Tony Pollard is hopeful that the Tennessee Titans running game can improve after a slow start this season. ANGIE FLATT

There is a lot wrong with the Tennessee Titans, especially on the offensive side of the football.

Their 58 points through the first five games is the lowest in the NFL.

One of the best ways to snap out of an offensive funk is to rely on the running game. Unfortunately for the Titans, they have not been able to rely much on theirs. Through five games, Tennessee has totaled 413 yards on 108 carries for the season, which places them 27th among the league’s 32 teams.

The Titans are averaging 82.6 yards per game on the ground and have only had 100 yards rushing as a team once in that span, gaining 122 against the Philadelphia Eagles in week two. Last Sunday, in a 26-3 home loss to the Houston Texans, the Titans struggled to gain 57 yards, a total lowered by the fact that the game got out of hand in the third quarter, forcing offensive coordinator Brian Daboll into a dropback game that not took the run out of the equation, but allowed the Texans pass rushers to chase Cam Ward for much of the second half.

“It would be a big lift, but we’ve got to do a good job of keeping ourselves in range and keeping ourselves in games and be consistent in the run game to get those opportunities,” said running back Tony Pollard, who has 268 yards to lead the club.

That means getting decent yardage and not getting penalties on first and second downs to keep the run game as an option. So far, the Titans are converting just 35.6 percent of their third down chances, and have dropped off in that regard the past two games going just 6 of 21 on third down against the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.

“Just being efficient in the early downs and staying in the green means the whole playbook is open,” Pollard said.

Daboll knows the run game could be the key to unlocking a better overall performance from the offense.

“Early down performance is important, whether it’s the run game or the pass game,” Daboll said.

That also means fewer three-and-outs and more overall plays to mix in the run game. The Titans have not won the time of possession margin in any of their five games this year, with 26:52 against Baltimore being their best showing.

Losing the time battle and not staying on the field whether it be three-and-outs or turnovers is also throttling the run game.

“You look at last game, for the first three quarters, you’ve got about 22 plays on early downs and you turn the ball over twice on those. I think you have to be balanced. We try to be balanced. But it’s a three-possession game in the fourth quarter and you’re having to pass the ball against a front like that tat’s not ideal,” Daboll said.

The Titans offensive line is hopeful of being able to get the run game cranked up and use it to have more balance. Peter Skoronski said the line has to have attention to detail in its play to give the run game a chance to be successful.

“It’s attention to detail. I don’t think our run game is just getting blown up and guys are getting their (expletive) kicked. But there’s little issues here and there that cause us not to be efficient,” Skoronski said. “So greater attention to detail allows us to be a little more consistent in the run game.”

The Titans have often been their own worst enemy on offense, with 17 three-and-outs and seven turnovers in five games. Of the seven turnovers two came on fumbles lost on kickoffs and one game at the end of a 13-play drive at the end of the game against the New York Giants. But most of the other turnovers have been early in drives.

If the Titans are to find their run game, they will have to find ways to correct the mistakes that have not only bottled up the rushing attack, but have played a big part in why the offense has not been able to find any consistent traction.

“I think every single play you get, you’ve got to be mentally prepared,” tackle JC Latham said. “You’ve got to know you’re job do you’re job and do it at a high level.”

With the Titans needing to find some type of identity, Latham said it should be the offensive line’s goal to create one of toughness that the rest of the offense can rally around.

“I think that’s the identity of any great team is an offensive line that can run the ball. The first thing you hear about with the coach from Indiana (Kurt Cignetti) or (Nick) Saban talking about toughness, mental and physical, and that directly correlates to the run game,” Latham said. “If you don’t have a tough group of people, or whatever the case may be, you’re going to have a really hard time overcoming a lot of things.”