NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With the 2-14 season in the bank, we’ll spend some time looking back at a dozen plays that defined the Titans season.
I put them in rough order, but we certainly could shuffle the list
Game: Giants 36, Titans 7, Week 14 at LP Field, Dec. 7, 2014.
Situation: Trailing 36-7 in the fourth quarter Zach Mettenberger was still directing the Titans a week after suffering a sprained throwing shoulder. The Titans were continuing to get him valuable experience that would help them assess him as their long-term option at quarterback. But he’d been poor, with 14 completions in 24 attempts for 125 yards and a pick.
Play: With 10:41 remaining, the Titans faced a second-and-10 from midfield. Linebacker Devon Kennard came off the left edge and sacked Mettenberger on his right shoulder. Left tackle Will Svitek blocked the guy lined up as right defensive end. Kennard came from farther to Svitek’s left, where Delanie Walker could have blocked him but went out on a route. Mettenberger was down, uncomfortable, and once he got up he walked with a tilt, wincing, directly to the Titans' locker room. It was his last snap of the season, and the Titans' unwillingness to dedicate enough to protection resulted in an injury that cost Mettenberger the final three games of his rookie season. “I’m not happy we aggravated the injury,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said the day after the game. “I should have done a better job of not letting that happen.” It was the biggest illustration of the Titans' unwillingness to change philosophically when their offensive line got hurt.
Here’s a Twitter follower who suggested it:
@PaulKuharskyNFL Zach hurting shoulder again the Giants. #stilldontknowifelite
— Chuck Stuart (@BigOrangeChuck) January 5, 2015The rundown:
No. 8: Bernard Pollard’s dropped interception
No. 9: Zach Mettenberger’s bomb to Nate Washington
No. 10: Le’Veon Bell running out the clock
No. 11: Sammie Hill’s field goal block against the Jaguars
No 12: Chris Spencer’s false start on a kneel down
