By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 27-17 score of the game was indicative of the outcome, but not the way the game was played for the first two and half quarters. The Titans were competitive, had fight and found rhythm on both sides of the ball for the first half plus.

A game-changing officiating decision calling back a fumble return late in the second quarter kept the Titans from taking the lead into halftime. The problem was the wheels fell off the bus again in the fourth quarter and the Titans don’t find ways to keep that from happening.

Will Levis gets sacked/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

Collapsing late in games comes down to multiple issues. One is they only have so many guys who are starting-caliber NFL players and as a game goes along the lack of depth behind that suspect starting talent is exposed.  Also, Titans opponents start to get a feel for how Titans offensive games are called and get a read on how to attack not only the scheme but what players need to be targeted on both sides of the ball.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at paulkuharsky.com. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and one of the longest-tenured Titans beat reporters in the franchise's history.