Ashley Landis/Associated Press
The Tennessee Titans lost the heart and soul of their team when running back Derrick Henry suffered what could very well be a season-ending broken foot.
No problem.
Mike Vrabel’s squad found another way to win, 28-16, on the road at SoFi Stadium with the Titans defense dismantling the Los Angeles Rams, who looked like the best team in football entering the contest.
Henry’s brilliance as the game’s premier workhorse and potential MVP frontrunner until his injury overshadowed the fact Tennessee’s defense gradually improved throughout the first half of the campaign and peaked against Sean McVay’s prolific offensive attack.
In total, the Rams still managed well over 300 total yards. But the Titans consistently won in the trenches, pressured quarterback Matthew Stafford throughout the night and flew to the football in such a manner the unit can be Tennessee’s tone-setter from this point forward.
The Titans feature legitimate war daddies along the defensive front to wreck opposing offenses. Along the back line, the team has arguably the league’s best safety in Kevin Byard. The linebackers are athletic, too. A complete effort each and every week will help propel the Titans to their rightful spot among the AFC’s best squads, even without their best player.
Tennessee became the AFC’s first team to reach seven victories. In what could be considered a mediocre year for the conference, the Titans now stand alone. After a brutal overtime loss to the New York Jets during the first weekend of October, Tennessee reeled off five straight victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and Rams. Maybe those individual squads aren’t as impressive today as they were expected to be, but the Titans are still taking care of business against the talented group of individuals who play on those rosters.
A week ago, the Titans became the only opponent to hold Colts running back Jonathan Taylor under 100 rushing yards in his last four appearances. Carson Wentz threw two interceptions, while Tennessee harassed the quarterback with seven hits.
On Sunday, the Titans’ defense leveled up and demolished the Rams with two interceptions, five sacks and 11 more quarterback hits. Everything starts along the defensive interior. Los Angeles had no answer for Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry. Those around the league knew what they were about to face this season in the 24-year-old defensive tackle.
“No one is Aaron Donald, but he might be the closest,” an anonymous general manager told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler this summer.
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year isn’t used to being upstaged. But Simmons did so Sunday. After all, the up-and-comer registered three sacks and 10 quarterback pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. His 27 pressures since Week 6 lead the league.
Simmons is so explosive and powerful in short areas he can make 300-plus pound offensive linemen look like human whirligigs while trying to block him.
The 2019 first-round pick is a special talent. But he benefits from one of the league’s best defensive lines. The Titans feature individuals all along the front four who can win their one-on-one matchups and blow up plays.
Denico Autry has been nearly as good as Simmons with 20 pressures since Week 6. The hybrid defensive lineman, who can play base end or 3-technique, is extremely quick off the snap and slices through blocking schemes. The Rams’ interior didn’t have an answer for him or his running mate.
Off the edge, Harold Landry Jr. has emerged as one of the league’s best pass-rushers. Even as a second-round pick in the ’18 draft class, Landry was the most natural bender and edge-rusher the class had to offer. The 25-year-old has gotten stronger and more consistent without losing any of his flexibility or explosivity. As a result, he ranks among the league’s best with nine sacks through nine games.
Amazingly, Bud Dupree has yet to play particularly well after the organization signed the edge-defender to a five-year, $82.5 million free-agent contract. Quite possibly, his play should pick up as he gets more comfortable in the system and takes advantage of opportunities playing alongside Tennessee’s talented front.
Success came from relying almost solely on the defensive linemen getting to Stafford without being forced to bring extra blitzers. As NFL Next Gen Stats noted, the Titans blitzed only five times Sunday. The unit generated a 30.6 percent pressure rate with four or fewer pass-rushers. All five sacks came courtesy of a four-man rush.
“We’re just a four-man wrecking crew,” Autry said after the contest.
The Titans were so good up front the Rams had to change their offensive approach in the second half just to get Stafford out of the pocket because Los Angeles’ offensive line wasn’t up to the task.
Consistent pressure without having to employ extra defenders tends to improve coverage. The Titans’ secondary endured its share of injuries with Kristian Fulton and first-round rookie Caleb Farley on injured reserve. Yet Janoris Jenkins, Elijah Molden and Chris Jackson didn’t get torched by the Rams’ talented wide receiver trio.
Byard is the real difference-maker. His ball skills rank among the league’s best among all defensive backs. With a 7-3 lead, the safety baited Stafford by lining up deep half before walking up to take the short route just prior to the snap. Robert Woods ran a simple out route, which Byard undercut the throw and took it back for a pick-6.
As a positional unit, Byard and Amani Hooker, who led the Titans Sunday with 12 total tackles, entered the Week 9 contest with top-five grades in pass coverage, per Pro Football Focus (h/t Mike Moraitis of USA Today’s Titans Wire). Byard earned the AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for October thanks to his seven defended passes and three interceptions.
Linebackers Jayon Brown and David Long Jr. may be considered the weak spots but both can play in space. Long leads the team with 66 total tackles.
Eventually, Tennessee’s offense will provide more help than the unit did Sunday. The defense showed it can win a game for the Titans. At the same time, a slight reconfiguration is necessary by the other side of the ball, even though the coaching staff doesn’t plan on changing too much.
“I think you can place an emphasis on certain areas, but I’d be doing this team a disservice if I jerked the wheel just because of an injury, as great as Derrick [Henry] is,” offensive coordinator Todd Downing told reporters Thursday. “We are who we are, and we’re going to find ways to continue to maintain that identity. Of course, there are going to be some tweaks and quarter turns along the way and a different emphasis, but we are who we are.”
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
More of an emphasis can be placed on the team’s talented wide receivers, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones. Adrian Peterson didn’t do much in his first appearance with the franchise, aside from a one-yard touchdown plunge. The veteran back will be integrated more fully as the season progresses. Plus, the Titans experienced two significant setbacks along the offensive line that could improve dramatically with the return of two starters.
Left tackle Taylor Lewan dressed but didn’t play due to a lingering injury. Right guard Nate Davis, meanwhile, remains in the concussion protocol. Both should return this season and provide a significant boost after the group’s shaky primetime performance.
As good as Tennessee’s defense performed, 194 yards from the offense isn’t good enough, at least on a weekly basis. Help does seem to be on the way, though. When it arrives, the Titans should be positioned quite well in the down AFC.
The idea of riding Henry through the rest of the season and playoffs as the back shattered league rushing records once held so much promise. The Titans must adjust and they have the pieces in place, particularly on defense, to do so.
“The Titans aren’t trying to prove people wrong,” Landry told reporters. “We’re trying to prove ourselves right.”
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.
