Titans Lose to Saints, Gain in Standings

Big early lead does not hold up in final home game of 2019

NASHVILLE – It was not the only time this season the Tennessee Titans scored 14 first-quarter points against an NFC South opponent.

This was the first-place team in that division, though. And an early lead did not last.

The Titans fell 38-28 to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in their final home game of 2019 when they allowed four touchdowns in a span of five possessions in the second a third quarters, and a late turnover cost them a chance to rally. The defeat meant they can finish no better than 9-7 for the fourth straight season.

That was the bad news.

The good news was that Tennessee (8-7) actually moved up in the conference standings by virtue of Pittsburgh’s loss to the New York Jets at the same time. With one week to play, the Titans are in line to earn the second AFC wild card and need only a win next Sunday at Houston to do so.

“I think the approach [is] that the playoffs have started essentially for us because when you go into any kind of playoff, when you win you move on to the next step, when you lose you’re done,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think that’s really where we’re at right now.”

Running back Derrick Henry was held out to rest his ailing hamstring, yet Tennessee’s offense hit the ground running with a pair of big plays. Jonnu Smith started the scoring with a 41-yard touchdown reception and just over three minutes later wide receiver A.J. Brown took a handoff and went 49 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-0, which was still the score at end of the first quarter.

The only other times this season the Titans scored 14 first-quarter points were at Atlanta (Sept. 29) and against Tampa Bay (Oct. 27) – also-rans in the NFC South, which New Orleans (12-3) clinched three weeks earlier.

Tennessee won both. Not so this time.

“Obviously, the Saints played great,” Tennessee right tackle Jack Conklin said. “You know, they played well enough to beat us. We’ve got to do better. … [We will] take what we can from this game, and the playoffs start next week for us.”

The Saints finally got on the board with a field goal 1:24 into the second quarter and got rolling with a big play of their own, a 61-yard touchdown reception by former Titans tight end Jared Cook 23 seconds ahead of the two-minute warning in the first half.

Three times in the final two quarters, Tennessee trailed by 10. Twice, it got within three courtesy of Tajaé Sharpe touchdown catches, the first from 36 yards and the second from seven yards.

When New Orleans failed to convert a fake punt with 4:23 remaining, the Titans finally had a chance to reclaim the lead. On the next play, though, Kalif Raymond caught a 22-yard pass but fumbled when he safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson hit him. The Saints recovered, returned it to the Tennessee 25 and capped the scoring five plays later.

“Losing hurts,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “I hate losing. That’s kind of what my feeling is right now. … We understand the situation, and next week we have an opportunity to win and get in.

“For me, personally, it’s tough to lose a game, especially when you had a shot there in the fourth quarter, down three. I had a great feeling about it. I thought we were going to go down there and win the game.”

After the way it started, he had no reason to think it would end the way it did.