National Football League

'Hurting' Titans optimistic about second-half turnaround

Published Nov. 4, 2014 6:11 p.m. ET

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans don't dare use the 'R' word as they enter the second half of the season (Sunday against the Ravens).

Coming off the bye, coaches and players alike are echoing the company line and providing examples of how teams like the Titans -- who stumbled through a 2-6 record in the first half -- can turn it around and at least gain respectability in the second half.

But nary the term rebuilding -- a less-than-flattering designation in football parlance -- has been heard from a team with rookie starters at quarterback (Zach Mettenberger), running back (Bishop Sankey) and left tackle (Taylor Lewan).

(Week 8 represented the first time since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970 that a team started the QB/RB/right tackle rookie trifecta in the same game.)

"None of us were happy with how the first eight games went," said Titans first-year coach Ken Whisenhunt, whose team has gone 1-7 since Week 2. The one win during that futile stretch -- against the Jaguars -- occurred only after a blocked field goal helped prevent an embarrassing home loss.

Whisenhunt said the bye week that coincided with the NFL's midway point allowed for reflection on the good and bad, most of which focused on the latter.

"It's different to have a break almost right in the middle, at halfway, so I think it's an opportunity," Whisenhunt said Monday following practice.

"Sometimes, you get caught up in the weekly preparation, and you lose sight of what you really need to focus on to get better, because you're trying to assess what you did the week before and then prepare for the next opponent."

When the Titans are bad, they've been bottom-tier bad. They rank last in third-down conversions (29.5 percent) and first downs allowed (23.9 percent). The club also holds bottom-six marks in scoring (17.1), time of possession (27:35), first downs (17.3) and yardage (321).

"If you're cool with 2-6, then we are going to be a losing team," said Delanie Walker, one of the club's few bright spots. His 35 catches rank second among AFC tight ends.

"I feel like it's the third quarter for us," Walker added. "This is where we've got to clean it up. We've only got this quarter and one more quarter left to get back on track. The attitude has always been here, but I think we can get a little more meaner, where we play all quarters physical, relentless, and go out there and give it our all."

The first half of the season saw a quarterback change to Mettenberger (Round 6 draft pick in May) over the oft-injured Jake Locker.

Lewan (the club's first-round pick) took over for injured veteran Michael Roos, while Sankey (Round 2) appears to be the best of an underachieving trio at running back that includes veteran Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster.

Mettenberger made his first NFL start in Week 8 (home loss to the Texans), starting slowly but finishing well. For the game, he completed 27 of 41 passes (65.9 percent) for 299 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

"I think certainly it makes him a lot more confident," Whisenhunt said of Mettenberger getting his first start at home before heading into the bye week.

"Certainly, we feel better as an organization, as a team with that coming in. Getting the time during the bye week was good because we got a lot of plays. He got the majority of those, which is invaluable, and hopefully that'll help us as we go forward."

There's also younger players getting more prominent roles in the new 3-4 defense, too, especially rookie middle linebacker Avery Williamson.

While third-year tackle Jurrell Casey remains the star of the bunch and veteran cornerback Jason McCourty the most steady, cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson and safety Daimion Stafford, both second-year players, and rookie safety Marqueston Huff are learning on the job, too.

"We've got a chance to look at what we've done, areas that we need to improve," Whisenhunt said. "And I think really the message is for us, we've got to get better. We want to show improvement in the areas where we haven't been close to being good enough."

Whisenhunt admits team-wide displeasure with the Titans' 2-6 start. He's also cognizant of a disgruntled fan base that's starving for success. The Titans haven't been to the playoffs since 2008 and haven't won a postseason game since 2003.

Odds are strong that both of those dubious streaks will be extended in 2014.

"I understand that. That's normal," Whisenhunt said of fan reaction. "We've felt like we're working to get better as a football team. The only way we're going to get anybody to calm down is to win some games. That's what we have to do. We understand that.

"We know it's not easy, but we feel like we're going to work hard to show progress and try to make our fans proud of us."

Immediate gratification will be a tough task out of the second-half chute, considering the Titans' upcoming slate: The Ravens (5-4), Steelers (6-3) and a Monday-night road clash with the NFC East-leading Eagles in Week 12.

The Titans also owe return AFC South visits to the Texans (Nov. 30) and Colts (Dec. 28), neither of which had any trouble beating Tennessee in the first meetings.

"We're playing a lot of young players," Whisenhunt said of his message to fans about the second half. "We're trying to grow as a football team and get better. This is not where we wanted to be. We're hurting and disappointed just like they are, but we're working hard to make our fans proud of us. That's what we're trying to get done."