Titans Fumble Fourth Quarter Lead in Loss to Saints

The Tennessee Titans are heading home disappointed after a 34-26 loss against the New Orleans Saints in Week 17 at Nissan Stadium.

There were some positive aspects of the game for the Titans, but it wasn't enough to get a win against the Saints, who have now won four consecutive games.

The Titans started off strong with a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter. But the Saints picked up some momentum when Charlie Smyth kicked a 56-yard field goal, and defensive end Chase Young stripped the ball from Cam Ward to go all the way to the end zone for a touchdown. That made the game 13-10 in favor of the Titans.

The Titans responded right before halftime with a touchdown drive of their own, ending with wide receiver Elic Ayomanor catching a seven-yard pass from Ward.

Tennessee Titans cornerback Kaiir Elam chases down New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans Can't Hang vs. Saints

The Titans gave up a touchdown early in the third quarter to wide receiver Chris Olave from 19 yards out, which cut the lead down to just three points. Joey Slye doubled the Titans' lead with a field goal of his own, but Smyth answered with another three points, this time from 57 yards out.

In the fourth quarter, Slye one-upped Smyth with a 58-yard field goal, but the Titans' defense crumbled at the end. The Saints scored a pair of touchdowns in the final minutes of the game, the first going to Kevin Austin Jr., while the second came on the wheels of running back Audric Estime.

The Titans had a chance to respond late in the game with a pair of drives, but they ultimately were unable to get any points out of it.

The loss is disappointing for the Titans, but not all is lost. The team can take some of the momentum it is carrying to next week in the future where they will have a chance to put some good film on tape for one final time in the regular season.

That will help general manager Mike Borgonzi evaluate the current players on the roster and figure out where he needs to make changes and upgrades in the offseason and beyond.

The Titans' placement in the NFL draft has improved with the Cleveland Browns pulling out a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Titans have one more game in the regular season when they take on the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 at EverBank Stadium in Duval County.

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