Arthur Smith: Offense Needs to be Better

The Titans' offensive coordinator says everyone, including himself, has to improve upon Sunday's performance at Green Bay.

In a must-win week 17 matchup with the Houston Texans, the Tennessee Titans know that the offense has to be better than it was Sunday night.

“We didn’t do a good enough job offensively all day,” Arthur Smith, Titans offensive coordinator said Thursday.

The 40-14 loss to the Packers marked the offense’s lowest point total of the season and just the third time it failed to score at least 20. It also was that unit’s second-worst game in terms of totals offense, and the Titans’ most lopsided loss of the season.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was held to just 121 passing yards, and he also threw two interceptions for the first time.

All of that occurred after the Titans started the week as the NFL's highest-scoring team.

“We weren’t really effective when we threw the ball on Sunday. And a couple of times it got us behind the sticks,” Smith said. “Credit to Green Bay. We didn’t play well enough, and I didn’t do a good enough job.”

Tennessee attempted to push the tempo in the third quarter, in the hope of getting back into a game that was slipping away. The results weren’t favorable, but there were elements to the elongated drives featuring both the run and the pass, Smith said.

“When you don’t go out and execute, and I don’t do a good enough job like I said, that is the result you get,” he said.

Still, the second-year play-caller, who is considered a head coach candidate, asserts that if he asks the players to improve from week-to-week, he needs to do the same.

“We are going to need (Smith’s) best effort on Sunday in order to win,” coach Mike Vrabel said.

The matchup with Houston offers a unique opportunity for the Titans offense to find some needed footing heading towards the playoffs.

The Texans’ defense ranks 30th in the NFL in yards allowed (6,176) all season. In yards per game, Houston finds itself near the bottom of the league as well with 411.7 yards allowed. And in rushing defense, Houston ranks 31st in the NFL, giving up 151.7 yards per game.

In the previous matchup with Houston, the offense hung 42 points on that Texans defense. But it still took 607 total offensive yards by the Titans and overtime possession to put away the divisional rival.

The Titans have not swept the season series since 2007.

They have the chance to do so this season, but they can’t have a repeat performance of Sunday night.

“We didn’t play and execute how we wanted to, disappointed in that,” Tannehill said. “… All we have to do is learn from our mistakes this past game and come out with excitement and energy this week and find a way to win one game.”