This one was over. Done. It was time to start the bus.
The Titans, despite another gallant effort, had figured out yet another way to lose a game, even after going toe-to-toe with Tua Tagovailoa and the mighty Miami Dolphins for the better part of four quarters.
kAmp >F7765 AF?E :? E96 C65 K@?6[ H:E9 ;FDE @G6C D:I >:?FE6D =67E 2?5 E96 D4@C6 E:65n p =@DE 7F>3=6 @? E96 k6>mG6CJ ?6IE A=2J 7C@> D4C:>>286nk^6>m t249 @7 E9@D6 A=2JD =65 E@ s@=A9:?D E@F495@H?D[ H9:49 :D H9J |:2>: 8C23365 2 af\`b =625 H:E9 cibc C6>2:?:?8 :? E96 4@?E6DE]k^Am
kAmv@@5 ?:89E]k^Am
kAm}@ E62> 4@>6D 324< 7C@> 567:4:ED =:<6 E92E] tDA64:2==J H96? :E’D 2 E62> =:<6 E96 %:E2?D[ H9@ 6?E6C65 E96 82>6 H:E9 2 c\g C64@C5 2?5 925?’E H@? 2H2J 7C@> }:DD2? $E25:F> D:?46 }@G6>36C a_aa] tDA64:2==J 282:?DE 2 E62> =:<6 E96 s@=A9:?D[ H9@ 6?E6C65 E96 82>6 H:E9 2 h\b C64@C5 2?5 H6C6 32EE=:?8 7@C E96 pur’D E@A D665]k^Am
kAmyFDE 9@H 3=62< 5:5 E9:?8D =@@< 7@C E96 %:E2?Dnk^Am
kAm!6C }6IE v6? $E2ED[ E96 %:E2?D’ H:? AC@323:=:EJ[ 5@H? EH@ E@F495@H?D :? E96 4=@D:?8 >@>6?ED[ H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^}6IEv6?$E2ED^DE2EFD^`fbccbh`bcf__bhaffhQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m9@G6C:?8 C:89E 2C@F?5 _]c A6C46?Ek^DEC@?8mk^2m[ H9:49[ ?665=6DD E@ D2J[ :D 6G6? 3=62<6C E92? 3=62<]k^Am
kAmqFE E92E’D H96? E96 %:E2?D AFE E@86E96C @?6 @7 E96 >@DE F?=:<6=J 4@>6324<D J@F’== 6G6C H:E?6DD]k^Am
kAm%96J 6?8:?66C65 EH@ E@F495@H? 5C:G6D @7 e_\A=FD J2C5D :? E96 4=@D:?8 >:?FE6D[ 2 ?:?6\A=2J[ fd\J2C5 D4@C:?8 >2C49 E92E E@@< ;FDE `idc @77 E96 4=@4<[ 2?5 2 D64@?5 E92E H2D 6G6? >@C6 C6>2C<23=6 — 7@FC A=2JD E92E H6?E ec J2C5D :? ;FDE ae D64@?5D[ 42AA65 3J s6CC:4< w6?CJ’D D64@?5 CFD9:?8 %s H:E9 `ich C6>2:?:?8]k^Am
kAm%:E2?D BF2CE6C324< (:== {6G:D[ 2 C@@<:6 A=2J:?8 :? 9:D D6G6?E9 82>6 — 2?5 9:D 7:CDE @? |@?52J }:89E u@@E32== — 4@>A=6E65 2 4@>3:?65 ?:?6\@7\`` A2DD6D @? E9@D6 EH@ 5C:G6D[ 7@C `ba J2C5D 2?5 @?6 E@F495@H?] %9@D6 ?F>36CD AC@G:565 2 3:8 49F?< @7 {6G:D’ baf\J2C5 A2DD:?8 ?:89E[ E96 36DE @7 9:D G6CJ J@F?8 42C66C]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ;FDE ECFDE:?8 H92E x’> D66:?8[ ECFDE:?8 >J 8FJD E@ 36 :? E96 C:89E DA@ED[ 2?5 ;FDE E9C@H:?8 :E E@ E96 @A6? 8FJ[” {6G:D E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 27E6CH2C5] “$@>6E:>6D :E’D 2D D:>A=6 2D E92E] ~FC 8FJD 96=5 FA FA 7C@?E[ 5:5?’E 766= 2?J AC6DDFC6 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE] p?5 H96? E92E 92AA6?D 2?5 H6 92G6 E:>6 2?5 5F56D 2C6 :? E96 C:89E DA@ED[ :E’D 2 362FE:7F= E9:?8] %92E’D H92E 92AA6?65 @? E9@D6 EH@ 5C:G6D]”k^Am
kAmqFE 9@H 42? H6 7@C86E E96 C@=6 @7 E96 %:E2?D’ 5676?D6nk^Am
kAm!=2J:?8 H:E9@FE 5676?D:G6 E24<=6 y6776CJ $:>>@?D[ H:E9@FE DE2CE:?8 4@C?6C324< zC:DE:2? uF=E@?[ 2?5 H:E9 EH@ DE2CE:?8 4@C?6C324<D — $62? |FCA9J\qF?E:?8 2?5 #@86C |4rC62CJ — 32EE=:?8 :?;FCJ[ E96 5676?D6 925 E@ DE@A E96 }u{’D >@DE 6IA=@D:G6 @776?D6 k6>m@? 324<\E@\324< D6C:6Dk^6>m :7 E96 %:E2?D H6C6 E@ 92G6 2?J 492?46 2E H:??:?8]k^Am
kAmp82:? 282:?DE 2== @55D[ E96 %:E2?D 5676?D6 5:5 ;FDE E92E[ DE:7=:?8 2 s@=A9:?D @776?D6 E92E H2D 2G6C28:?8 2? }u{\36DE agd A2DD:?8 J2C5D A6C 4@?E6DE]k^Am
kAm%6??6DD66 7@C465 2 E9C66\2?5\@FE D6C:6D H:E9 E96 %:E2?D EC2:=:?8 af\a`[ E96? EFC?65 E96 s@=A9:?D @G6C @? 5@H?D @? |:2>:’D 7:?2= A@DD6DD:@? — H:E9 w2C@=5 {2?5CJ 8C:?5:?8 E96 9@>6 E62>’D 7:?2= 492?46 :?E@ E96 EFC7 3J D24<:?8 %28@G2:=@2 @? 7@FCE9\2?5\EH@ 2E |:2>:’D cd\J2C5 =:?6]k^Am
kAm“x 925 ECFDE :? @FC 5676?D6 E92E E96J H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E E96 ;@3 5@?6 ;FDE =:<6 E96J 5:5 2== ?:89E[” {6G:D D2:5] “%96J H@? FD E92E 82>6 E@?:89E] %96J D9FE 5@H? 2 C62==J A@E6?E @776?D6] … !C@AD E@ E96>]”k^Am
kAm~?6 G:4E@C:@FD <?66=\5@H? =2E6C[ :E H2D 2== @G6C[ 2 ag\af DEF??6C 7@C E96 %:E2?D]k^Am
kAmw2C5 2D :E H2D E@ 36=:6G6[ E96JV5 D?2AA65 E96:C ?:?6\82>6 C@25 =@D:?8 DEC62< :? 2 82>6 :? H9:49 E96J H6C6 EH@\E@F495@H? F?56C5@8D]k^Am
kAmtG6? 92C56C E@ 36=:6G6[ 2 %:E2?D E62> E92E 925?’E E@E2=65 >@C6 E92? `e A@:?ED :? 2?J C@25 82>6 E9:D J62C D@>69@H >2?2865 E@ D4@C6 `d — :?4=F5:?8 2 EH@\A@:?E 4@?G6CD:@? — :? E96 82>6’D 7:?2= aic_]k^Am
kAmx? D@ 5@:?8[ E96 %:E2?D 3642>6 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^DE2CC6EE;2D@?^DE2EFD^`fbccbe_decdcahhfgcQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m@?=J E62> k6>mE9:Dk^6>m k6>m46?EFCJk^6>mk^DEC@?8mk^2m E@ @G6C4@>6 2E =62DE 2 `c\A@:?E 567:4:E :? E96 7:?2= E9C66 >:?FE6D @7 2 82>6 2?5 H:? :? C68F=2E:@?[ A6C %CF|65:2]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :E ;FDE D2JD 2 =@E 23@FE E9:D 7@@E32== E62> 2?5 @FC 8C@HE9[” %:E2?D 4@249 |:<6 'C236= D2:5] “xE’D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 36 62DJ[ 6DA64:2==J @? E96 C@25 282:?DE 2 8@@5 E62> @? |@?52J ?:89E] qFE x’> AC@F5 @7 E96 H2J E92E E96J 4@>A6E6 2?5 E96J 7:89E]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 8FJD @FE E96C6 E92E A6@A=6 2C6?’E C62= 72>:=:2C H:E9] %92E’D E96 724ED @7 :E] qFE E96J’== 7:89E[ E96J’== 4@>A6E6 2?5 E92E’D H9J x =@G6 E96>]”k^Am
kAm(96? E96 %:E2?D H2<6 FA %F6D52J >@C?:?8[ E96J’== F?7@CEF?2E6=J DE:== 36 2 d\g E62> E92E 92D G6CJ =:EE=6 492?46 2E >2<:?8 E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAmqFE H92E 36EE6C H2J E@ E2<6 E96 DE:?8 @FE @7 2 EC@F3=:?8 D62D@? E92? 3J A@DE:?8 2 H:? E92E H2D[ BF:E6 =:E6C2==J[ @?6 7@C E96 286Dnk^Am
