Paul Kuharsky, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Titans look to QBs as they seek answers for third-down misery

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans have had the league’s worst third-down offense for 10 consecutive weeks and 11 of 15 weeks this season.

Tennessee is converting at a .291 clip. The next worst offense, Cleveland’s, is at .302.

Since 2001, the worst third-down offense in the NFL was the 2005 49ers, who managed just .240.

If the Titans maintain their current rate, they’ll have the 16th-worst third-down offense in the past 14 years. (That's the time period ESPN's database covers for such a stat.)

“Winning matchups and execution, those are really the only two things that you can do to get better there,” quarterback Charlie Whitehurst said. “We’ve got to win outside, we’ve got to win up front and I’ve got to throw the ball where it’s supposed to be thrown and we’ll convert.”

General manager Ruston Webster said last week third-down is one area where injured quarterback Zach Mettenberger needs to improve.

Quarterbacks coach John McNulty expanded on that Tuesday.

“It’s been a little bit of everything, ultimately it’s on the quarterback,” he said of the third-down struggles. “I think Zach handled two-minute well, he handled first and second down, he handled four-minute, no huddle. He handled really every other situation we had, all that stuff, pretty well.

“I’d say third down is the one situation you look back and say, 'It’s not all him, but ultimately quarterbacks find ways to work those things out.' Sometimes he didn’t get a lot of help. Sometimes it was on him.

“However it goes, you’re the guy with the ball in your hand, I think the quarterback is the guy who has to find a way to convert those third downs. Whether it’s running for it, where it’s finding somebody, whether it’s scrambling and extending, whatever it may be, you’ve got to find a way. That, obviously, will be the major emphasis for all the guys moving forward.”

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