First, the good: Safety Kevin Byard came up with a huge interception in the end zone to end one drive. The Titans held the Raiders to field goals after they’d reached the Tennessee 3, 14 and 17. Linebacker Dylan Cole and Byard each got a hand on the football on the two-point try at the end, and the Titans did a nice job on Raiders receiver Davante Adams, who had just five catches for 36 yards. The Titans held the Raiders to just 1-of-12 on third down, the best under HC Mike Vrabel. The Titans defense limited the Raiders to two touchdowns in six drives inside the red zone. Now, the bad: The Raiders went 3-of-3 on 4th down, Raiders receiver Mack Hollins had eight catches for 158 yards, quarterback Derek Carr threw for 303 yards and two scores, and the Titans had trouble getting stops late. A 60-yard pass from Carr to Hollins (with Terrance Mitchell in coverage) was deflating even before the late score that made it close. Vrabel said the unit needs to be better. “Just the X-plays, the deep penalties, the fourth-down conversions,” Vrabel said. “It is really good, and then it’s really not very good. We have to figure out what that is, if we’re relaxing or what. There are some opportunities in there where it looks like defense, and it looks like we know what we’re doing. Then other times there are lapses and we have to eliminate the lapses.”
Special Teams Contributions
Vrabel calls it complementary football, which is winning in all three phases. On Sunday, special teams helped the Titans beat the Raiders. Kicker Randy Bullock nailed a 48-yard field goal at the end of the first half to give the team some much-needed points. Who knew it would be the difference in the game? Woods returned a punt 20 yards, punter Ryan Stonehouse averaged 60.3 yards on three punts, including a punt of 70 yards, and tight end Austin Hooper recovered an onsides kick in the closing moments to preserve the win. With a smile, Byard said he had some words for Hooper after he secured the football….
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