Currently in pursuit of another another division title this season, the Tennessee Titans fell short in the final moments of their pivotal match-up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After a promising drive that put them in great position to score a game-winning touchdown, Ryan Tannehill's pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine came up about a half a yard short of the first down and ended their chances of coming away with their 10th win of the season.

This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the Titans and has altered their playoff outlook for this year. With just three weeks left in the season, the Titans must do all they can to come away with another quality win in the weeks ahead. With all this in the fold for Tennessee, we'll now take a look at two major takeaways from their heartbreaking loss to the Steelers in Week 15.

 

The Titans can no longer stave off their injury woes

One thing that has been a constant for the Titans in recent weeks is their lack of cohesion offensively. With Derrick Henry still out injured, his absence from this team has definitely been felt. However, they were also without star receiver AJ Brown and lacked consistency in their passing game with him out of the line-up on Sunday. This was especially true with a few blown catches early in the game that could've done them justice late in the game.

Instead they wound having to play catch-up in the fourth quarter and fell short despite their most valiant efforts. Losing Julio Jones to a hamstring injury was also a major blow to the team in Week 15. If they want to have a different result against the 49ers on Thursday, then they'll need to get more production from Westbrook-Ikhine and Chester Rogers in their upcoming games.

 

Tennessee will need more big games from D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard 

After getting a ton of production from Foreman and Hilliard out of the backfield on Sunday, the Titans did have one bright spot from their tough loss to the Steelers this past Sunday. In lieu of Henry's injury leaving a huge void to fill in their rushing attack, Foreman and Hilliard showed a ton of promise in Week 15.

The Titans will need some consistently good play from these two if they're to avoid losing their place as the third seed in the AFC standings. Between the two of them, Foreman and Hilliard could form a potent running game for Tennessee and give them some depth and reliable play on that front. So expect to see more big games from both runners as they continue to showcase their skills and tap into their potential.

 

Given everything that's at stake for the Titans in the coming weeks, these added injuries have proven to be highly impactful to their play and very untimely with the postseason right around the corner. Even though they're still the third seed in their respective conference, they must keep their composure and come up with a few more wins to end their season on a high note.

This would definitely give them a fighting chance in this year's NFL playoffs and allow them to hold their current position in the AFC. Plus if they can hold their own until they get all their stars back healthy, then that would be an added bonus for the Titans heading into the playoffs. With so many moving parts in Tennessee right now, it goes without saying that the pressure is on and they must rise to the occasion or run the risk of forfeiting their season.