EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Titans lost 12-7 to the Giants here on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Here's a look at six things that stood out from the contest:
Ward's Final Pass
Titans quarterback Cam Ward wanted his last throw back. With the game hanging in the balance, Ward had a chance to be a hero after guiding the team down the field in the closing minutes. But on a first-and-goal play from the seven-yard line, Ward threw an interception in the end zone. It ended the team's hope for a last-second win, and instead left Ward, and the team, disappointed yet again. "I don't think it was reckless," Ward said of the final pass. "It just wasn't a good ball." Ward finished the day 23-of-36 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ward had thrown 208 consecutive passes (a new franchise record) without throwing an interception until his final pass on Sunday. "(I told Cam) the same thing I told the team. We did a lot of good things. And for Cam, just keep your head up, keep going."
Too Little, Too Late
The Titans put together a 13-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a touchdown toss from Ward to Wan'Dale Robinson with 5:35 left to cut the lead to 12-7, and the team was on the verge of scoring again after a 13-play, 64-yard drive gave the team a first-and-goal at the seven. It begs the question: Where was this offensive success all game, when the Titans dug themselves into a 12-0 hole while looking inept on offense in the first half, shut out through nearly 55 minutes? The Titans didn't get it done at the end, but what happened – or didn't happen – most of the game ultimately came back to haunt them. At the half, the Titans had just one first down, and 54 yards of offense. "It wasn't good enough," Saleh said. "It definitely needs to start off better."
Defensive Effort
The Titans defense put forth a winning effort, holding the Giants to just four field goals on the day. No, it wasn't perfect, and the performance probably deserves an asterisk because it was against Giants back-up quarterback Jameis Winston. But still, the Giants managed just 238 yards on offense – 118 passing yards, and 138 yards on the ground. I'm being a little nitpicky here, but I thought the run defense could have been better. The Giants were able to play keep-away during large stretches in large part because the Titans offense struggled, but also because the Giants had too much success on the ground. Cam Skattebo had to fight for every inch of his 60 rushing yards (on 20 carries), but Najee Harris had more success (9-52).
Robinson and Tate
Playmakers on offense were tough to find early for the Titans, but Robinson and rookie Carnell Tate showed up in the fourth quarter as the team began moving the football. Robinson finished with seven catches for 57 yards on Sunday, while Tate had six catches for 58 yards. But on this day, the Titans just didn't make enough plays throughout the game. Ayomanor had one catch for 11 yards, but had an offensive pass interference penalty. I didn't notice him again until he was targeted at the end. Calvin Ridley was targeted once, and didn't have a catch. Titans receiver Chimere Dike had one catch for three yards. The Titans need more production across the board, throughout the game.
Penalties and Mistakes
Dike fumbled the opening kickoff, a big no-no, but the Titans defense bailed him out after that mistake. The Titans made life tougher on themselves, however, because of too many penalties. While the Giants had more on the day (10 for 88), the Titans had seven penalties for 63 yards, including a pair of offensive pass interference penalties (Daniel Bellinger, Ayomanor) that were drive killers. This team needs to quit making things harder with its own mistakes.
A Dejected Simmons
Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is the team's best player, and he's been through good times and bad times with the franchise. Simmons has been patient during this rebuilding process. But when talking to reporters in the locker room on Sunday, the pain and anguish on his face was clear to see after yet another tough loss. "Oh man," Simmons said after his 10-tackle, one-sack performance, which also included a pair of tackles for a loss. "It's one of those things where you are tired of hearing, "Growing pains," tired of hearing, "We fell short." You get tired of the same things. The game of football is about winning – somebody has to win the game. … We need to do more. We have to stop talking, we have to say less, do more. We have to (find a way). I am tired of saying the same thing. We can continue to say the tide is going to turn, but we have to do it. We continue to go out there and not do enough to win football games. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose, and we're 0 and 3 right now. That means we are not doing enough to win football games." My take: Simmons is doing his part and more, and others need to be better.
