Tennessee Titans Must Find Answer to Inexcusable Run Game
When a rookie quarterback is the team's leading rusher, there's clearly a problem. In the Tennessee Titans' tenth loss of the season, QB Cam Ward led the way with six carries for 37 yards with his first career rushing touchdown.
He finished with career highs in rushing attempts and yards, two numbers the team never expected. Having just activated running back Kalel Mullings off the IR, he was a non-factor as neither RB Tony Pollard nor RB Tyjae Spears made any sort of impact in their 30-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Downfall Of Tony Pollard
Despite having three straight 1,000-yard seasons, it's going to take a miracle for Pollard to reach that total this season. He's averaging a career low 3.9 yards per carry, something the Titans can't be happy with. Sure, this team's offensive line hasn't been great, but that doesn't excuse the fact that the 28-year-old isn't holding his weight.
Pollard signed a three-year, $21.75 million deal to come to Tennessee last season. Thankfully for the Titans, he has a potential out next season, which would change his contract to a two-year, $14.5M deal with only $2M in dead cap, according to Spotrac.
Should the team move on from Pollard in the offseason, they'll need to figure out if Spears is RB1 material. Pollard continued to carry the workload against Seattle as he had 11 carries for just 20 yards. Even though he had five more carries than Ward, he finished with 17 less rushing yards. Spears had just three carries for four yards as Ward was forced to throw the ball 42 times.
Tyjae Spears Looks To Flip The Script
Moving forward, the Titans' best option at the RB position seems to be Spears. The 24-year-old may be injury-prone, but he's shown signs of greatness when given the opportunities. For whatever reason, Tennessee went back to Pollard as RB1 despite Spears outperforming him in past weeks.
Spears may not be a true NFL RB1, but his combination with Mullings could unlock a new potential for this team. The run game isn't going anywhere until their offensive line gets better, but having a pair of young, fast, hungry running backs could make a huge difference.
For what it's worth, Spears is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, which is a career high. It's come in a smaller sample size, so it'll be interesting to see if he can keep up this pace for the remainder of the season. He's 80 yards shy of 1,000 in his career, a total he should reach within the next three weeks.
BREAKING: Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Releases Explosive Video After Frustrating Loss to Bears
In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves throughout the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin dropped a bombshell on social media today, releasing a 12-second video that threatens to redefine the narrative surrounding the Steelers’ heartbreaking 31–28 loss to the Chicago Bears. The clip, which quickly went viral, has reignited a fierce debate about officiating in the league and intensified the ongoing tensions between the two teams.
In the explosive video, Tomlin points directly at what he describes as "critical officiating errors" and "game-altering misses" that he believes played a pivotal role in the outcome of the game. His fiery remarks have fueled speculation that the Steelers' narrow loss may not be entirely the result of on-field performance, but rather questionable officiating decisions that significantly impacted the flow of the game.
“It’s clear to anyone watching that we were on the wrong side of some critical calls,” Tomlin said in the video, his voice full of frustration. “The integrity of this game is on the line when officiating errors like this go unaddressed. I’m calling for an immediate league review of this game’s officiating—this isn’t just a matter of a missed call, this is about fairness for the players, the fans, and the teams that compete at this level.”
The video immediately sparked a firestorm across the NFL community. Fans, analysts, and other coaches took to social media, expressing support or disdain for Tomlin’s bold stance. The video became a lightning rod for controversy, with many arguing that Tomlin’s words could have far-reaching consequences for both his team and the league as a whole.
Not to be outdone, the Bears’ coaching staff wasted no time issuing a response. In a curt 15-word rebuttal, the team dismissed Tomlin’s accusations, calling the Steelers' defeat a result of their own mistakes, not external factors. The Bears have clearly signaled their intent to stand by the integrity of the game, refusing to allow the officiating narrative to overshadow their hard-fought victory.
Meanwhile, behind closed doors, Steelers veterans such as T.J. Watt and Pat Freiermuth have reportedly joined in the conversation, voicing their own concerns about the officiating decisions that left them feeling wronged. Sources close to the team have revealed that there is growing tension in the locker room, with players wondering how to move forward after a loss they feel was compounded by officiating errors.
As the drama unfolds, the NFL is bracing for more fallout from this highly charged situation. The league is under increasing pressure to address these officiating controversies, especially as high-profile figures like Tomlin and his players add their voices to the growing chorus of dissent. It remains to be seen whether the NFL will launch a formal investigation into the game’s officiating, or whether this incident will fade into the background as just another case of coach-player frustration.
For now, the conversation surrounding the Steelers' loss to the Bears is far from over—and the league is holding its breath to see how this explosive situation will play out in the coming days.
