Titans Get Burned by Mistakes

Some teams find ways to win. On Sunday, the Tennessee Titans found ways to lose.

“We managed to lose this game just about any way you can,” Titan Coach Jeff Fisher said after his team lost, 13-12, to the Baltimore Ravens.

How many things did Tennessee do wrong?

The Titans gave up a blocked punt for the game’s only touchdown, turned the ball over four times and committed a penalty that negated a touchdown.

Not to mention Steve McNair’s miss of a wide-open Derrick Mason for what would almost surely have been a winning touchdown.

Barely a minute into the game, Baltimore rookie Ed Reed blocked Craig Hentrich’s punt, picked it up and scooted 11 yards into the end zone for what turned out to be the game’s only touchdown.

Then McNair, who had all four of Tennessee’s turnovers, threw an interception in the end zone on third-and-goal from the Baltimore four. On the next series, Andre Dyson’s 28-yard interception return was negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty against the Titans’ Keith Bullock.

“I started to get the feeling at that point that it was going to be our day,” said Baltimore quarterback Jeff Blake, who like many of the offensive players had a bad day -- 11 for 24 for 109 yards.

The Titans (6-5) probably were due for a clunker. They had won five consecutive games after starting 1-4 and have now lost five in a row to Baltimore, including a playoff game at home two seasons ago, when the Ravens won the Super Bowl. “We felt like we were one play away but we never got it,” said Eddie George, who had 61 yards and hasn’t run for more than 100 yards in nine games against Baltimore.