Morale low after latest collapse
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At least the team is being consistent. The Titans have now blown 14-point leads and gone on to lose three of their last four home games.
It started last year against the Browns when a once-promising 38-24 lead turned into a 41-38 defeat. It carried over to the season finale when the Cincinnati Bengals overcame a two-touchdown deficit to score in the final two minutes and beat the Titans, 23-21.
This year’s home opener saw the Titans come from behind to edge the Philadelphia Eagles, only to revert back to their old ways during Sunday’s home game. This time, Cleveland scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to force overtime, then won with a 33-yard field goal in OT.
As a result, the Titans are 1-2 and team enthusiasm has been flushed down the drain.
“When this season started several weeks ago here against Philadelphia, prior to the kickoff of the game, I had very high expectations for this football team,” said Titans coach Jeff Fisher. “Those expectations have not changed. What’s happened today, what happened the last five minutes of this game, has not changed my expectations for this football team under any circumstances.”
Last year, the Titans finished last in the NFL in pass defense and Fisher vowed that would be an area of perceptible improvement. But thus far the defense, and the secondary in particular, has not looked sharp.
“We had this game,” said safety Lance Schulters, one of the Titans’ offseason acquisitions. “It is definitely disappointing and we know we expected more of ourselves than to fall apart like that at the end.”
Fisher admitted the locker room atmosphere after the game was sullen. And when the locker room was opened to members of the media, several Titans were in no mood to comment.
“The mindset of our football team is not good. It’s not healthy by no means right now,” said Fisher. “I don’t have the adjectives to describe them and how it’s going to be for the next couple days, but I will assure you we will come back next week and be ready to play.”
If there is a ray of consolation, at least the Titans haven’t resorted to pointing fingers like the situation in Minnesota on Sunday when quarterback Daunte Culpepper shouted at receiver Randy Moss on the sideline.
“I don’t think there will be any finger pointing,” said cornerback Andre Dyson, who had one of the Titans’ biggest defensive plays, an interception returned 16 yards for a touchdown. “We win and lose as a team.”
Added tight end Frank Wycheck, “There are no problems with our locker room. We’re having some problems on the field but it’s not spilling over to the locker room.”
Even with a 1-2 start and upcoming game against the undefeated Raiders in Oakland, Fisher says hope is not lost for the Titans.
“The foundation is not cracked,” said Fisher. “We are not coming apart at the seams but obviously this is a very difficult loss for the team and for our fans.”