(0:01) Bullock comes on for his fourth field goal attempt of the day. This one – from 44 yards – is his longest. And he misses it to the right. Just when it seemed like the Titans might be able to have confidence in a kicker.
FOURTH QUARTER
Seattle takes over after Bullock’s miss at its own 34.
(13:16) A blown coverage on third-and-12 from the Seattle 32 leaves Freddie Swaim all alone, yards behind the nearest defender. That is a 68-yard touchdown pass that will make things really difficult on the Titans from there. On the plus side, the Seahawks miss the PAT. Scoring drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:54. SEATTLE 30, TENNESSEE 16
The Titans have now allowed 30 points or more in four straight regular-season games and 10 of 18 since Dean Pees stepped down as defensive coordinator following the 2019 season.
(12:30) Derrick Henry’s first breakaway run of the 2021 season covers 60 yards and gets his team right back in it. Scoring drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:49. SEATTLE 30, TENNESSEE 23
Henry now has 135 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. The Titans are 14-0 all-time when he rushes for at least 100 yards and two touchdowns.
(11:03) Kristian Fulton breaks up a pass intended for DK Metcalf on third-and-2 forces a punt. That is Seattle’s first three-and-out since the opening series of the contest. Tennessee will get the ball back trailing by seven.
(5:46) The Titans fail to convert a fourth-and-2 from the Seattle 29 when Tannehill is pressured and can’t get off any kind of meaningful throw. Two plays earlier, Al Woods beat Brewer for a sack that made it third-and-18. Two plays before that, Tennessee got 15 yards courtesy of a taunting penalty against the Seahawks defense.
(4:24) Seattle keeps its offense on the field on fourth-and-1 from its own 40. Penalty flags fly – but not against the Titans. A false start costs the Seahawks five yards and means they have to punt.
(4:13) Tennessee needs a touchdown to tie and will start this drive at its own 32.
(1:54) Two-minute warning. Seattle has allowed Tannehill to throw the ball short but the Titans have gotten to the Seahawks' 26 and still have all of their timeouts. It will be first down when play resumes.
(0:32) Henry is stopped just short of the goal line, as determined by official review. Initial call on the field was a touchdown, which stopped the clock and required a 10-second runoff following the reversal. Vrabel uses his second timeout to avoid that runoff. It is first-and-goal.
Henry promptly runs it in for his third touchdown of the game. Bullock comes on for the PAT to tie the game, which he does (barely). Scoring drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 3:44. TENNESSEE 30, SEATTLE 30
(0:24) Seattle has two timeouts and the ball at its own 28 following the kickoff.
(0:02) In three plays, the Seahawks get to their own 43, which leads to a short throw to Tyler Lockett in an attempt to create some magic. It does not happen. This one is headed to overtime.
Tennessee outgained Seattle 505-409 in regulation and ran 74 plays to the Seahawks’ 49. Henry has 161 yards on 30 carries. Jones has 128 yards on six receptions.
OVERTIME
The Titans win the toss and will receive. That difference in total plays and time of possession (Tennessee has had the ball for 38:18) looks significant right now.
(8:42) Tannehill throws incomplete on third-and-4, but the Seahawks are flagged for roughing the passer. That’s 15 yards and a fresh set of downs. First down at the Tennessee 39.
(8:25) This time the Titans will punt. A false start on Brewer made it first-and-15. Three straight incompletions, one courtesy of a drop by Rogers, means it is time to punt.
(8:19) Seattle’s ball at its own 13. It will just take a field goal to win it.
(8:08) The Titans think they have won with a safety, but officials rule that Ola Adeniyi sacked Wilson at the 1. Seattle has to punt from its own end zone.
(7:19) Titans’ ball at the Seahawks’ 39 following the punt.
(5:27) Henry runs it on four straight plays, which makes it fourth-and-1 from the 18. On comes Bullock.
(4:50) The 36-yard field goal attempt is good. Titans win. Scoring drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 2:29. TENNESSEE 33, SEATTLE 30
Mike Vrabel said it often in the days leading up to this contest: You learn a lot about your team when things aren’t going well. Things were going terribly at times in this contest, but the Titans overcame a 13-point halftime deficit and won.
Henry finished with 182 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries. He also caught a career-high six passes for 55 yards. Julio Jones had a big day (six catches, 128 yards) and the defense did not allow Seattle to score on any of its final four possessions.
