On just about any other afternoon, the Titans’ two-point return of a failed two-point conversion attempt would have been reason enough to win the special teams battle — maybe even reason enough to win a game.
It’s a testament to just how bad the Titans’ special teams play was on Sunday, however, that Tennessee lost the special teams battle — decisively — and lost the game, 31-28 in overtime, largely as a result.
kAmx>AC6DD:G6 2?5 2D 6?E6CE2:?:?8 2D p>2?: w@@<6C’D =6?8E9\@7\E96\7:6=5[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?7=]4@>^G:56@D^42?\E\>:DD\A=2J\A:4<\a\D4@C6\2>2?:\9@@<6C\E2<6D\>:?D96H\D\A@DE\E5\A2DD\7@C\56F46Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mEH@\A@:?E C6EFC? H2Dk^DEC@?8mk^2m[ :E H2D 564:565=J @FEH6:8965 3J E96 325 :? 2 82>6 E92E D2H E96 %:E2?D DF776C @?6 3=@4<65 AF?E[ @?6 “7F>3=65” AF?E E92E >2J 2D H6== 92G6 366? 3=@4<65[ 2?5 2 >:DD65 6IEC2 A@:?E]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ AF?E:?8 >:D4F6D — H9:49 92AA6?65 @? 324<\E@\324< %:E2?D D6C:6D — 8:7E65 E96 r@=ED `_ A@:?ED[ 2?5 E96 D64@?5 =67E AF?E6C #J2? $E@?69@FD6 7=2E @? E96 7:6=5 H:E9 H92E 2AA62C65 E@ 36 2 D:8?:7:42?E <?66 :?;FCJ]k^Am
kAm%92E :?;FCJ[ :? EFC?[ =67E BF2CE6C324< #J2? %2??69:== — :?DE625 @7 $E@?69@FD6 — 9@=5:?8 7@C <:4<6C }:4< u@=<[ H9@ >:DD65 9:D 7:CDE 6IEC2\A@:?E @7 E96 D62D@?] x?DE625 @7 E2<:?8 2 ae\ad =625 H:E9 diah =67E :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C[ E96 72:=65 <:4< =67E E96 82>6 E:65 2E ad]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E@ 36 36EE6C[” %:E2?D 4@249 |:<6 'C236= D2:5] “xE DE2CED H:E9 >6[ >2<:?8 DFC6 E92E 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E H6 5@ :D D@F?5[ 2?5 E96C6VD 2 =6G6= @7 6I64FE:@?] p?5 E96? @3G:@FD=J 36 23=6 E@ :56?E:7J H96E96C H6VG6 8@E D496>6 :DDF6D[ @C H6 92G6 E@ >@G6 D@>6 8FJD 2C@F?5[ @C >2<6 D@>6 >:?@C 25;FDE>6?ED] p?5 E92EVD E96 42D6 :? 2== E9C66 A92D6D]”k^Am
kAm%96 %:E2?D =65 `f\`e =2E6 :? E96 E9:C5 BF2CE6C H96? E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6DA?]4@>^G:56@^4=:A^0^:5^bh_bdccfQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m7:CDE AF?E H2D 3=@4<65k^DEC@?8mk^2m 2E E96 %6??6DD66 `g\J2C5 =:?6] p 9@C56 @7 D66>:?8=J F?3=@4<65 r@=ED 4@?G6C865 2C@F?5 $E@?69@FD6[ H:E9 }:4< rC@DD 3=@4<:?8 E96 <:4<[ 2?5 vC2?E $EF2C5 D4@@A:?8 FA E96 7F>3=6 2?5 8@:?8 `g J2C5D :?E@ E96 6?5 K@?6]k^Am
kAmw@@<6C’D 6?DF:?8 C6EFC? @7 2 E:AA65 A2DD @? E96 EH@\A@:?E 4@?G6CD:@? ECJ 82G6 E96 %:E2?D 2 3:E @7 2 C6AC:6G6[ EC:>>:?8 x?5J’D =625 E@ aa\`h]k^Am
kAmqFE ;FDE 7@FC A=2JD =2E6C[ H:E9 E96 %:E2?D AF?E:?8 7C@> E96:C @H? aa\J2C5 =:?6[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?7=]4@>^G:56@D^42?\E\>:DD\A=2J\4@=ED\D64@?5\AF?E\3=@4<\GD\E:E2?D\AFED\:?5J\:?\C65\K@?6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m5:D2DE6C DECF4< 282:?k^DEC@?8mk^2m]k^Am
kAmr@=ED 4@C?6C324< %@?J qC@H?[ 2?E:4:A2E:?8 E96 D?2A 2?5 492C8:?8 :? 7C@> 9:D 8F??6C A@D:E:@?[ H2D D@ BF:4< E@ C6249 $E@?69@FD6 E92E 96 <?@4<65 E96 32== =@@D6 367@C6 $E@?69@FD6 4@F=5 AF?E :E] w6 2=D@ =6G6=65 $E@?69@FD6[ =62G:?8 E96 %:E2?D’ AF?E6C — H9@ E@@< 2 =628F6\=625:?8 2G6C286 @7 da]h J2C5D A6C 2EE6>AE — :? D:8?:7:42?E A2:? 27E6C 9:D =67E =68 36?E 324<H2C5 2E 2? F??2EFC2= 2?8=6]k^Am
kAm“x’> 8FEE65 @G6C E92E[” D2:5 =@?8 D?2AA6C |@C82? r@I[ E96 %:E2?D’ DA64:2=\E62>D 42AE2:?] “}@ @E96C H2J @7 AFEE:?8 :E] w6’D 366? DF49 2 H62A@? 7@C FD] {:<6 x D2:5[ ;FDE 42?’E D2J 2?JE9:?8] vFEE65 @G6C :E]”k^Am
kAm%96 %:E2?D D4@C65 2 E@F495@H? E@ E:6 E96 82>6 ad\ad @? E96:C 7@==@H:?8 5C:G6] qFE H:E9 $E@?69@FD6 D:56=:?65[ %2??69:== — H9@ H2D 2 9@=56C :? 4@==686 2E %6I2D pU2>Aj| — H2D 7@C465 E@ DE6A :?E@ E92E C@=6] u@=<’D <:4< D2:=65 H:56[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 %:E2?D’ 492?46 E@ E2<6 2 7@FCE9\BF2CE6C =625]k^Am
kAm}665=6DD E@ D2J[ E96 EC:@ @7 r@I[ %2??69:== 2?5 u@=< 925?’E H@C<65 E@86E96C @7E6? :? AC24E:46]k^Am
kAm“uC@> >J G2?E286 A@:?E[ :7 x H6C6 E@ 8@ 324< 2?5 5@ :E 282:?[ x H@F=5 >2<6 2 4@FA=6 4@CC64E:@?D 2?5 96=A ,%2??69:==. 86E E96 =246D >@C6 :? 7C@?E[” r@I D2:5] “xE’D @? >6 E@ 86E E9@D6 =246D 2C@F?5 2?5 :? 7C@?E[ 2?5 96=A 9:> D66 E96 32==[ 96=A }:4< 86E E96 32== E9C@F89 E96 FAC:89ED]”k^Am
kAmu@=< D2:5 96 >256 D@>6 25;FDE>6?ED H:E9 r@I 2?5 %2??69:== :? @G6CE:>6[ 2==@H:?8 u@=< E@ 9:E 2 ce\J2C5 7:6=5 8@2= E92E 82G6 E96 %:E2?D 2 ag\ad =625]k^Am
kAmqFE E96C6 H2D ?@ 86EE:?8 324< 2? 6IEC2 A@:?E E92E >:89E 92G6 H@? E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm“x <:?5 @7 H:D9 x H@F=5 92G6 ,E2=<65 E@ E96>. 62C=:6C[ 3FE x H2D <:?5 @7 5@:?8 E96 AF?E:?8 E9:?8 ,:?DE625 @7 $E@?69@FD6.[ 86EE:?8 C625J 7@C E92E[” u@=< D2:5] “%96C6 H2D?’E 2 H9@=6 E@? @7 E:>6 E@ 8@ @G6C E96C6 2?5 ;FDE <:?5 @7 =@@< 2E ,2 D:>F=2E65 7:6=5\8@2= D?2A.]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D x E9:?< E96 3:886DE A2CE @7 :E x H:D9 x 925 324<] |2J36 5@?’E H@CCJ 23@FE E96 AF?E] yFDE 42E49 :E[ AF?E :E 2?5 E96? 8@ H@CCJ 23@FE E96 A@:?ED] qFE x 766= E6CC:3=6 7@C ,$E@?69@FD6.]”k^Am
kAm%:E2?D 72?D[ >62?H9:=6[ H6C6 =67E 766=:?8 E6CC:3=6 23@FE 2 5:D2DEC@FD A6C7@C>2?46 3J E96 DA64:2= E62>D]k^Am

