Titans forced to take a hard look at their weaknesses follow

[sharonorn]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The had built some momentum heading into Week 13 of the 2020 NFL season. After an overtime win over the and then a dominant victory over the divisional rival , it appeared the Titans were one of the up-and-coming contenders in the AFC that could have a shot at making it back to the conference championship game. Then, things took a turn on Sunday that forced Mike Vrabel's team to take a long, hard look at itself in the mirror.The Titans were dominated David Long Jr. Jersey on their home field by the , 41-35. While a six-point lo s doesn't look like much of a blowout in the box score, it was probably the most lopsided six-point lo s a team has registered this season. The Titans embarked on a 28-3 second-half run just to make the final score look more like a respectable lo s, but the Browns could have won with just the points they scored in the first half.At the halftime break, the Browns led the Titans by a score of 38-7. While Cleveland's offense usually revolves around the likes of and , it was time to shine. The former No. 1 overall pick completed 20 of 25 pa ses for 290 yards and four touchdowns in the first half, which made him in 1951 to throw four touchdowns in the first half of a game. For someone who has noticeably struggled with his accuracy this season, Mayfield looked more like than himself at Ni san Stadium on Sunday. Mayfield does deserve some credit for his impre sive, 334-yard outing, but the secondary he was facing is known for their i sues and inconsistencies.The Titans came into Week 13 with the fifth-worst secondary in the league, as they have allowed an average of 268.5 pa sing yards per game. Tenne see certainly mi ses , who signed a with the this past offseason. During his three seasons with the Titans, Ryan evolved into one of the most versatile defensive backs in the league -- someone who could serve as the No. 1 cornerback on the outside, the primary slot defender or even a safety. He was a reliable veteran who led the Titans with 113 tackles, 18 pa ses defended and four forced fumbles last season. His absence is certainly felt -- especially since the Titans don't have their other starting quarterback in , who has yet to make his 2020 debut after suffering a knee injury. Tenne see's reserves at cornerback have struggled, and it was a big reason Mayfield threw for the most yards he has since Week 4 of last year.Donovan Peoples-Jones lost him with the double move on CBS The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) "Bad communication, bad execution. You go out there and you play like that, you're going to get your behinds whooped," Titans safety told reporters after the game.Another glaring i sue the Titans have that reared its ugly head yet again on Sunday was their third down defense. Coming into this matchup, Tenne see's opponents had converted on a league-high 52.63 percent of third downs. Against the Browns, they allowed Mayfield Elijah Molden Jersey 's unit to convert on 10 of the 16 third downs they faced. When Vrabel was asked about his third down defense after the game, he didn't give a specific answer as to why the Titans were struggling to get off the field, but did note that it's easier said than done."You have to coach better, you have to rush better and you have to cover better," Vrabel said. "That's what third down is -- finding ways to rush and cover and that's what it comes down to. We have to look at who we have and we have to try to put them in the best positions to do that. Whether that's playing man or zone or simulating, pre suring, all those different things that go into it. That's the challenge and that's going to stay the same each and every week."Byard was also faced with the third-down question, and he didn't have much of an answer to offer either."I mean third downs, it all works together," he said. "Pa s-rush and the coverage works together. We're just not executing well honestly."Between the i sues in the secondary and the defense failing to get off the field on third down -- these are problems that the Titans have faced all season long. But these i sues are minimized when Tenne see is controlling the tempo of the game. As the playoff race heats up and the Titans again find themselves tied with the Colts atop the AFC South, how they are able to patch up these holes on defense could determine how far this team is able to advance in the postseason.