Anyone who has played competitive sports at any level knows what it's like to lose a game you feel like your team should've won. And all of us have been in a position where in the aftermath of that loss, we've said something about the game itself or the quality of opponent we just faced that, in retrospect, doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
I start with this qualifier because it's important to keep that in mind as we take a look at what Tennessee Titans star Jeffery Simmons had to say after his team lost a heartbreaker on a game-winning kick as time expired to the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.
"I'm tired of losing. That team is not better than us. I don't care what people say," Simmons declared postgame, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. "They have some good players, but we should have won that game. We have to stop beating ourselves."
In total, that quote is comprised of 35 words and 5 sentences. 28 of those words and 4 of those sentences, I'm not prepared to dispute.
I'm tired of losing - Yeah, that checks out. I would be too if I were on a team that was, let me check my math real quick, 7-30 in their last 37 games.
I don't care what people say - Jeffery Simmons is one of the best defensive linemen alive, he's a millionaire, and he's only 28 years old. I wouldn't care what other people had to say either if I were in that position.
They have some good players, but we should have won that game - The Texans do indeed have no shortage of good players, but yet, I agree with Simmons when he says that the Titans could make the argument that they should've won Sunday's game.
We have to stop beating ourselves - Simmons was particularly peeved about the four false starts called on the Titans offensive line against the Texans, but this is a trend that has plagued Tennessee all season long.
It's that one sentence -- That team is not better than us -- that I'm going to respectfully push back on, because by essentially any metric you can find, this isn't true.
Edge | Texans | Category | Titans | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
X | 5-5 | Record | 1-9 | |
X | 6.7-3.3 | Expected W/L | 1.8-8.2 | |
X | +57 | Point Differential | -130 | |
X | 5.1 | Yards Per Play | 4.2 | |
X | 4.6 | Yards Per Play Allowed | 5.7 | |
X | +7 | Turnover Margin | -4 | |
X | 222.0 | Passing Yards Per Game | 163.6 | |
X | 107.6 | Rushing Yards Per Game | 78.9 | |
X | 36.0% | 3rd Down Conversion Rate | 29.8% | |
X | 89.5% | Team Field Goal Percentage | 80.0% | |
X | 6 | Players in the 2025 NFL Top 100 | 0 | |
X | 2 | Players Named AFC POTW in 2025 | 0 | |
X | 42-13 | Head to Head Scoring Margin in 2025 | 13-42 | |
X | 2 | Head to Head Wins in 2025 | 0 | |
1 | Head Coaches in 2025 | 2 | X |
I could keep going, but I don't really think I need to. We're on the same page, right?