MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. – Barriers were broken.
First, the Titans managed 30 points for the first time in over 1,000 days and 39 games. Those included their first fourth-quarter points, 12, since Christmas Eve of last year. Then, they collected win No. 1 of the 2024 season and Brian Callahan’s coaching career. Finally, they showed that the wall between the visitor’s locker room at Hard Rock Stadium and the interview room beside it is incapable of keeping loud, celebratory music on one side.
The Dolphins were miserable in a 31-12 loss to the Titans at Hard Rock Stadium. Still, the Titans will offer no apologies for grabbing an unattractive win after enduring three ugly losses to open their new era.
They played a lot of ugly football Monday night, converting just three of 13 third and fourth down chances, netting 102 passing yards and watching Will Levis throw another hard-to-figure interception.
But they ran almost twice as often as they threw, getting 40 carries for 142 yards mostly from Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, who each found the end zone. That allowed the offensive line to run block first and pass protect much less, for just 21 dropbacks.
Levis left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury, replaced by Mason Rudolph, who played it very safe hitting nine of 17 attempts for just 85 yards. A team allowing an average of five sacks a game coming in, let Rudolph get taken down just once.
“The key to every win is running the ball,” Rudolph said. “Usually if you can control the ball and take some pressure off the quarterback, make your tackles not have to sit there and pass protect against two great edge guys in (Jaelen) Phillips and (Emmanuel) Ogbah for 20, 30 snaps a game, it makes football easier. The offensive line controlled the trenches and the backs ran great and we got out of here with a win.”
The Titans had drives of 21, 29, 27, 15 and 12 yards produce 15 points as Nick Folk banged home field goals of 53, 52, 47, 51 and 29 yards.
Meanwhile, the Titans' defense severely limited what relative newcomer Tyler Huntley could do with dynamic weapons Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The two combined for eight catches for 59 yards, and nothing longer than 18. The Dolphins converted two of 13 third downs and one of three fourth downs. Miami couldn’t even get set regularly. It was flagged five times for illegal shifts, with one of the penalties declined.
“There was a tremendous disconnect between preparation and execution,” Mike McDaniel said.
L’Jarius Sneed, who came into the game with a history of success against Hill, said the two began chirping at each other right away.
L’Jarius Sneed said he and Tyreek Hill were talking from the start. But there was no chance to chat after the game. #Titans #Dolphins pic.twitter.com/li0MTTgZrv
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 1, 2024
The perimeter runs that had been hurting the Titans, were not an issue, with running backs managing just 2.2 yards a carry for Miami, and Huntley and Hill adding 5.4 that didn’t hurt a lot.
“We’ve always been there, we just haven’t made the plays,” Ernest Jones said. “Tonight we made the plays, we executed.”
The Titans also got their first takeaway, as Arden Key scooped up what he thought might have been a backward pass but was ruled incomplete on the field. Poor officiating took away his chance as a fumble return for a score, but at least upon review, the Titans finally collected a turnover.
As well as things turned out, the Titans were in a perilous position with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter. A Jason Sanders 56-yard field goal made it 9-6 Tennessee. The Titans had been out-adjusted in their first three games, and more importantly, outscored, 48-14.
The biggest development of the evening was that the Titans dominated the remainder of the game. It was 22-6 from there with two more field goals, two touchdowns and a safety on an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone against Huntley.
It may be dangerous to mark down anything against these Dolphins on this night as a turning point, but let's note that in case.
The win qualified as relief and reassurance for a team heading into a weekend off before resuming its season on Oct. 13 against the Colts.
We can't always hear the post-game party but this one was big and cathartic.
“Wins are what validates our process,” Callahan said after he came into his press conference with the game ball that Amy Adams Strunk presented to him. “You have to find success somewhere so guys continue to buy in and believe in how we want to operate. When you don't have those wins it gets harder and harder.
“But when you do catch a win it propels you and there is some momentum behind it. You get a chance to enjoy a couple of days off and get ready to come back against a big divisional game against Indianapolis. There is a confidence that comes with winning. There is a joy that comes with winning. And those things are all important and all matter to us.”