As they’re prone to do, Pro Football Focus released a pretty interesting stat on the Tennessee Titans defense. We know this was a pretty underrated unit to begin with, as the Titans defense boasted one of the best run defenses in the NFL last season, and the secondary took a major leap forward. But, one thing that might have been lost in the shuffle is just how good this defense was at tackling.
There you have it – only the Chicago Bears (another underrated defense) had fewer yards after contact allowed per attempt. It’s really interesting to stop and think about some of the old football cliches. “Stop the run,” and “run the ball,” and all of that shit. Being a fundamentally sound tackler is one of those things that just makes sense but a lot of people don’t talk about it in the grand scheme of defense.
But, it’s not always the case, and the Titans are a prime example of how focusing more on the basics like that can improve a team. Before Dick LeBeau came to town, the Titans defense was, by and large, awful. They gave up big play after big play, and it seemed like any semblance of a ground game at all would gash their asses to death. They needed to reset, and for whatever reason, it worked.
I mean, sure, it helps to draft guys like Kevin Byard and Adoree Jackson, and to sign free agents like Johnathan Cyprien and Logan Ryan. But, the uptick in talent wasn’t the only thing that helped this team. It was a bit of fundamental work.
Now, this unit looks poised to leap frog to the top of the AFC. Let’s hope this trend continues into 2018.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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