HOUSTON -- So much went wrong for the Tennessee Titans on Sunday that it was hard to keep a list to one page.
The 2-10 Titans were the same bumbling, bungling team we've seen on the majority of NFL Sundays. But this time, it felt like there was a big magnifying glass over it all.
I picked a few situations from the 45-21 shellacking at the hands of the Houston Texans to look at more closely.
Andy Levitre's third-quarter false start: Starting right guard Chance Warmack had just left the game after linebacker John Simon rolled up on his ankle while making a tackle of Dexter McCluster.
That meant Levitre was the lone starting lineman on the field, with Will Svitek at left tackle, Chris Spencer at center, Eric Olsen at right guard and Byron Stingily at right tackle.
On third-and-7 from the Titans' 44-yard line, Levitre then false started.
"That was a lack of concentration on my part," Levitre said. "That was supposed to be a different cadence. We changed the call on the line, and it slipped my mind. It's unacceptable for me to do that. I need to be locked in and have greater focus."
That was one of six penalties that cost the Titans 66 yards and a first down.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt expanded on just how bad that one was.
"To top that off, even worse, he's the guy that taps the center to snap the ball," Whisenhunt said. "So he's certainly aware of the count. That's a good illustration of the failings that we've had this year."
The Titans' ability to turn Houston quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick into Johnny Unitas: Fitzpatrick started the game with one interception for every 1.16 touchdown passes in his career. The Titans didn't intercept him once and allowed him six touchdown tosses on this day, including throws of 8, 7, 58, 34, 4 and 1 yard to a tight end, a running back, two receivers and, yes, a defensive end.
Last season, as a member of the Titans, Fitzpatrick threw 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Now he's beaten his old team twice in 2014 and thrown seven scoring passes and zero picks.
"He had no reason to take chances," cornerback Jason McCourty said. "He obviously has had a past of turning the ball over. But when you come into a game and before we know it they're up 14-zip, there are not many quarterbacks that go back there and try to fit balls in tight windows. He was comfortable.
"He knew he had a lead. They ran the ball, [and] they were able to make third-down pass plays with more or less simple route concepts. I give Fitz all the credit. He came out here, and he played a hell of a game. He was able to get in a rhythm, he made all the throws he needed to make, he could buy time in the pocket.
"I guess we all have notions about him, but he came out here today and proved them wrong."
Jake Locker's interception in the first pass he threw in relief: Locker replaced Zach Mettenberger (right shoulder) with 8:30 left on the clock in the third quarter and the Titans facing a third-and-3 from their own 45-yard line.
Locker dropped back, threw for Kendall Wright on the right side and saw cornerback Jumal Rolle cut it off and take it away.
"I think he mistook it for man [coverage] because he's supposed to work the other side versus zone," Whisenhunt said. "It's probably a little bit of rust."
A guy who felt he should have remained the Titans' starting quarterback needs to do better when called on. I understand things get disguised, and there is a lot going on. But even if you have the backup job, identifying the coverage is a basic necessity.
"I should have been on the other side," Locker said in a short conversation with the media during which I couldn't help but feel like he absolutely couldn't wait to not be on the Titans.
I have limited space and didn't talk to everyone involved in everything.
We also could have hit: The Texans' 65 percent third-down conversion rate; Houston's eight tackles for a loss; J.J. Watt's day: two sacks, six hits, a forced fumble and recovery, and a TD catch; the easy TD drive Houston put together after the Titans got within 10 points; the taunting call against Kendall Wright, which he said was bogus; DeAndre Hopkins' nine catches on nine targets for 238 yards and two TDs for the Texans.
Maybe we'll get a chance to delve into more in some follow-up. I'm sure the Titans would prefer it all fizzle away, as their season has.
