SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Titans lost 37-24 to the 49ers here at Levi's Stadium on Sunday.
Senior Writer and Editor Jim Wyatt takes a look at six things that stood out from the contest:
Bad Starts to Each Half
The Titans stumbled out of the starting gate in the first half, and it happened again at the start of the second half. It's just one of the reasons the game turned out like it did. The Titans went three-and-out on their opening possession, and when the 49ers got the ball, they drove 70 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0. After Titans kicker Joey Slye misfired on a field goal on the final play of the first half, the 49ers scored a touchdown in just four plays to start the second half to stretch their lead from 17-10 to 24-10. Those two touchdowns ended up being the final margin in this one.
Defense Struggled
Let's face it, the Titans didn't put up much defense here on Sunday. The 49ers scored on their first five possessions, and on seven of their eight possessions in the contest, including four touchdowns. 49ers punter Thomas Morstead didn't punt in the game. In their eight possessions, the 49ers racked up 430 yards and 28 first downs, and they were 9-of-15 (60 percent) on third down. There were some costly missed tackles. Players on offense were nice enough to make excuses for Titans defenders, saying they hurt the cause with so many three-and-outs. Both can be true, of course, but it's also OK to admit this wasn't a banner day for the defense.
Big Jeff's TD Catch, and Forced Fumble
Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons once again was a force to be reckoned with. And on Sunday, Simmons made plays on both sides of the football. Early in the fourth quarter, Simmons surged into the backfield and knocked the ball out of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's right hand. It was ruled a fumble, and the Titans recovered it. Moments later, Simmons was on the receiving end of a one-yard touchdown toss from quarterback Cam Ward. Simmons became the NFL's first player since J.J. Watt in 2014 with a strip-sack and touchdown reception in the same game.
Injuries
The Titans were without left tackle Dan Moore Jr, who was sidelined with a neck injury. On Sunday, the injuries came at a fast and furious pace, and it impacted the team's play. The Titans were hit especially hard at the safety position, where Xavier Woods (hamstring), Kevin Winston Jr. (hamstring) and Mike Brown (ankle) all left early and did not return. Also during the game, guard Kevin Zeitler (groin), linebacker Cedric Gray (concussion), receiver Van Jefferson (back) and tight end Gunnar Helm (toe) left with injuries. Zeitler and Gray did not return. It made an already difficult day even more challenging.
Cam's Day
Titans quarterback Cam Ward threw two touchdown passes for the second game in a row as he completed 18-of-29 passes for 170 yards, with a 101.2 rating. Ward threw a great pass to tight end Gunnar Helm for a 34-yard touchdown, and he was patient in finding Simmons for his touchdown. On the play preceding the Simmons touchdown, Ward connected with receiver Van Jefferson for a 43-yard catch. But Ward got away with a few throws, and he was also victimized by a really bad drop by receiver Chimere Dike.
Pollard Reaches 100
In Cleveland, Titans running back Tony Pollard racked up 161 yards in a win. On Sunday, Pollard reached the 100-yard mark for the second game in a row. Only this time, Pollard's 104 yards on 14 carries wasn't enough on a day when the Titans were playing catch-up all day. Pollard's six-yard touchdown late cut San Francisco's lead to 10 points with just over five minutes remaining, but on Sunday, the Titans needed more across the board.
