Yesterday’s game gave us a heavy dose of “same old same old” with the Tennessee Titans defense. I feel like a broken record on The Unofficial Titans Podcast – each week, talking about how this porous defense needs to be corrected or else the Titans are going to get got. Well, folks – in the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Titans defense did indeed get got.
There’s plenty of blame to pass around in a game like that. The offense came out cold, and they had to make some adjustments that certainly limited the explosive plays they could produce. I noticed a lack of production from the tight end position, something that enables this offense to move down the field with ease at times. Ty Sambrailo was stepping in for the injured Taylor Lewan, and the Titans kept the tight ends in the box to help block. That meant one less guy running a route and potentially making the big play. Of course, there’s also Stephen Gostkowski missing a very makeable field goal to put the game into overtime.
But, all in all, it’s hard to pin it all on one player, or even one unit. Still, the lion’s share of the blame has to be placed upon that defense. It’s a group I’ve been hard on ever since the Jags game when I started to say, “hey, maybe there’s something wrong here…” But, oddly enough, now that it finally did catch up to the Titans, I feel a little bit better about it all.
What changed for me yesterday was seeing the defense in the second half come out and hold the Steelers to three points. It was the same style and execution as that dominant win over the Buffalo Bills. They were adequately pressuring the quarterback and making him feel uncomfortable without getting outright sack numbers. Titan defenders were in place to capitalize on it, getting a couple of turnovers that changed the complexion of the game (the Titans had 11 passes deflected yesterday – wow).
This leads me to believe that this style can work against the elite offenses in the NFL. Instead of being brutally murdered on the football field, the Titans cleaned some things up, matched the intensity of the Steelers, and they made it a game in the second half. Despite the bad taste in my mouth after a loss, there’s something there to build upon.
So, if you look at the major issues with the Titans defense, they certainly seem fixable. If they can get it sorted out, this could actually be a pretty good opportunistic style of defense by season’s end.
From a schematic standpoint, guys just don’t look like they’re aligned in positions to succeed. You see cornerbacks lining up 10 yards away from the guy they’re covering. I don’t pretend to be an expert on any team’s playbook. I don’t know if it’s a calculated coaching decision because Mike Vrabel and company are aware that they don’t have the speed they need at the position or what. But, there’s just way too much space for opposing defenses to work with. At times, the Titans were good in man coverage. But, it was way too easy for the Steelers pass-catchers to find soft spots in the zone, and Ben Roethlisberger is smart enough to identify those opportunities. That’s what’s concerning about this particular issue – maybe you can get away with it against the Minshews and Locks of the NFL. But, come playoff time, you’re looking at much smarter, better quarterbacks.
Second, there just seems to be some miscommunication going on. I don’t know how many times I saw Titans defensive backs looking around with their hands up as if to say, “what’s going on here?” Guys ended up on islands against Steelers receivers. Johnathan Joseph ended up isolated on Diontae Johnson and Johnson made it look effortless as he scored a touchdown. There were too many of those situations in which guys looked like they were expecting help that never arrived.
Part of that stems from the current revolving door at cornerback. Malcolm Butler is your only steady guy out there right now. Outside of Butler, we’ve seen all sorts of combinations of guys including Tye Smith, Chris Jackson, Kristian Fulton, and Joseph. Joseph ain’t exactly a spring chicken. While serviceable, and valuable depth on this team, Smith is no starter in this league. And, Fulton and Jackson are both rookies learning to find their footing. It’s not a good situation.
This may be the biggest benefit to getting Adoree Jackson back that we don’t talk about enough. It’s the simple fact that having him back and healthy offers up some stability at the position. You know he and Butler will be your clear cut #1 and #2, and you’ll be able to figure your role players out of that revolving door group. It’ll take time for this group to jell, but once they do, it’ll change the way they line up and play, and it’ll give the secondary a much needed shot in the arm.
Shoring up these issues is bound to help the defense on third down, where it was absolutely atrocious yesterday as well – the Steelers went 8/9 on third down in the first half of the game, and finished 13/18 overall. This allowed them to extend long drives and take away opportunities for the Titans offense to put points on the board. That first half is the blueprint for how to beat this Titans team.
You have to be able to get off the field on third down. But, getting better there starts with getting back to basics a bit – focusing on details and communication.
All of these issues I’ve mentioned are fixable. It’s not like we’re dealing with an inept coaching staff. I don’t put a lot of stock into your please for Dean Pees given how similar this year’s defensive play-calling process is to 2019’s. And, it’s not like this defense is completely void of talent. It’s a good group with a good staff in place.
They just have some tinkering to do.
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, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
