Titans-Ravens Review: Tate and Ward Up, Daboll and Spears Down

Turnovers decided Tennessee's Week 4 loss to Baltimore, and a player-by-player review found promise in the passing game alongside fresh concerns on the sideline and in the backfield.

The Tennessee Titans fell to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 on Sunday, continuing a season-long pattern of mixing encouraging moments with costly mistakes. Tennessee competed and made its share of plays, but the turnover battle settled the outcome, with Baltimore converting the Titans' giveaways into 17 points.

The brightest spot was wide receiver Carnell Tate, who produced the kind of performance expected of a fourth overall pick. Tate caught nine passes for 145 yards and at times proved impossible to cover. His one major error came just before halftime, when a fumble gave Baltimore three points and ended a Tennessee scoring chance.

Quarterback Cam Ward also drew positive marks, with the assessment calling his afternoon a step in the right direction. His early interception came on a ball that hit running back Tony Pollard's hands, and outside of that play Ward was clean, though some inaccurate throws and missed chances remain part of his game.

Wide receiver Chimere Dike finally resembled the All-Pro return specialist the Titans have been waiting to see. He exceeded 140 all-purpose yards and consistently handed the offense favorable field position, though frequent penalties on the return units limited how much more he could contribute.

On defense, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson turned in his best game in a Titans uniform, finishing with four tackles and one sack while anchoring the edge and pressuring Baltimore all afternoon. Continued production at that level, the review noted, would make the defensive front even stronger.

The sharpest criticism was directed at offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, with the review openly questioning whether he is the right fit for Ward and this offense. Tennessee's attack has been inconsistent all season and lacks an identity, the assessment found, and a wildcat call on second-and-4 failed in execution and swung the game's momentum.

Running back Tyjae Spears, still playing through an ankle injury, managed only two carries for seven yards and one reception that lost yardage. He also dropped two laterals that had big-play potential, and after two weeks of limited work in practice, the review saw a player who has fallen out of rhythm.

Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons could not build on last week's showing against the New York Giants, when he recorded 10 tackles and a sack. Matched against a center making his first career start, Simmons was far less of a factor this time, though the review allowed that some of that may have been by design.

Edge defender Femi Oladejo completed the list of decliners. Despite flashes of improvement this season, he has seen his role in the defensive line rotation shrink and now spends more time on special teams, and the review questioned his limited usage — while adding that the situations of Cedric Gray and Wan'Dale Robinson raise even bigger questions.