NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For a half Saturday the Titans looked like a team that had made enormous strides.
A team that started the season 1-8 but had won two of the last three built a double-digit lead only to get outscored by the Saints 24-6 in the second half of a frustrating 34-26 loss at Nissan Stadium.
Jeffery Simmons celebrated his latest Pro Bowl nod by recording his career-best 10th sack to end the Saints’ first possession. A shanked punt set the Titans up for a field goal.
Cam Ward delivered a 38-yard strike to Chimere Dike to set up another field goal on the next drive, the latest big play between the rookie quarterback and rookie playmaker. Dike finished the day with 102 total yards to break the NFL rookie record for most all-purpose yards in a season.
Chig Okonkwo had a fourth and two catch that turned into an eye-popping, tackle-breaking 43-yard touchdown run as the Titans stretched the lead to 13-0. Even after Chase Young just ripped the ball out of Ward’s hands during a sack and then sprinted past a stunned offensive line for a touchdown, the Titans responded with an 80-yard drive capped by Ward’s seven-yard touchdown toss to Elic Ayomanor for a 20-10 halftime lead.
The Titans looked in control, poised to win back-to-back games for the first time since November of 2022. But things flipped at halftime.
Tyler Shough, the other rookie quarterback in the game, began to pick apart a beat-up Titans defense that lost Jalyn Armour-Davis to an achilles injury on the opening drive of the game. Shough completed 22 of 27 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns while leading New Orleans to four scoring drives in its first five possessions of the second half.
The other drive also ended in the end zone with a touchback as Kemon Hall hustled to track down Dante Pettis and force a fumble which was recovered by Kaair Elam.
Shough hit Chris Olave for a beautiful 19-yard touchdown to cap a 74-yard drive to start the third quarter. Olave, who is the type of outside downfield threat the Titans don’t have on their roster, repeatedly got open in the secondary, catching eight passes for 119 yards.
The biggest one was a double move in which Olave ran right by Darrell Baker Jr. for a 60-yard gain down to the Tennessee eight. A few plays later Shough hit Kevin Austin Junior in the corner of the end zone for a 27-26 lead.
Tight end Juwan Johnson was a big factor as well, catching four balls for a career-high 95 yards, including gains of 30 and 39. And the running game got going with Audric Estime averaging nearly seven yards on his 14 carries. His 32-yard touchdown with 3:44 to play was a backbreaker.
The Titans still had chances late in a one possession game, but Ward completed just three of his final 12 passes on a day he finished 21 of 40 for 251 yards and two touchdowns. There were several more throws to add to Ward’s rookie year highlight film. Off-platform dimes, like a pair of throws to Ayomanor where he stepped up in the pocket to avoid the rush and complete the pass, and scrambles turned big plays like his 34-yard pass to Mason Kinsey in the third quarter. But he was just three of nine on third downs facing three yards or longer as both Ward and the Titans continue to strive for more consistent, efficient play.
That goes for far more than just the rookie QB. The defense did a good job stuffing the run, getting pressure on Shough and avoiding the big play in the first half. They had no answers in the second half.
The Titans have improved. Credit interim head coach Mike McCoy, the staff and the players for sticking together and working to the bitter end of a season that has, for all intents and purposes, been over since mid-October when Brian Callahan was fired. They’ve won two of four games in December and three of their last five losses have come by one score.
But the roster is what it is. After all, the Saints team they could not stop Sunday was just 2-10 four weeks ago before catching fire with now four straight wins. The Titans will now wrap up the season next week in Jacksonville against a Jaguars team that won in Indianapolis Sunday to reach 12 wins for the first time in 20 years and will be playing for the AFC South title. The Texans have already clinched a playoff berth behind the NFL’s best defense despite starting the season 0-3. And the Colts were once 7-1 before Daniel Jones got hurt and injuries derailed their season.
The climb in Tennessee is only just beginning. And more changes will be coming this offseason, beginning with the search for a new head coach who will be tasked with propelling this team up the mountain.
