Titans Offense Continues to Struggle in Loss

In last week's win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Tennessee Titans offense came alive in the fourth quarter to take the team over the top for their first positive outcome of the season. Despite rookie quarterback Cam Ward failing to throw a touchdown, the signal caller pieced together multiple impressive drives down the final stretch and, with the help of his (unfortunately unreliable) arsenal of weapons, ignited a long-sleeping fanbase under an all-new banner.

Now this week, against the Las Vegas Raiders, Ward and the scoring unit have thrown most of their good will away with a scathingly underwhelming performance in the team's loss. A good thing doesn't last forever, sure, but could it not last more than one week?

In Tennessee's bland 20-10 defeat on the road, Ward, on 38 attempts, completed 22 passes for 222 yards, one touchdown and one interception. While he may have managed to move the ball in a general sense, when push came to shove and the Titans needed a big play, both Ward and his weapons reverted to the same frustrating form that saw them go 0-4 through the first month of the season.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward | Donald Page / Tennessee Titans

Across the board, the team's offensive spread shot well under par in a loss that led the team to their current 1-5 record on the year.

Beginning with a thin performance from the rushing room, backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears combined for a measly 65 yards on 15 composite attempts (34/10 and 31/5, respectively). Given Spears' recent return and the team's subsequent excitement surrounding the possibility of his impact, the two backs' barely eclipsing 50 yards together is, if anything, a sign of reversion for Tennessee's RB options.

Through the air, the Titans' lack of playmaking ultimately overshadowed a few players' impressive individual numbers. Further, after a (relative) breakout performance last week, the team's expected WR1, Calvin Ridley, caught just one pass for 18 yards before he left the contest with a hamstring injury.

Ward's only touchdown went to tight end David Martin-Robinson. The catch and score marked a career-first in both regards; overall, he's only been targeted twice. The Titans offense, put simply, is a miserable lost cause, at least for the time.

After the team's playcalling change didn't move the needle - it has rendered a mild 1-2 record since the decision - fingers are pointing back to the top at head coach Brian Callahan. Whether or not the team's consistent breakdowns are his fault is irrelevant to the fact that, week-by-week, last season's 3-14 record feels less and less outlandish.

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