Tennessee Titans drop another close one at home, this time to playoff-motivated Seahawks
Not even the Christmas spirit could end the Tennessee Titans' recent run of excruciatingly close home losses.
The Titans lost a third straight home nail-biter, falling to the Seattle Seahawks 20-17 after quarterback Geno Smith orchestrated a game-winning drive in the final four minutes, capped by a touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson. The loss comes after the Titans (5-10) dropped overtime battles against the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans in their previous two games at Nissan Stadium.
Titans running back Derrick Henry punched in a go-ahead rushing touchdown with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter, capping a 15-play, 75-yard drive that spanned 8:49 of game clock to give them the lead. The veteran rushed 19 times for 88 yards and threw a 12-yard touchdown to tight end Chig Okonkwo in the second quarter. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, making his first start since Week 6, threw for 152 yards and rushed for 37 more in relief of injured rookie Will Levis.
Seattle took over possession and chunked its way across midfield with a pair of third-and-long conversions. A pass interference call against cornerback Tre Avery put the Seahawks at the 5-yard line with 1:09 remaining.
The Titans took over with less than a minute to go, but a pair of sacks made it impossible for the team to drive into field goal range to tie the score and send things to overtime.
Derrick Henry's bounce-back game
Henry's return to form was a welcomed sight for the Titans after the star running back had his worst game as a starter in his career last week against the Houston Texans. It took Henry only three carries Sunday to top the 9 yards he accumulated versus Houston, and he averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry after being held below 1 yard per carry the week prior.
One big reason for Henry's resurgence was the impressive play of the patchwork offensive line. With guard Daniel Brunskill out, the Titans turned to Andrew Rupcich for the first start of his career at right guard alongside banged-up center Aaron Brewer. Undrafted rookie John Ojukwu also made his first start and earned significant playing time as a sixth lineman. In the third quarter, left tackle Jaelyn Duncan missed time with a wrist injury, bringing Andre Dillard back in off the bench.
Despite it all, the new combinations worked well, clearing the way for Henry and Tyjae Spears to get going downhill instead of frequently having to overcome contact in the backfield.
Depleted defense holds steady, but not forever
The unit the Titans trotted out on defense Sunday barely resembled the unit it was a month ago, let alone at the start of the season. Only two of the Titans' defensive starters against the Seahawks also started Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. Yet Sunday's defense continued the Titans' season-long trend of stonewalling opponents in the red zone early.
Seattle had to settle for 28- and 27-yard field goals on their first two red zone trips but finished the afternoon 2-for-4 on red zone touchdown opportunities thanks to their two second-half touchdowns.
What's next?
The Titans head to Houston next week for their final road trip of the season, battling the Texans on New Year's Eve. Kickoff is scheduled for noon and the game will be televised on FOX.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans blow late lead, lose to Seahawks with depleted roster
