ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans' goal was never perfection. They never talked about it as a goal at the start of training camp. They never discussed is as they built their record to 8-0, 9-0, 10-0.

Now, with some imperfections exposed by the New York Jets, the Titans won't have to sidestep any more questions about running the table in 2008.

The 34-13 loss to the Jets doesn't do much to dent the Titans' stranglehold on the AFC South, and still leaves them with a two-game lead in the hunt for home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs.

The Titans' targets have always been a division title and the best possible set-up for the playoffs, not an undefeated season.

It's easy to say the Jets provided a recipe for other teams to undo the Titans.

But other teams don't necessarily have the personnel or the talent to attack the Tennessee defense with the short passes that keyed the Jets' attack or pry a fumble away from rookie running back Chris Johnson or employ the sort of physical coverage that helped prompt a slew of drops that cost the hosts dearly.

This is, however, the kind of game Titans fans must fear come the playoffs -- a flat afternoon where the team can't get the run game going and the deficiencies of the pass game and receivers are pulled to the forefront, when a bend-don't-break defense is bent to warp.

Jeff Fisher has talked all season about how nice it is to make corrections out of wins.

Despite the first regular-season loss for the team since Dec. 9, 2007, they won't be making corrections Monday. A short week dictates they get on to the next game plan immediately.

So on to Thanksgiving in Detroit.

In time we'll know if the adversity connected to a bad game and a loss serves the Titans better than the continued pursuit of perfection.