NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Friday afternoon the Titans held a celebration as the final beam supporting the roof of the new Nissan Stadium was put into place. A preview of the team’s glorious new home set to open in 2027.
On Sunday a young Titans team, still very much under construction itself, provided a few other glimmers of hope for the future despite losing to the Seahawks 30-24.
Now let’s first establish the fact that there are no moral victories in the NFL. The loss to Seattle drops Tennessee to a NFL-worst 1-10. It’s the team’s sixth straight loss since a miracle comeback in Arizona back in week five.
This is a bad football team that was clearly outmatched by the Seahawks and had no answer for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The third year wide out had eight catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns, a 63-yarder behind Amani Hooker to give Seattle the lead in the second quarter and a 13-yard catch that extended the lead to 20 in the third quarter.
But when all looked lost, and several fans started filing to the exits, the Titans at least showed that they haven’t give up on a season that’s already seen their coach get fired and several top players get traded away for future assets.
Chimere Dike caught a booming Michael Dickson punt retreating to his 10-yard line. The rookie out of Florida then sprinted right towards the far sideline where a wall of blockers in blue shirts provided a path for a 90-yard punt return, the team’s longest since Pacman Jones in 2007. It was Dike’s second punt return for a touchdown this season after a 67-yard return against the Chargers three games ago. It also extends his NFL lead for all-purpose yards this year, a stat now boosted by dynamic game-changing plays more than just the volume of being the return man on the league’s worst team.
Dike looks like a gem of a fourth round selection. A player who can be one of the league’s best returners for years to come and a growing factor in the passing game as the depth of the Titans’ receiver core continues to be tested. Dike had five catches for 44 yards and his second receiving touchdown of the year Sunday, a one-yard pass from Cam Ward which pulled Tennessee within the final six-point margin with :43 left.
Fellow fourth round pick Gunnar Helm led the Titans with six receptions for 51 yards against the Seahawks, including a big fourth down conversion that led to a field goal on the game’s opening drive. Even undrafted free agent Xavier Restrepo caught a pair of balls in his first regular season action after setting the University of Miami’s all-time receiving record last year.
On defense third round pick Kevin Winston Jr. continues to come on with more playing time. The safety from Penn State led the Titans with 10 tackles, including six solo and a tackle for loss against Seattle, and looks to be a legitimate option to start alongside Amani Hooker on the back end for the foreseeable future.
And then of course there is Ward. The no. 1 overall pick in last April’s NFL Draft and the basket the Titans are putting all their eggs in, hoping to generate interest and sell tickets as they get set into their new palace next door.
Ward had one of his best games Sunday, completing 28 of 42 passes for 256 yards and the touchdown to Dike. He also led the Titans in rushing, heeding the advice of interim coach Mike McCoy and using his legs more, running six times for 37 yards, including an aerial flip to cap a six-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Ward was a dual threat Sunday, guiding the Titans to a season-high 24 points against a stingy Seahawks defense. And he did it without the aid of a traditional running game, which mustered just 27 yards on 16 carries by the running backs. And it was the way Ward operated that was perhaps the biggest development in the loss.
In his heart Ward is a gunslinger who has never seen a throw he doesn’t think he can make. That will produce some highlight reel throws, which we have seen at times this season, but is no way to live in the NFL. On Sunday against the Seahawks Ward showed a new patience, a willingness to sit in the pocket and work through his progressions to the receiver that the defense was giving him. He led the Titans on a pair of 15 play scoring drives to go along with a nine-play touchdown march. They converted five of seven fourth down opportunities with McCoy seemingly getting more aggressive in his decision making, showing a greater trust in the decisions of his QB.
Tennessee’s onside kick attempt did not travel 10 yards before Jermiah Mausi grabbed it, preserving the Seahawks win and preventing Ward and company from getting one last crack at it. But there were positives in the fight. And with the progress of the young players who will be moving across the street with the team in two years.
There is nothing that can happen to salvage this season, but even in a 10th straight home loss there was progress Sunday that should not be overlooked. And perhaps a glimmer of hope for brighter days ahead on the football field when that shiny, new stadium next door opens.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
