Growing Frustration for the Titans After New Defeat
The situation is getting complicated for the Tennessee Titans, who suffered their ninth loss of the season, falling to the Houston Texans with a score of 16-13. The team now has a record of 1-9, which has generated a palpable atmosphere of frustration. Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons did not hide his discontent after the defeat. Visibly upset, he approached the offense during the game to express his frustration after one of their series ended in a punt. Simmons urged the offense to improve their performance and play more complementary football.The Titans accumulated five false starts during the game, three of them committed by right tackle JC Latham, who attributed the problem to an error in the cadence. Quarterback Cam Ward acknowledged the problem, but clarified that it only occurred on one specific play. Simmons revealed that the team also had four false starts during Friday’s practice. In total, Tennessee was penalized nine times, losing 62 yards.I’m tired of sugarcoating things. We need to be better, especially at home. We can’t have so many false starts. I don’t care. I’m tired of losing.
Jeffery Simmons
One of the penalties was for unnecessary contact by Simmons in the first series, after Houston’s kicker, Matthew Wright, missed a 31-yard field goal attempt. Cody Barton had an outstanding defensive performance, achieving a sack on quarterback Davis Mills, which resulted in a change of possession.
Simmons, who returned after missing two games due to a hamstring injury, along with outside linebacker Arden Key, recorded sacks against Houston.The Titans’ defense managed to hold Houston to 16 points, but they still lost the game. When questioned about the increasing losses and the need to be accountable, which could create divisions in the locker room, Key hinted at changes in the game.We fight through injuries because the team and this game mean a lot to us. Everyone needs to take the same approach. We are grown men and we have a job to do. We need to attack every day with a better attitude.
Jeffery Simmons
Ward stated that he has no issues with direct communication and believes the defense has the right to be frustrated. Titans interim coach Mike McCoy opted for a field goal instead of risking it on a fourth down and two yards to go from the Texans’ 28-yard line, even though Tennessee was leading 3-0 and the defense had shut down Houston’s offense up to that point. Ward wants the offense to be more aggressive, especially on fourth down.In this new era it’s different. When I arrived, the veterans would talk to you and you better do things right. Now you talk to them and there are sighs and snorts and all that. It’s something you have to learn to talk to them in different ways.
Arden Key
I want to go for it on every fourth down, but at the end of the day that’s not my decision. We were able to get points from that, so it’s fine. My mentality, we’re 1-9 and we have nothing to lose.
Cam Ward
