Ranking the Titans' Playoff Disappointments

Saturday's 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was a serious downer for the fan base. But how does it compare to other times the team fell short of expectations?

NASHVILLE – At first, it all seemed so easy.

Back in 1999 when Houston/Tennessee Oilers were rebranded the Tennessee Titans, moved from their temporary training facility into their permanent one, and began to play home games at Nissan Stadium disappointment was the last thing anyone expected.

There was a 13-3 season followed by a home playoff game, which the Titans won with one of the most iconic plays in NFL history. Then came two more postseason triumphs and a spot in Super Bowl XXXIV, the first time the franchise made it to the big game.

For a town in its pro sports infancy, the sense was that the good times were just getting started.

The past two decades-plus, though, have delivered some harsh lessons. Pro sports teams don’t make magic every year. They don’t always win the vast majority of games. Opportunities to play for championships should be cherished not expected.

The latest was delivered Saturday with the 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, a game decided on a 52-yard field goal as time expired. It was third time the Titans – as the AFC’s No. 1 seed – went one-and-done in the postseason and their third straight playoff defeat overall.

Given the optimism that preceded that contest with – among other things – the return of Derrick Henry, it was one of the biggest disappointments yet for the fans and for the team.

“We just really didn’t want it to go like that,” left tackle Taylor Lewan said. “Can’t believe it is over, you know? Just sucks.”

It is a lot easier to believe now than it was a relatively short time ago.

Here is a ranking of the Tennessee’s most disappointing playoff defeats of the Titans era (1999-present):

5. 2008, Divisional Round: Baltimore 13, Tennessee 10

Tennessee won its first 10 games and finished with the league’s best regular-season record (13-3) on the strength of an offensive line that allowed eight sacks, and an All-Pro performance by defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. Still, there was a sense that with their the decision to stick with Kerry Collins at quarterback over Vince Young for the final 15 games (Young clashed with coach Jeff Fisher following the opener) coaches were playing it safe. Maybe too safe.

The Titans outgained the Ravens 391-211, but five different players fumbled (Baltimore recovered two), and Collins threw one interception while the Ravens did not commit a turnover. Consequently, the teams traded first-quarter touchdowns and fourth-quarter field goals. The Ravens went ahead for good on a 43-yard field goal with 57 seconds to play, which left Tennessee’s offense an opportunity. Collins completed a pass for five yards on first down then threw incomplete on his next three attempts, and it was over.

4. 1999, Super Bowl XXXIV: St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16

The disappointment came from how close the Titans were to a championship. Everything that preceded Kevin Dyson being stopped one yard short of a game-tying touchdown on the final play, though, pretty much left everyone feeling good. There was the 13-3 regular season, the three victories over Jacksonville (the last in the AFC Championship), the Music City Miracle and the second-half rally against the Rams.

The defense dug in early and held St. Louis (aka The Greatest Show on Turf) to three first-half field goals even though it allowed 294 yards and 18 first downs. Tennessee’s first five offensive possessions included three punts, one missed field goal and one blocked field goal. Suddenly, though, the tide turned and the Titans, who held the ball for 24:01 of the second half, got two touchdowns and a field goal to tie the score 16-16 with 2:12 remaining. St. Louis answered with a 73-yard touchdown pass on the first play following the kickoff and set the stage for the dramatic finish. Steve McNair completed five passes and ran for 14 yards, which got the offense to the Rams’ 10 with five seconds remaining. A completion to Dyson, of course, gained nine yards. McNair’s 64 rushing yards on eight carries are still a Super Bowl record for quarterbacks.

3. 2002, AFC Championship: Oakland 41, Tennessee 24

The core of the 1999 Super Bowl team remained largely intact and rebounded from an injury-riddled 2001 season. After a 1-4 start, including a 52-25 loss at Oakland in Week 4, these Titans won 10 of their final 11 to claim to win the AFC South in the NFL’s first season with eight divisions. In addition to the opportunity to reach the Super Bowl, the game in Oakland felt like a chance to avenge the regular-season debacle.

The Raiders scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and tacked on 10 points in the final minute of the first half with help from a Robert Holcombe fumble recovered by former Titans defensive back Anthony Dorsett. Tennessee never seriously threatened after that and was outscored 17-7 over the final two quarters.

2. 2021, Divisional Round: Cincinnati 19, Tennessee 16

It had been a long time since fan base was excited about the postseason possibilities, particularly since Henry returned to the lineup after having missed the final nine games of the regular season with a foot injury. Then Ryan Tannehill threw an interception on the game’s first offensive play and set an ominous tone. Before it was done, Tannehill threw two more interceptions, the last of which led to the Bengals’ game-winning 52-yard field goal as time expired.

Henry ran 20 times for 62 yards and a touchdown but was stopped for a 2-yard loss on a critical fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter as well as on a two-point conversion attempt following the game’s first touchdown. Tennessee never led but tied it twice, the second time at 16-16 on A.J. Brown’s 33-yard touchdown reception with 15 seconds to play in the third quarter. Brown set a franchise playoff record with 142 receiving yards on five catches, but it was the passes that ended up in the hands of Bengals defensive players that were the difference.

1. 2000, Divisional Round: Baltimore 20, Tennessee 13

A day after the Titans returned from their loss in Super Bowl XXXIV, coach Jeff Fisher declared the 2000 season would be a continuation of 1999. The 2000 team posted a second straight 13-3 record but was much better than its predecessor. The addition of free agent linebacker Randall Godfrey made the defense elite, and the emergence of wide receiver/return man Derrick Mason as a record-setting Pro Bowler made the offense more diverse and dangerous.

Never was Super-Bowl-or-bust a more realistic attitude. Unfortunately for the Titans and their fans, it was the latter.

Tennessee limited Baltimore to six first downs and 134 yards of total offense (the Ravens had five plays that gained more than five yards). The Titans also blocked two punts but made the more costly mistakes. Most people remember when Ray Lewis ripped the ball from Eddie George for an interception, which he returned 50 yards for a touchdown as the defining moment of the contest. But kicker Al Del Greco had a particularly rough day with two field goals blocked, the second of which was returned 90 yards for a touchdown, and another that hit the upright in the final minute before halftime.