2019 Tennessee Titans season

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2019 Tennessee Titans season
OwnerAmy Adams Strunk
Head coachMike Vrabel
General managerJon Robinson
Home fieldNissan Stadium
Results
Record9–7
Division place2nd AFC South
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs (at Patriots) 20–13
Won Divisional Playoffs (at Ravens) 28–12
Lost AFC Championship (at Chiefs) 24–35
Pro Bowlers
4
AP All-Pros
3
Uniform
Tennessee titans unif.png
The Tennessee Titans vs. the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium in Week 15.

The 2019 season was the Tennessee Titans' 50th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 60th overall. It marks the franchise's 23rd season in the state of Tennessee, their 22nd in Nashville and their second full season under head coach Mike Vrabel. Despite a 2–4 start resulting in the benching of quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Titans turned their season around with ex-Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. With the boost of Tannehill, what was a previously bottom-tier NFL offense transformed into one of its best, helping the Titans to a strong 7–3 finish, making them 9–7 for the fourth straight year and allowing for their return to the postseason after a one-year absence.

Riding the rushing champion Derrick Henry into the playoffs, the Titans defeated the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round by a score of 20–13, advancing them to the Divisional Round. The Titans then upset the heavily favored top-seeded Baltimore Ravens 28–12, advancing to their first AFC Championship Game since 2002, and becoming the first team since both the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers in 2010 to advance to a Conference Championship Game as a sixth seed. However, the Titans fell to the eventual Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City Chiefs 35–24 in the AFC Championship Game.

Coaching changes[]

On January 8, 2019, Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur was hired as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.[1] On January 21, 2019, Titans tight ends coach Arthur Smith was promoted to the role of offensive coordinator.[2]

Draft[]

2019 Tennessee Titans Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 19 Jeffery Simmons DT Mississippi State
2 51 A.J. Brown WR Ole Miss
3 82 Nate Davis OG Charlotte
4 116 Amani Hooker S Iowa
5 168 D'Andre Walker OLB Georgia
6 188 David Long Jr. ILB West Virginia
2019 Tennessee Titans Draft Trades
Draft pick year Round Overall Team Received
2019 4 121 to New York Jets Received New York's 2019 fourth-round selection (No. 116 overall) and fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall).[3]
5 157
2019 6 191 to Baltimore Ravens Received linebacker Kamalei Correa.[4]
2019 7 233 to Miami Dolphins Received Miami's 2019 sixth-round selection (No. 188 overall) and quarterback Ryan Tannehill.[5]
2020 4 135

Undrafted free agents[]

2019 Tennessee Titans Undrafted Free Agents
Name Position School
Alex Barnes RB Kansas State
Amani Bledsoe DE Oklahoma
Hamp Cheevers CB Boston College
Cody Conway OT Syracuse
Jonathan Crawford S Indiana
A.T. Hall OT Stanford
Braxton Hoyett NT Mississippi State
Isaiah Mack DT Chattanooga
Kareem Orr CB Chattanooga
Anthony Ratliff-Williams WR North Carolina
Derick Roberson OLB Sam Houston State
Taj-Amir Torres CB Boston College
Isaac Zico WR Purdue
JoJo Tillery S Wofford

Source:[6]

Made regular season roster

Staff[]

2019 Tennessee Titans staff
Front office
  • Owner – KSA Industries
  • Controlling owner – Amy Adams Strunk
  • President, chairman and CEO –
  • Executive vice president/general manager – Jon Robinson
  • Vice president of football administration –
  • Vice president of player personnel –
  • Director of college scouting –
  • Director of pro scouting –
  • Assistant director of pro scouting –

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Dean Pees
  • Defensive line – Terrell Williams
  • Outside linebackers – Shane Bowen
  • Inside linebackers – Tyrone McKenzie
  • Secondary − Kerry Coombs
  • Defensive assistant –
  • Defensive assistant –
  • Defensive quality control –

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Craig Aukerman
  • Assistant special teams –

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning –
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Brian Bell
  • Strength and conditioning assistant –

Final roster[]

2019 Tennessee Titans final roster
Quarterbacks
  •  8 Marcus Mariota
  • 17 Ryan Tannehill

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 active, 9 inactive, 11 practice squad

Team captains[]

  • Marcus Mariota (QB)
  • Ben Jones (C)
  • Jurrell Casey (DL)
  • Wesley Woodyard (LB)
  • Kevin Byard (FS)

Preseason[]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 8 at Philadelphia Eagles W 27–10 1–0 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
2 August 17 New England Patriots L 17–22 1–1 Nissan Stadium Recap
3 August 25 Pittsburgh Steelers L 6–18 1–2 Nissan Stadium Recap
4 August 29 at Chicago Bears W 19–15 2–2 Soldier Field Recap

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue NFL.com
recap
1 September 8 at Cleveland Browns W 43–13 1–0 First Energy Stadium Recap
2 September 15 Indianapolis Colts L 17–19 1–1 Nissan Stadium Recap
3 September 19 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 7–20 1–2 TIAA Bank Field Recap
4 September 29 at Atlanta Falcons W 24–10 2–2 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
5 October 6 Buffalo Bills L 7–14 2–3 Nissan Stadium Recap
6 October 13 at Denver Broncos L 0–16 2–4 Empower Field at Mile High Recap
7 October 20 Los Angeles Chargers W 23–20 3–4 Nissan Stadium Recap
8 October 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 27–23 4–4 Nissan Stadium Recap
9 November 3 at Carolina Panthers L 20–30 4–5 Bank of America Stadium Recap
10 November 10 Kansas City Chiefs W 35–32 5–5 Nissan Stadium Recap
11 Bye
12 November 24 Jacksonville Jaguars W 42–20 6–5 Nissan Stadium Recap
13 December 1 at Indianapolis Colts W 31–17 7–5 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
14 December 8 at Oakland Raiders W 42–21 8–5 RingCentral Coliseum Recap
15 December 15 Houston Texans L 21–24 8–6 Nissan Stadium Recap
16 December 22 New Orleans Saints L 28–38 8–7 Nissan Stadium Recap
17 December 29 at Houston Texans W 35–14 9–7 NRG Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries[]

Week 1: at Cleveland Browns[]

Week One: Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 3 9 102143
Browns 6 0 7013

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: September 8
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,431
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Though favored to lose, the Titans surprised the league with a blowout win over the heavily hyped Browns in Cleveland with a strong second-half performance. The Titans defense intercepted QB Baker Mayfield three times, including once for a pick-six by CB Malcolm Butler, and sacked Mayfield four times, including once for a safety by Cameron Wake. Titans QB Marcus Mariota and RB Derrick Henry had efficient games, leading the team to four touchdowns on offense to complement the strong defensive performance.[7]

Week 2: vs. Indianapolis Colts[]

Week Two: Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Colts 7 6 0619
Titans 0 7 10017

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: September 15
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 93 °F (34 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,849
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Titans lost a close game 19–17, though a highlight of the game involved a passing touchdown from Mariota to offensive lineman David Quessenberry, who had recovered from a bout with cancer.[8]

Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars[]

Week Three: Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 0 0 077
Jaguars 14 0 3320

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: September 19
  • Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Light rain, 73 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 58,613
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Titans faced traditional rival Jacksonville in a Thursday night matchup for the fifth time in six years, but lost after an effective performance by Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew. With their second straight loss, the Titans fell to 1–2.[9]

Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons[]

Week Four: Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 14 10 0024
Falcons 7 0 3010

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: September 29
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 72,108
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

For the first time all season, Marcus Mariota was not sacked during a game, after being sacked a league-high 17 times in the first three games of the season. The Titans easily won 24–10 to improve to 2–2, despite Falcons QB Matt Ryan throwing for nearly 400 yards.[10]

Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills[]

Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bills 0 7 0714
Titans 0 0 707

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: October 6
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 77 °F (25 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,910
  • Referee: Brad Rogers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In a defense-heavy game, the Titans fell short partly due to four missed field goals from kicker Cairo Santos, who was released after this game. However, the offense was also held in check by a strong Bills defense, as Mariota was sacked five times despite offensive tackle Taylor Lewan returning from suspension. With their third straight loss to Buffalo, Tennessee fell to 2–3 on the year.[11]

Week 6: at Denver Broncos[]

Week Six: Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 0 0 000
Broncos 3 3 7316

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

  • Date: October 13
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT/2:25 p.m. MDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 69 °F (21 °C)
  • Game attendance: 75,815
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and John Schriffen
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After an ineffective performance, Marcus Mariota was benched for backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the third quarter as the Titans were shut out 16–0. With the loss, Tennessee fell to 2–4.[12]

Week 7: vs. Los Angeles Chargers[]

Week Seven: Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Chargers 3 7 01020
Titans 3 7 01323

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: October 20
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,431
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Ryan Tannehill made his first start at quarterback for the Titans in place of Marcus Mariota. After a back-and-forth first half, the Titans pulled ahead in the second half, holding a 23–13 fourth quarter lead before the Chargers scored a touchdown, cutting the Titans' lead to 3 with just over 5 minutes left. After forcing the Titans to turn the ball over on downs at the Los Angeles 49-yard line, the Chargers marched down the field to the Titans 1-yard line, but running backs Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon were unable to score, with the Titans defense forcing Gordon to fumble at the goal line. The Titans recovered the ball for a touchback, effectively sealing the win to improve to 3–4.[13]

Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers[]

Week Eight: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 12 8023
Titans 14 3 3727

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: October 27
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 59 °F (15 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,073
  • Referee: Adrian Hill
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen and
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Titans rallied after the Buccaneers had themselves rallied from a 17–9 Tennessee lead. Jameis Winston's two touchdowns and a two-point conversion throw put the Buccaneers up 23–17 halfway through the third quarter. Cody Parkey's field goal put the Titans within 23–20 late in the third then Ryan Tannehill led a drive ending in an A. J. Brown touchdown catch that put Tennessee up 27–23. Winston fumbled on one Buccaneers possession, then was intercepted on Tampa's final possession.

Week 9: at Carolina Panthers[]

Week Nine: Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 0 0 71320
Panthers 0 17 7630

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: November 3
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 58 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,540
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs[]

Week Ten: Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Chiefs 10 3 91032
Titans 0 13 71535

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: November 10
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,864
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The game lead tied or changed six times and the Titans rallied to the win on two field goal miscues by the Chiefs, first on a blown snap, subsequent missed throw by Dustin Colquitt, and resulting intentional grounding penalty while Tennessee trailed 32–27, then following an Adam Humphries touchdown catch and Ryan Tannehill two-point conversion run, on a blocked Harrison Butker 52-yard attempt, the kick blocked by Joshua Kalu. It was the Titans’ eighth win in nine matchups to that point over teams coached by Andy Reid.

Week 12: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars[]

Week Twelve: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 3 8920
Titans 0 7 28742

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 60,926
  • Referee: Shawn Smith
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

This game was notable because the four touchdowns scored by the Titans in the third quarter came in a span of six offensive plays.

Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts[]

Week Thirteen: Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 7 0 101431
Colts 7 3 7017

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: December 1
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 60,361
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Jay Feely
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: at Oakland Raiders[]

Week Fourteen: Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 7 14 71442
Raiders 7 14 0021

at Ring Central Coliseum, Oakland, California

  • Date: December 8
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST/1:25 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 59 °F (15 °C)
  • Game attendance: 52,760
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In a game with heavy playoff implications, the Titans scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half after being locked in a 21–21 tie with the Raiders at halftime. Tennessee finished with 551 total yards as Ryan Tannehill passed for nearly 400 yards and Derrick Henry also posted a strong performance. With the win, the Titans improved to 8–5, reaching a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the sixth seed in the AFC.[14]

Week 15: vs. Houston Texans[]

Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 14 01024
Titans 0 0 71421

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: December 15
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,265
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints[]

Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 0 10 21738
Titans 14 0 7728

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: December 22
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,756
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Sara Walsh
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 17: at Houston Texans[]

Week Seventeen: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 7 7 71435
Texans 7 0 7014

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 29
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 71,794
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With this win, the Titans clinched the #6 seed in the AFC. They also won their first game in Houston since 2011.

RB Derrick Henry achieved the most rushing yards in the league, surpassing Browns RB Nick Chubb.[15]

Standings[]

Division[]

AFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Houston Texans 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 378 385 L1
(6) Tennessee Titans 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 402 331 W1
Indianapolis Colts 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 361 373 L1
Jacksonville Jaguars 6 10 0 .375 2–4 6–6 300 397 W1

Conference[]

# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Baltimore Ravens North 14 2 0 .875 5–1 10–2 .494 .484 W12
2[a] Kansas City Chiefs West 12 4 0 .750 6–0 9–3 .510 .477 W6
3[a] New England Patriots East 12 4 0 .750 5–1 8–4 .469 .411 L1
4 Houston Texans South 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 .520 .488 L1
Wild Cards
5 Buffalo Bills East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .461 .363 L2
6 Tennessee Titans South 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 .488 .465 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Pittsburgh Steelers North 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 .502 .324 L3
8[b][c] Denver Broncos West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .510 .406 W2
9[c][d][e] Oakland Raiders West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 .482 .335 L1
10[b][d][e] Indianapolis Colts South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 .492 .500 L1
11[b][d] New York Jets East 7 9 0 .438 2–4 4–8 .473 .402 W2
12[f] Jacksonville Jaguars South 6 10 0 .375 2–4 6–6 .484 .406 W1
13[f] Cleveland Browns North 6 10 0 .375 3–3 6–6 .533 .479 L3
14[g] Los Angeles Chargers West 5 11 0 .313 0–6 3–9 .514 .488 L3
15[g] Miami Dolphins East 5 11 0 .313 2–4 4–8 .484 .463 W2
16 Cincinnati Bengals North 2 14 0 .125 1–5 2–10 .553 .406 W1
Tiebreakers[h]
  1. ^ a b Kansas City finished ahead of New England based on head-to-head victory.
  2. ^ a b c Denver finished ahead of Indianapolis and NY Jets based on conference record. Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Oakland (see below).
  3. ^ a b Denver finished ahead of Oakland based on conference record.
  4. ^ a b c Oakland and Indianapolis finished ahead of NY Jets based on conference record.
  5. ^ a b Oakland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ^ a b Jacksonville finished ahead of Cleveland based on record against common opponents. Jacksonville's cumulative record against Cincinnati, Denver, NY Jets, and Tennessee was 4–1, compared to Cleveland's 2–3 cumulative record against the same four teams.
  7. ^ a b LA Chargers finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head victory.
  8. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason[]

Schedule[]

Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue NFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 4, 2020 at New England Patriots (3) W 20–13 1–0 Gillette Stadium Recap
Divisional January 11, 2020 at Baltimore Ravens (1) W 28–12 2–0 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
AFC Championship January 19, 2020 at Kansas City Chiefs (2) L 24–35 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap

Game summaries[]

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) New England Patriots[]

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Tennessee Titans at (3) New England Patriots – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 7 7 0620
Patriots 3 10 0013

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: January 4, 2020
  • Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Foggy, 44 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,878
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Tennessee running back Derrick Henry accounted for 204 of the Titans' 272 total offensive yards, including 34 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown as he led his team to victory as the Patriots failed to win a playoff game in a season for the first time since 2010.[16] As a result, New England's streak of AFC Championship appearances ended at eight.

New England took the opening kickoff and drove 57 yards in 8 plays, the longest a 21-yard completion from Tom Brady to tight end Benjamin Watson. Nick Folk finished the drive with a 36-yard field goal to put the Patriots up 3–0.[17] Tennessee struck back, with Henry carrying the ball 6 times for 44 yards on a 75-yard drive,[17] that gave the team a 7–3 lead with Ryan Tannehill's 12-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Firkser, the first playoff touchdown scored by a Harvard University graduate.[18] New England then moved the ball 75 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 25-yard run by Sony Michel.[17] Receiver Julian Edelman finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run – his first such touchdown[17] – on an end around play on the first play of the second quarter, giving the Patriots a 10–7 lead. Later on, Patriots receiver Mohamed Sanu returned a punt 23 yards to the Titans' 47-yard line, and the team drove on to a first and goal on the 1-yard line.[18] The Titans held out on the goal line; linebacker Rashaan Evans dropped Michel for a 1-yard loss on first down, Rex Burkhead was tackled on the 1-yard line by Evans and DaQuan Jones on second down and Evans tackled Michel for a 2-yard loss on third down. The Patriots took a 13–7 lead on Folk's 21-yard field goal with 2:16 left in the half. Henry took off for a 29-yard gain on the first play of the team's ensuing drive, before picking up 23 more yards with his next three carries after an incompletion. Henry then ran a screen pass 22 yards to the Patriots' 1-yard line, ultimately converting a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Titans a 14–13 halftime lead.

This would turn out to be the last offensive score of the game, as both teams combined for a total of 9 punts in the second half. New England got a mild scoring chance when Duron Harmon intercepted a pass from Tannehill – who finished with 72 passing yards[18] – at New England's 41-yard line, but the offense could only move the ball to Tennessee's 47-yard line before being forced to punt. In the final minute of the game, Tennessee punter Brett Kern's 58-yard kick pinned the Patriots back at their own 1-yard line.[19] On the next play, Titans defensive back Logan Ryan, who formerly played for New England,[17] intercepted Brady's pass and returned it for a 9-yard touchdown, making the final score 20–13 after a failed two-point conversion attempt. Ryan's pick-six would end up being Brady's final pass as a Patriot, as he would leave the Patriots in the offseason to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) Baltimore Ravens[]

AFC Divisional Playoffs: (6) Tennessee Titans at (1) Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 7 7 14028
Ravens 0 6 0612

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Date: January 11, 2020
  • Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 69 °F (21 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,254
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Tennessee stunned the heavily favored Ravens, who had the NFL's best record and had finished the year as the league's top scoring team, while also setting a new record for rushing yards in a season. Once again, Titans running back Derrick Henry accounted for most of the Tennessee offense, accounting for 205 of their 300 total yards. Meanwhile, Baltimore racked up 530 yards, but their three turnovers and four failed fourth-down conversion attempts proved too much to overcome. As a result, Baltimore became the first number 1 seed in the playoffs to lose to the number 6 seed since the New England Patriots lost to the New York Jets in 2010.[20][21]

On the Ravens' first drive of the game, Lamar Jackson threw a pass that bounced off the hands of Mark Andrews and was intercepted by safety Kevin Byard, who returned it 31 yards, with an unnecessary roughness penalty against Jackson for a horse-collar tackle adding another 15 yards and giving Tennessee a first down on the Ravens' 35-yard line.[22] Henry then carried the ball 4 times for 22 yards on an 8-play drive that ended with Ryan Tannehill's 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jonnu Smith, who made a leaping one-handed catch in the back of the end zone. After getting the ball back, Baltimore drove to a 4th-and-1 on their own 45-yard line.[21] Jackson attempted to convert with a quarterback sneak, but he was tackled by linebacker David Long Jr. for no gain on the last play of the first quarter. On the next play, Tannehill gave the team a 14–0 lead with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Kalif Raymond.[20] Following a punt from each team, Jackson completed a 30-yard pass[22] to Marquise Brown and a 16-yard pass to Andrews, setting up Justin Tucker's 49-yard field goal to make the score 14–3. Then after a Titans punt, Jackson completed a 26-yard pass to Seth Roberts, as well as two completions to Brown for gains of 16 yards and 38 yards on a 91-yard drive. Tucker finished it off with a 22-yard field goal as time expired in the half, making the score 14–6 at halftime.

Baltimore took the second half kickoff and drove to a 4th-and-1 on the Titans' 18-yard line. Jackson again tried to convert with a run, but was stopped for no gain by linebacker Harold Landry. Two plays later on 3rd and 1, Henry took a handoff through the middle and ran for a 66-yard gain, to the Ravens' 6-yard line. Then when faced with 3rd and goal from the 3-yard line, Henry took a direct snap out of wildcat formation and threw a jump pass to Corey Davis for a touchdown.[21] This gave Tennessee a 21–6 lead and made Henry the first running back to throw a touchdown pass in the postseason since Allen Rice in the 1987 season.[23] On the first play of the Ravens' next possession, defensive end Jurrell Casey forced a fumble while sacking Jackson,[22] which Jeffery Simmons recovered for Tennessee on the Baltimore 20-yard line. From there, the Titans drove to a 28–6 lead, scoring on a 6-play drive that ended with Tannehill's 1-yard touchdown run.[21] Baltimore responded with a drive to the Titans' 36-yard line, only to lose the ball again with a Jackson pass that was intercepted by safety Kenny Vaccaro. After forcing Tennessee to punt, the Ravens finally managed to score a touchdown, moving the ball 83 yards in 10 plays, the longest a 27-yard run by Jackson. Jackson finished the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hayden Hurst, but his subsequent two-point conversion pass was incomplete, keeping the score at 28–12. Tennessee's defense then pinned down Baltimore for the rest of the game, forcing a turnover on downs on the Ravens' final two possessions.

Henry finished the game with 30 carries for 195 yards,[24] while also catching two passes for 7 yards and throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass. He became the first player to rush for over 180 yards twice in the same postseason.[25] Tannehill completed 7 of 14 pass attempts for 88 yards,[20] and two touchdowns,[21] while also rushing for 13 yards and a touchdown; Casey had four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Jackson completed 31 of 59 passes for 365 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions,[24] while also rushing 20 times for 143 yards.[21] This made him the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a playoff game.[20][26] His top receiver was Brown, who caught seven passes for 126 yards.

AFC Championship: at (2) Kansas City Chiefs[]

AFC Championship: (6) Tennessee Titans at (2) Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 10 7 0724
Chiefs 7 14 01435

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: January 19, 2020
  • Game time: 2:05 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 17 °F (−8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 73,656
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Jay Feely and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Titans reached the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2002, when they faced the Oakland Raiders, also making this the first AFC title game since then to not feature the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, or Pittsburgh Steelers.

Miscellaneous[]

The Titans had the NFL's worst Field Goal kicking unit in 2019, going only 8 for 18 (.444) during the regular season. The 8 field goals made tied the NFL record for fewest in a 16-game season.

References[]

  1. ^ "Matt LaFleur named Green Bay's 15th head coach". Packers.com. January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  2. ^ Wyatt, Jim (January 21, 2019). "Titans Promote Arthur Smith to Offensive Coordinator". TitansOnline.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  3. ^ Davenport, Turron (April 27, 2019). "Terms for Titans Trade". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  4. ^ Wilson, Ryan (December 31, 2018). "2019 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans team needs, draft picks, prospects to watch". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  5. ^ Wolfe, Cameron (March 15, 2019). "Dolphins trade quarterback Tannehill to Titans". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Wyatt, Jim. "Titans Agree to Terms with 13 Undrafted Free Agents". tennesseetitans.com. Tennessee Titans. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Davenport, Turron (September 8, 2019). "Titans ride defense to spoil opener for Baker Mayfield, Browns". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  8. ^ "Colts vs. Titans - Game Recap - September 15, 2019 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  9. ^ Lambert, Terry A. (September 19, 2019). "Recap: Jaguars beat Titans 20-7". Music City Miracles. SB Nation. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  10. ^ Lambert, Terry A. (September 29, 2019). "Mariota, Titans bounce back, beat Falcons 24-10". Music City Miracles. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  11. ^ Davenport, Turron (October 6, 2019). "Cairo Santos' four missed field goals cost Titans win". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  12. ^ Dajani, Jordan (October 13, 2019). "Titans bench Marcus Mariota for Ryan Tannehill as offense can do nothing vs. Broncos". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  13. ^ Boclair, David (October 20, 2019). "Titans Hang On to Beat Chargers: The Who, What, How and Why". SI.com. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  14. ^ Dickerson, Bennett (December 8, 2019). "Titans beat Raiders after Offensive Explosion". TennesseeSports. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  15. ^ "Derrick Henry captures 2019 NFL rushing title on 53-yard TD run". December 29, 2019.
  16. ^ Bacharach, Erik (January 5, 2020). "Titans beat New England Patriots: Five observations as Tennessee advances to face Ravens". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Tom Brady says retirement 'pretty unlikely' despite Pats' shock loss to Titans". The Guardian. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  18. ^ a b c "Derrick Henry, Titans stun Patriots 20-13 in wild-card upset". ESPN.com. ESPN Inc. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  19. ^ Pennington, Bill (January 4, 2020). "Tom Brady and the Patriots Are Upset by the Titans in a Stunner". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  20. ^ a b c d Shook, Nick (January 11, 2020). "Derrick Henry, Titans stun top-seeded Ravens". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Maske, Mark (January 12, 2020). "Underdog Titans stun top-seeded Ravens, 28-12, advance to AFC title game". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  22. ^ a b c "Baltimore Ravens' historic season ended as Titans' Derrick Henry runs riot". The Guardian. Associated Press. January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  23. ^ Campbell, Lauren (January 11, 2020). "Watch Titans' Derrick Henry Complete Jump-Pass TD Vs. Ravens". NESN.com. New England Sports Network. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  24. ^ a b "Tennessee Titans shock Baltimore Ravens; San Francisco 49ers beat Vikings". BBC Sport. BBC. January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  25. ^ Possee, Mackenzie (January 12, 2020). "NFL stats and records, Divisional Round: Henry's historic day". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  26. ^ Mink, Ryan (January 12, 2020). "Lamar Jackson Shakes Off Haters After Another Playoff Loss". BaltimoreRavens.com. Baltimore Ravens. Retrieved January 12, 2020.

External links[]

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