Titans 24, Bears 17: What We Learned

Among other things, it's good to be a Brown, and newcomers know how to make a good first impression.

NASHVILLE – Mike Vrabel was not sure which way his team was headed.

“I think that we were at a crossroads here of where we were going with our season,” he said. “Looking at coming off the two losses, kind of coming back home, proud of the way the guys played. Proud of the way they prepared.”

Following a 24-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Nissan Stadium, the third-year head coach was not exactly ecstatic. He was less than pleased by the fact that a 17-point second-half lead was reduced to seven late in the contest. He also was not comfortable with some of what as his team was outgained by 147 yards and was penalized for 22 yards more than the opponent.

So, it is still not clear whether the Titans (6-2) are on their way to another deep playoff run, but this definitely was a step in the right direction.

Here is some of what we do know following this game:

• A.J. Brown is a problem for opposing defenses. OK, so we knew this already, but it has not often – or ever – been as apparent as it was in this one. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill (10-21, 158 yards, 2 TDs) and running back Derrick Henry (21 carries, 68 yards) struggled to a degree not common since Tannehill became the starter. The offense moved in fits and starts all day but got big difference-making plays from Brown.

The second-year wide receiver only caught four of the nine passes thrown his way but finished with 101 yards receiving and scored the game’s first touchdown on a 40-yard reception with 4:39 to play in the second quarter – against two defenders. Brown has now scored at least one touchdown in five straight games and has topped 100 yards twice this season.

He had 101 of Tennessee’s 128 receiving yards before tight end Jonnu Smith caught two passes for 32 yards and a touchdown on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter.

“(Brown) made a bunch of big plays for us (Sunday),” Tannehill said. “… He continues to take steps in the right direction and we're just going to keep pushing him along that way.”

• The defense actually can stop an opponent on third down. Tennessee came into the game with the NFL’s worst third-down defense, having allowed opponents to convert 61.9 percent of the time. For the first time all season, that unit looked first-rate in that regard.

Chicago failed to move the chains on any of its first nine third-down tries and ultimately was successful on just two of 15. The Bears did convert three times on fourth down, including once with a fake punt that produced a 16-yard run.

It’s too early to say whether this was a breakthrough performance or a one-time thing. But for now, things look much better than they have in a while. Coming off this game, opponents have converted 55.4 percent of the time on third down, which almost certainly will mean the Titans are the NFL’s worst team in that regard, but it’s a lot better.

“We’ve got to keep it going throughout the season,” inside linebacker Jayon Brown said. “We’ll take the small victory, but we’ve got a long way to continue to go and hopefully we can keep it up.”

• Newcomers don’t need much practice time to contribute. Some of the roster changes the Titans made prior to this game were necessitated by injury. Others were the choice of general manager Jon Robinson and his staff. Either way, it is clear that guys can fit in even with little practice time.

Cornerback Desmond King was acquired in a trade with the Chargers on Monday but was not allowed to practice with the team until Saturday due to COVID-19 protocols. Nonetheless, he took center stage for one of the game’s biggest moments when he returned a fumble 63 yards for a touchdown with 4:41 to play in the third quarter (pictured). At the time, the Bears trailed by 10 and had gotten as deep into Tennessee territory as they had all day. King’s touchdown made it 17-0 and highly unlikely that Chicago could mount a comeback.

“I knew I had a short week of getting this down and not letting it be a distraction,” King said. “I used that as motivation to know that I have to get it down to go out there and play and have my teammates trust me when I’m out there.”

Punter Ryan Allen was not signed until Saturday as a replacement for the injured Brett Kern. He punted eight times, which tied Tennessee’s single-game high since Mike Vrabel became head coach (the Titans also punted eight times at Denver on Oct. 13, 2019). He averaged 50.5 yards per punt, and the Titans’ 40.0 net average was nearly two yards better than Chicago’s. Allen also was the holder for three PATs and one field goal, all of which went off without a hitch.

“It was a quick turnaround, but I’m blessed to be here and part of this organization,” Allen said. “I am just trying to do my part and help this team anyway I can.”

• You can never have too many proven offensive linemen: Tennessee started the game without left tackle Taylor Lewan, who was lost to a season-ending knee injury three weeks earlier. It finished without left guard Rodger Saffold, who left the game with 7:17 to play in the second quarter and never returned.

Jamil Douglas replaced Saffold and played the rest of the way alongside Ty Sambrailo, Lewan’s replacement. Both players are sixth-year veterans. The offense scored its first touchdown on Douglas’ fifth play.

To be fair, Tannehill was sacked a season-high three times, and Henry had a tough time most of the day (26 of his 68 yards came on one run early in the fourth quarter). But it could have been worse. The Bears came into the game with offensive line issues of their own and started three players with fewer than two years of NFL experience.

“You know what, they played as hard as they could and they gave me everything they had, and that's all I can ever ask of them,” Chicago quarterback Nick Foles said of his offensive line. “You go out there, you play together as an offense and you give it everything you have until the end, and they did that, so I'm proud of them for that.”

• There is something about guys named Brown. A.J. was not the only who stood out. Inside linebacker Jayon Brown somewhat quietly was the Titans’ leading tackler through the first seven games. There was nothing soft about his performance against Chicago.

This Brown was credited with a team-high 10 tackles. He also had one tackle for loss, one sack, one quarterback hit and one forced fumble. In other words, he made plays all over the field. And he did so at big moments.

Brown combined with Jack Crawford to stop running back David Montgomery for no gain on fourth-and-1, which ended Chicago’s first offensive possession at the Titans’ 34. His forced fumble came with 3:53 to play (Jeffery Simmons recovered) and was the only time in four fourth-quarter possessions that Chicago’s offense did not put points on the board.

“Coach (Vrabel) called great plays for us to make us make those stops happen, and we had really good players going out there and making plays,” he said. “It was a good combination of complementing football to coaches and players and we got the job done.”