The Titans Had Enough Offense to Compete. The Defense Wouldn’t Allow It

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. – So the Titans came across the country and lost their 12th game, a 37-24 decision to the 49ers.

They didn’t sustain what they did the week before in Cleveland when they got complimentary play in a win. 

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) makes a touchdown catch in the end zone during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Jeffery Simmons collects a TD pass from Cam Ward/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

But they did find points again, enough to make for a two-week total of 55, the most since they scored 75 in consecutive losses on Dec. 8 and 15 of 2024 in losses to the Bengals and at Indianapolis.

This loss was on the defense, which gave 49ers punter Thomas Morestead a day off, allowing the 49ers to score on eight of nine possessions.

“We’ve got to adjust,” a frustrated Arden Key said. “Shit, we don’t adjust enough over here. We don’t adjust. That’s what it is. We don’t adjust. X and Os, we don’t adjust. We all need to do better on that.”

Along the way, the Titans lost three key defenders -- nickel Kevin Winston, safety Xavier Woods and inside linebacker Cedric Gray, as well as special teamer and backup safety Mike Brown, leaving Brock Purdy with fewer looks to beat and more space to operate. (The offense lost Van Jefferson after his early fourth-quarter 43-yard catch.)

Kendell Brooks and Kaiir Elam then had to play in the secondary, moving Amani Hooker and Marcus Harris around.

Purdy was already having an easy enough time. He hit 23 of 30 for 295 yards and three TDs for a 140.3 passer rating. At times, he was simply surgical. 

George Kittle caught eight of nine passes thrown his direction, and Rickey Pearsall six of seven.

The Titans’ offense found five plays of 20 yards or more. They scored on four of nine possessions.

They’ve had many worse days on offense in a miserable season and they did it against a defense that allows 20.9 points a game, 13.7 in its previous three, and a defensive coordinator in Robert Saleh who may be a candidate to be their next head coach. 

They didn’t let a team that doesn’t sack the quarterback sack their quarterback. Against the 11th-best run defense in the league, they ran for 136 yards and 6.8 yards a carry, though the 49ers weren’t really worried about yielding them later on with a big lead.

And after 12 games without two scoring passes, Cam Ward threw two for the second game in a row, also posting his first triple-digit passer rating, a season-best 101.2 based on 18 of 29 passing for 170 yards with no picks.

His trademark scramble to the right, throwback to the middle came to Jeffery Simmons, who caught his first career TD to go with a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

Yes, some of Ward’s better production came late with the game out of hand. But a team in this state will take it. It didn’t change the outcome, but it mattered.

Ward missed an open Chim Dike badly on what should have been a 40-yard touchdown up the left side with 19 seconds left in the first half. He put the ball too far outside his shoulder.

Then the Titans had a 50-yard field goal chance before the halftime horn that could have cut it to a 17-13 49ers’ lead and came out the flattest it was all game, allowing a four-play TD march by San Francisco to open the second half that got it to 24-10.

And things went badly from there.

But let’s not kid anyone, beating Cleveland and standing toe-to-toe in the second half with the playoff-bound 49ers are two completely different tasks.

So take some signs.

The offensive line was good again – With Dan Moore missing from the starting lineup with a neck injury and Kevin Zeitler being removed in the fourth quarter (groin) against lesser competition from a lesser defensive front, protecting Ward and finding rushing yards.

It’s two whole games, but maybe the start of something resembling an identity.

“I think the points have shown that,” Peter Skoronski said. “Obviously, it’s a losing effort, but to have two of our highest totals of the year in back-to-back weeks, I think that starts with the running game and how we’ve been able to execute there.

“We’ve got to find ways to be as efficient as possible where we are staying on the field and continuing drives and scoring touchdowns. In the red zone. But yeah, I think it starts with that and what we’ve done better.”