Five observations as Tannehill is nearly perfect in Week 2
In the first nine minutes, 17 seconds of Sunday’s game, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill delivered two quick jabs to the Jaguars defense – two touchdown passes – and it was immediately clear: Tannehill was feeling it in Week 2. For the Titans, it was a good thing he was – because their defense certainly was not. Tannehill threw four touchdown passes, and Stephen Gostkowski kicked the game-winning field goal – again – as the Titans eked out a 33-30 win.
Here are five observations as the Titans moved to the top of the AFC South and improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2008:
Ryan Tannehill near perfect
Tannehill entered Sunday with nine games of at least two touchdowns and no interceptions since Week 7 of last season, the only quarterback with at least seven such games over that span.
He was at it again against the Jaguars.
Tannehill had two touchdown passes in the first quarter – a 13-yard strike to tight end Jonnu Smith, and a 9-yard connection with wide receiver Corey Davis – to give the Titans an early lead.
His signature play of the afternoon came in the third quarter, when he stared down oncoming pressure, absorbed a hit just before getting a pass off to wide receiver Adam Humphries, and saw Humphries make a contested catch on his perfect ball.
It was the first time Tannehill had thrown for four touchdown passes since 2015, and his first time doing so with the Titans. He finished the game 18-for-24 passing for 239 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a 145.7 rating. Derrick Henry, meanwhile, was kept mostly in check, though he ran for a couple of big gains late. He had 25 carries for 84 yards.
Stephen Gostkowski bounces back
Of course it came down to a field goal again.
In Gostkowski’s Titans debut last week, the veteran kicker missed four kicks (three field goals and one extra point), though he hit the game-winning field goal from 25 yards out with 17 seconds to kind of, sort of redeem himself and improve to 1-for-4 on field goals.
He rebounded well Sunday, coming through with the game-winner yet again, this time from 49 yards out with 1:36 left. Earlier, Gostkowski had a perfect first half: 3-for-3 on extra points, 3for-3 on yielding touchbacks on kickoffs and 1-for-1 on field goals (he hit a 51-yarder as time expired in the second quarter). But Gostkowski didn’t escape the game without a miss. In the third quarter, his extra point attempt hit the left upright.
Titans defense struggles
The Titans took a 24-10 lead into halftime but allowed a 14-play, 89-yard drive by the Jaguars to start the second half that ended in a touchdown and ate up more than seven minutes of game clock.
At the end of the third, the Jaguars began another touchdown-scoring drive that spanned seven plays, 75 yards and 2:48 of game clock.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew, fresh off a performance in Jacksonville in which he completed 95% of his passes to lead the Jaguars to an upset win over the Colts, had another strong performance. He completed 30 of 45 passes for 339 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, which came at the hands of Kristian Fulton and Harold Landry.
On the ground, James Robinson, an undrafted rookie, torched the Titans with 16 carries for 102 yards and a score.
Down the stretch, though, the Titans defense did just enough. It forced a punt and got an interception on the Jaguars’ final two possessions.
Jonnu Smith surging
Tannehill hooked up with Smith later in the first half for another touchdown, Smith’s third of the season.
The pair both spent their offseason in South Florida. While most players leaned on virtual meetings during minicamp and offseason team activities, Tannehill and Smith were able to work together to build their on-field chemistry. It’s clear that experience is paying dividends now. Smith finished with four catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
No fans at Nissan Stadium
Well, not quite.
Seven fans – three season-ticket holders, two frontline workers and two contest winners – were allowed to attend the Titans’ home opener. They were spread out in the lower bowl on the west side of the stadium.
Other than that, only empty seats inside the 69,143 capacity venue.