NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Training camp is built to provide hope, and while all the things many of us bought into there are not guaranteed to fizzle, it's not looking good.

Most of the defenses the Titans see the rest of the way will not be as good as New Orleans and Cleveland were. Still, how much better can left tackle be? How will the receivers get more separation? What's the recipe for the corners to stop giving up explosive plays?

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By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

The Titans' embarrassing 27-3 loss to the Browns on Sunday was disheartening on several levels.

For one, it’s just hard to watch a football team spend an entire afternoon failing to move the ball even one length of a football field. Tennessee’s 94 yards of total offense represents the franchise’s fourth-lowest single-game total over 64 seasons of professional football. It just barely eclipsed the 80 yards of penalties that they racked up in Cleveland.

However, the biggest reason that it was so disheartening is that all the issues that most clearly defined this game – the poor offensive line play and leaky secondary – are the same problems that drove the team’s seven-game losing streak to end the 2022 season.

There was an attempt to fix those issues this offseason. New GM Ran Carthon replaced three starters on the offensive line, four if you include suspended right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and Mike Vrabel brought in a new defensive passing game coordinator in the highly regarded Chris Harris to bring along a young secondary.

However, early returns are not good in either area.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans went the inexpensive route, looking for upside at several positions they needed to fill during the offseason.

A year after they had to plug in their third tackle, Dennis Daley, after Taylor Lewan went down with a repeat knee injury in Week Two and got horrific results, they felt good about a former first-rounder in Andre Dillard.

But through three games, he’s been the worst player on an offensive line that came into the season as a big concern and has only increased the anxiety about pass protection and run blocking.

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. Today is his second post at PaulKuharsky.com. A glossary of the analytics terms he uses is at the bottom of the piece.

From the second quarter against the Chargers to the moment Nick Folk hit the game-winning field goal in overtime, the Titans operated as arguably the most efficient offense in football. Ryan Tannehill was lights out, the run game was successful with the sudden success in play-action passing, targets were spread beautifully throughout the depth chart, and nearly every skill position player contributed in a big way.

A week after putting together a performance that got the entire fanbase excited for the first time in a long time, the Titans imploded. 

It does not take an analytical savant or advanced algorithm to conclude that they were horrible against the Browns. If you were curious, this is how their offense graded out in the advanced metrics that they were so successful in last week: [Unlocked]

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By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No run game, no passing game and poor tackling are not things that usually combine for the Titans, even in a loss.

But those and many more negatives piled up for them Sunday in Cleveland.

The Titans’ offense was about as poor as I have seen under a Mike Vrabel-coached team. The Titans have had issues over the past few years with personnel and not being able to match up with some of the better teams, but they usually don’t lose with coaching. In this one, they got outcoached and could not figure out a formula on offense or defense to stop the Browns.

CLEVELAND – When the Titans lose, especially decisively, Mike Vrabel leans on a standard line.

It’s an obvious and true element of a quick evaluation that carries a hint of the coach Vrabel played the majority of his 14-year career for, Bill Belichick. His team, he says, has to coach better and has to play better.

Sunday, shortly after a hard-to-watch 27-3 loss at Cleveland Browns Stadium, he hit it again.

“In every phase, you can start it with me and go all the way down,” he said. “Whether it’s coaching. Whether it’s our pass rush, their pass rush, their O-line, their ability to hit some plays down the field, penalties, every category. It’s going to be the same thing for each one. It’s important for us to stick together. You play like that in this league, you coach like that in this league, you get your ass beat, plain and simple. It’s disappointing. But it’s what happens when you perform and you coach like that.”

I asked if that common theme continues to resonate with his players and coaches.

CLEVELAND -- So for the second time in three weeks the Titans played in a game that's got to be on a list for the most unwatchable matchups of the NFL season.

The suspect offense showed every concern and the defense was really bad too. All of it added up to an absolutely miserable 27-7 loss here at Cleveland Browns Stadium to the Browns, a team that just lost one if its best players to a bad injury six days before.

Now the Titans will look to put Mike Vrabel's "coach-better, play-better" mantra to work as they attempt to get back to .500 Sunday in Nashville against the Bengals, who host the Rams Monday night and have owned the Titans recently.

This loss left you feeling understandably pained and we had a good, and seemingly cathartic, conversation about it with venting and gnashing of teeth. If you missed it, it's worth watching so head to the private Facebook page or below and let it wash over you.