The Tennessee Titans sneak out of Nissan Stadium with a 24-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. After an 0-2 start their season hopes were leaving quickly. It feels good to get the first victory of the season. The Titans continue to fight injuries throughout the whole roster and yesterday was no different with multiple inactive players in this game. Despite key injuries, the Titans have the best performance of their season yesterday which led to a better win than the final score may infer.
Play of the Game
Backs against the goal line in a close game leave it to Kevin Byard in his 100th career game to make a play and steal momentum. Plays like this are why Byard is a top safety in the league.
Perfect way to celebrate @KevinByard's 100th game!
📺: Watch #LVvsTEN on @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/G014Ba7Jcr
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 25, 2022
Standout Stats
The Titans have the best performance of their season but this game was a street fight for the entirety of 60 minutes. Both teams had ups and downs but made plays when they were needed most. This can be seen by the team stats, there is no obvious advantage to one team on paper other than 3rd down efficiency. The Raiders were 1-12 on 3rd down (≈8%) while the Titans were 5-10 (50%). The only stat that could make up for the Raiders lackluster 3rd down play is that on 4th down they were a perfect 4-4. If those four conversions could have happened a down before it would improve their 3rd down efficiency from 8% to a much better 42%. League average 3rd down efficiency this season is approximately 40%.
Impact Performances
Derrick Henry
Rushing: 20, 85 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 1 TD
Receiving: 5-6, 58 YDS, 11.6 AVG, 0 TD
Derrick Henry may not have had his best game, but a much needed performance for the veteran. He has struggled to get his motor cranked up this season. Hopefully this is the performance he needed to get back to his old ways again. Henry was leading all rushers in 2021 before his injury that knocked him out the rest of the season.
Robert Woods
Receiving: 4-9, 85 YDS, 21.3 AVG, 0 TD
Robert Woods had another performance that may not be outstanding, but he showed this game that he understands what it means to be the WR1 of this team. When there was a play the team needed Woods was the one there to make it. That is what a team needs from their top option.
Rashad Weaver
2 TOT, 1 Sack, 1 TFL, 2 QB Hits
With Harold Landry III being inactive from tearing his ACL in the preseason and Bud Dupree battling a hip injury the Titans defensive line needed someone to step up. This time it was Rashad Weaver. He was in the backfield the entire game which led to his single sack and couple of QB hits. He has battled injuries his first couple season in the league limiting playing time. It was good to see the young edge rusher step up in his playing mates absences.
Poor Performances
Austin Hooper
Receiving: 2-2, 19 YDS, 9.5 AVG, 0 TD
Veteran tight end Austin Hooper continues to be a non-factor for the Tennessee Titans. Signing his one-year contract the past offseason he was expected to be a big target for Ryan Tannehill and this offense. Having Hooper rolling can make a huge difference to how well the offense plays. The Titans hope he can break out of his early-season slump sooner than later.
Jeffery Simmons
2 TOT, 1 PD, 1 QB Hit
Knowing how great of a player Simmons is this stat line should not worry Titans fans much. He has made a name for himself league wide the past couple of seasons. That being said, Simmons is held to a higher standard than the performance he had Sunday.
Looking Forward
The Titans have the best performance of their season and are now 1-2. After getting win number one under their belt, they look to keep rolling as they travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts this upcoming Sunday. The Colts have struggled a bit in their early-season games but get a much needed win vs the Kansas City Chiefs which is also their first of the season. It will bode well for the Titans if they can find a way to win this game and keep the division leader Jaguars from getting too far out in front this early in the season.
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