WATFORD, U.K. -- The Grove is an expansive property where the Titans are based for their London game. The hotel includes Gabriel’s Football Pitch, where they practiced, The Walled Garden, where four players chatted with the press, and The Potting Shed behind it, where Mike Vrabel and Ryan Tannehill held more formal press conferences.

Over 75 members of the British media with a splash of Germans all seemed delighted by Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins, Jeffery Simmons, Kevin Byard, Tannehill and Vrabel, who all did well to turn up the charm.

Though the Titans started their practice week Tuesday, today was a typical Friday practice, when the only slice of practice open to the media is the stretch. So camera people and reporters rushed to the sideline to film roughly 8 minutes of players shuffling in rows and then working to loosen their hamstrings, quads and groins.

The #Titans on the field at their hotel getting ready for Friday’s light practice in Watford, UK. pic.twitter.com/7wc0ByChGr

— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 13, 2023

[Unlocked]

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The sense of urgency for the Titans has to be right now.  

The Titans have been pretending to be contenders for the past five weeks. Week Six versus one of the organization’s most hated rivals is just the right time to turn it around.

The Ravens are 3-2 but lost last week in a poorly played game against the Steelers. I don’t anticipate them playing that badly again this week in London.

The Ravens are very similar to the Titans.

They rely on Lamar Jackson’s running ability like the Titans do with Derrick Henry. The Ravens have drafted multiple offensive weapons for Jackson in the first round -- wide receivers Rashod Bateman, Marquise Brown, Zay Jones and tight end Hayden Hurst. Their talented left tackle Ronnie Stanley can’t stay healthy. He has just 76 games played out of a possible 124.  They continue to sign pass rushers with only marginal results. The Ravens have names who were once stars but are still relied upon to live up to the name on the back of the jersey.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The sample size is still relatively small. But the Titans, who've traditionally been a very good red-zone offense, are not good inside their opponent's 20-yard-line this season.

They've scored touchdowns on just six of 17 trips into the red zone this year, and the 35.3 percent rate is tied for 29th in the NFL.

One was with the game clock melting away with a win in hand against the Chargers. Mike Herndon looked at all the other failures in his column this week. 

Mike joined me for this week's edition of The Paul Kuharsky Podcast, and that's where we start.

We also delve into:

• The Titans' identity crisis
• How defensive head coaches do on offense.
• The lack of development of Treylon Burks and Chig Okonkwo
• Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears as receiver

The new episode with all that and more awaits you on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeart and YouTube, which is below.

The podcast is the front door to PaulKuharsky.com.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – One of the key elements for the Titans to make a jump on offense in 2023 was the expected growth of two second-year players, Treylon Burks and Chig Okonkwo.

But through five games the franchise has gotten minimal contributions from them following promising offseasons that suggested they could have bigger sophomore seasons.

Burks stayed in town for the bulk of the offseason, even going through great efforts to get back to town for the first day of phase three of OTAs. He was fitter through the spring and summer and had a handle on the Nashville weather and his asthma, which slowed him down as a rookie.

By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

Since Mike Vrabel took over as head coach in 2018, there have been a few themes that have come to define his teams even through the ups and downs and year-to-year variability that the NFL is designed to create. Those include a tough, physical defensive front that controls opposing running games, an elite red zone offense and a strong rushing attack.

Through five games, several of those usually reliable strengths have been called into question. The strong run defense had looked to be in good shape through the first four weeks, but the dam broke against the Colts as backup Zack Moss ran wild through the Titans’ defense for 165 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns.

Time will tell whether that proves to be a blip, like the Saquon Barkley game from the opening week of 2022, or something more, but it’s concerning any time you see such a perceived strength look that helpless. And yes, it’s worth noting that nose tackle Teair Tart missed this matchup, which clearly proved to be a big loss.

The red zone offense is far more troubling. The Titans ranked first, second, fifth, and sixth in converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns over the past four seasons. Frankly, their success in cashing in these chances has probably served as perfume to mask the stink of a rotting offense for a while now.

By JAKE DOWNARD

Jake Downard is a law student who creates NFL and NBA content focused on analytics on Twitter as @JakeAndBall. He also works with fanspo.com. A glossary of the analytics terms he uses is at the bottom of the piece.

If I had told you that the duo of Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears would run for 89 yards and a TD, DeAndre Hopkins would catch eight of his 11 targets for 140 yards, Ryan Tannehill would complete 67% of his passes for 264 yards, and the offensive line would only allow one sack, would you have guessed that the Titans would lose by a touchdown in Indianapolis? Me neither.

The Titans are currently in the midst of an identity crisis. [Unlocked]

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans continued their ups and downs with a big drop-off versus the Colts. They lost to a divisional opponent while playing mainly against the Colts' backup’ quarterback, running back and left tackle.  

The Titans struggled to stop either of the Colts quarterbacks.  

Colts rookie Anthony Richardson was nine for 12 with 98 yards and backup Gardner Minshew was 11 for 14 with 155 yards passing.  Both were very efficient passing games with only one sack, and that came from a nickel blitz by Roger McCreary. 

The Titans struggled to stop the Colts’ run game and find their own. 

INDIANAPOLIS -- The rollercoaster ride continues. 

You are, undoubtedly, infuriated.

This is part of what the Titans get for trying to straddle competition in a weak AFC South in 2023 and revamping for 2024.

But Sunday's third loss of the season, another debacle, is the sort that leaves one wondering how much of a point there can be to competing with the other bad teams in this collection because it's so hard to imagine competition with actual good teams.

What was good about the Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium? DeAndre Hopkins was. Nick Folk again. After that, it starts to get difficult. 

M<any of you came to break it down, vent, commiserate and tell me about the good football you saw from your couch while I endured on your behalf from the press box at Lucas Oil Stadium.

You can head to the private Facebook page or below to the secret YouTube to rewatch our review.