After some slow starts, the Titans finally found success with their inaugural touchdown of 2018. Tyjae Spears ran through in Wildcat formation before taking a direct snap and sprinting seven yards for an easy score.
Will Levis has continued his struggle with turnovers while being protected by one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
| Category | Player | Completions/Attempts | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Carries | Rushing Yards | Receiving Receptions | Receiving Yards | Sacks | Sack Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | M. Rudolph (TEN) | 9/17 | 85 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| W. Levis (TEN) | 3/4 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | – | – | – | – | |
| T. Huntley (MIA) | 14/22 | 96 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Rushing | T. Pollard (TEN) | – | – | 1 | – | 22 | 88 | – | – | – | – |
| T. Spears (TEN) | – | – | 1 | – | 15 | 39 | – | – | – | – | |
| C. Ridley (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | 1 | 10 | – | – | – | – | |
| W. Levis (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | 2 | 5 | – | – | – | – | |
| T. Huntley (MIA) | – | – | 1 | – | 8 | 40 | – | – | – | – | |
| J. Wright (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | 9 | 32 | – | – | – | – | |
| T. Hill (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | 3 | 19 | – | – | – | – | |
| D. Achane (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | 10 | 15 | – | – | – | – | |
| Receiving | D. Hopkins (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 31 | – | – |
| T. Boyd (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 31 | – | – | |
| T. Pollard (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 20 | – | – | |
| T. Burks (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 13 | – | – | |
| C. Okonkwo (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | – | – | |
| C. Ridley (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | – | – | |
| J. Whyle (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | – | – | |
| T. Spears (TEN) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | – | – | |
| J. Waddle (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 4 | 36 | – | – | |
| T. Hill (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 4 | 23 | – | – | |
| T. Conner (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 15 | – | – | |
| D. Achane (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 3 | 14 | – | – | |
| M. Washington (MIA) | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | – | – | |
| Defense | S. Joseph-Day (TEN) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | 10 |
| H. Landry (TEN) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | 8 | |
| E. Ogbah (MIA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | 10 |
Offense
The Tennessee Titans offense came alive in this game, scoring 31 points in the second half and leading by Tony Pollard with 142 yards from running backs. Quarterback Will Levis delivered two touchdown passes while their defense kept Miami at bay all game long.
The Dolphins started this game 0-3, yet have yet to secure their first victory of 2019. Tua Tagovailoa has completed just 58 out of his 96 attempts this year; Tyler Huntley should take over starting duties against Tennessee, providing hope of finally getting one win this season.
Nick Folk kicked three field goals, from 40, 46 and 47 yards out respectively – his longest kick of the night! Additionally, Ryan Stonehouse attempted a punt return touchdown but it was disallowed after contact was made between Ryan Stonehouse and one of Dolphins defenders before reaching Ryan.
Once off to a slow start, the Titans managed to establish an easy advantage in the second half. Mason Rudolph took over as quarterback after Will Levis suffered a shoulder injury early in the first quarter; although Rudolph completed only a couple of passes successfully and did throw an incomplete one or two passes, his team still converted on third downs throughout the game.
On Tennessee’s final drive of the second half, Tennessee extended their lead through a powerful downfield drive led by Rudolph who completed a 26-yard pass to Tyler Boyd for an easy win before running out the clock with one second remaining before spiking it with 1 second left on their clock.
The Dolphins had an opportunity to tie the game late, but quarterback Tyler Huntley was intercepted by Titans cornerback Emmanuel Ogbah on a pass intended for Tyreek Hill and recovered by safety Daimion Stafford after it had fumbled away into safety Daimion Stafford’s hands. Additionally, Miami failed to convert any third downs during this game which contributed to their defeat.
Defense
The Titans defense has allowed just 22.5 points per game this year, the lowest mark in the NFL. Week 5 presents them with an opportunity to test themselves as they take on Miami – who rank fifth in passing yards allowed and rank 10th for running yards per game (86 averaged in 2018).
This matchup pits two teams with strong pass rushes. Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons has been an effective force on the defensive interior, while Miami’s Zach Sieler and Kader Kohou have made contributions from behind their secondary. Additionally, Tennessee’s Emmanuel Ogbah can make an impactful play from within their backfield; so far he has recorded two interceptions this season.
If the Titans can keep Tyler Huntley and the Dolphins’ explosive offense under control, they could improve upon their current 0-3 record. That will require better offensive performance from Will Levis who has both fumbled and thrown an interception during each of his three previous games this season.
Levis was sacked twice and threw one interception during Tennessee’s victory against Jacksonville; to achieve success in this contest for Tennessee and Levis must do better against Miami’s dominant secondary. Defense has held opposing quarterbacks under 200 passing yards in each of their first three games, and will aim to continue that trend against an unpredictable Titans squad. Linebackers hope to improve after an underwhelming showing against Packers last week. Kenneth Murray can surpass 500 tackles for his career with an outstanding showing tonight, while Ernest Jones IV looks to add another sack. If the Titans hope to pull off an upset against Miami, their linebackers must perform at their peak.
Special Teams
The Titans got off to a rough start on special teams. On their opening drive of the game, Will Levis was intercepted by Dolphins EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah; although Levis appeared to know where it would land before snapping it, Ogbah managed to slip underneath it and take an interception for himself – this would prove to be their only turnover during an otherwise frustrating first quarter for Tennessee.
As time was winding down in the second quarter, Mason Rudolph took advantage of a bad punt by the Dolphins to move the ball into field goal range and help Nick Folk kick a 47-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Titans a 9-3 lead at halftime. Meanwhile, their defense continued its strong performance by holding Jason Sanders to just one field goal attempt during the third quarter.
Calais Campbell blocked Ryan Stonehouse’s punt deep in Titans territory, where it appears as though two players simultaneously touched it; upon review it is revealed that only one had actually made contact before it hit the floor. Consequently, Tennessee made their second field goal after blocking punt for Calais Campbell in the fourth quarter. It was an chaotic finish – Ryan Stonehouse punt landed deep within their territory before seemingly being touched simultaneously by both Titans and Dolphins players simultaneously before it eventually hitting the ground and hit Calais Campbell blocked punt! After only one player touched it before it hit ground before its impact made an impactful final play: Tennessee won by 1 point!
On Miami’s next drive, Tyler Huntley was taken down by Harold Landry and fumbled upon subsequent play – quickly recovered by Tennessee and turned into a touchdown score by Tony Pollard rushing the following play – giving them the lead 31-12 with under three minutes remaining in the game.
Rookie cornerback Storm Duck made his first career start and proved effective during limited playing time, recording three tackles including an impressive third-down takedown of running back Tyjae Spears. Also making their debuts were defensive tackle Austin Jackson and linebacker Zach Sieler; wide receiver Malik Washington caught one pass for eight yards during his debut. For the first time this season, four different starters started all three games as Tennessee looks for offensive stability as well as ways to create turnovers.
Head-to-Head
The Miami Dolphins will try to snap their two-game losing streak when they meet Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium this Sunday. Tua Tagovailoa and Malik Willis both suffered injuries in Week 3, so Tyler Huntley may start for them against Tennessee.
The game features an intense offensive battle, as both teams feature talented receivers. DeAndre Hopkins of the Titans and Devin Hester of the Dolphins both have amassed over 70 receiving yards this season; DeVon Achane and Jaylen Waddle will be key contributors on offense for Miami.
Miami’s defense has been one of the Dolphins’ strengths this season, so the Titans will need a successful offense and defense from them in order to overcome that unit. Unfortunately, Tennessee has had inconsistent rushing attack which may prove costly against Miami’s formidable defensive squad.
Though their season began poorly, the Dolphins have shown signs of improvement recently. With an experienced coaching staff and talented roster at their disposal, it will be interesting to watch how this group competes against Titans on Monday night.
After an uneventful first quarter, both teams made mistakes in the second period. Titans quarterback Will Levis threw an interception on his initial drive while Dolphins fumbled on their next possession; on both drives Mason Rudolph and his offense took advantage of these miscues to score touchdowns and score twice more for Tennessee.
The Titans’ defense successfully shut down Miami Dolphins’ struggling offense in the second half, and held on to win. Tyler Huntley made an uninspiring debut for Miami in this loss; additionally, their secondary allowed Jaelen Strong’s interception return for a touchdown on drive two.
The Titans’ defense has been inconsistent this season, making scoring points for the Dolphins difficult in this game. Raheem Mostert will miss his key spot due to chest injuries; backup players Jeff Wilson Jr and Jaylen Wright should step in as needed to fill any potential voids that are left by Raheem Mostert’s absence.
