How Close Jeffery Simmons Thinks Titans Are to Winning Football

The Tennessee Titans are trying to hold their heads high after another close loss in the NFL. 

The Titans are now 0-4 after a 24-18 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. This loss hurt especially because former Titans running back Derrick Henry was on the opposite sideline.

After having Henry at their disposal for eight years, the Titans finally got to see what it was like to line up opposite him on the field. 

To the Titans' credit, they limited Henry as best as they could. He finished the game with 73 rushing yards on 23 carries, which is considered an off day for him. He scored one rushing touchdown in the first quarter, and the Titans did a decent job keeping him contained for the rest of the game. 

Even though the Titans kept Henry in check, it wasn't enough to get a win. The Titans were exposed through the air with chunk plays. Zay Flowers was the main culprit, finishing with 118 receiving yards and one touchdown. 

Lamar Jackson was out for the second half with an ankle injury, and the defense finally got stops. It didn't matter, though, because the Titans' offense couldn't move the ball consistently. 

At certain points in the game, the Titans really felt competitive. They couldn't play complete football for four whole quarters. 

Jeffery Simmons was asked how close this team felt to winning games. He thought the team was on the brink of turning things around but just needed to find more ways to force turnovers. 

"So close, man," Simmons said. "I know we keep saying it, but it's one of them things. Even in this game, the offense was rolling. There's things we talk about. It's turnovers, but it's also on the defense. How can we get the ball back? When we get in them situations to try and get the ball off offenses. That's one thing I think we can get better at on the defensive side of things. Yes, we didn't give up no points in the second half, but, like, if we could just them into tips and overthrows, you know, the quarterback overdoing it, or if we could punch at the ball a little more to try and take the ball away from the offense. That's what I think we have to improve and one thing I think we should focus on this week." 

Turnovers haven't bounced the Titans' way very often so far this season.

The Titans forced two fumbles in the season opener against the New York Jets. However, Geno Smith and Qwan'tez Stiggers recovered both.  

Jalen Hurts was forced into throwing two interceptions in Week 2, but the Titans weren't able to score touchdowns off both. 

Even in rainy conditions, the Titans couldn't recover a fumble from the New York Giants. Cam Skattebo fumbled but recovered his own. 

It looked like the Titans forced a fumble on Sunday against the Ravens, but the player was ruled down after a review. 

So far, the Titans have had two takeaways this season. That's going to need to change if the team expects to play more complementary football going forward. 

The Titans face the Houston Texans in Week 5, who are very good at protecting the football. They may need to find a way to force them into mistakes to have a better chance of winning. 

The Titans and Texans meet at Nissan Stadium next Sunday in a battle of winless teams. One of them has to leave as the victor. 

Kickoff is set for noon CT on CBS.