After making it all the way to the conference championship in 2019, the Tennessee Titans have Super Bowl aspirations in 2020.
But first, there are some areas in which the Titans must improve upon if they’re going to take that next step.
Here are four numbers that show the areas where Tennessee must improve the most in 2020.
Sacks allowed: 56
The Titans finished with the second-most sacks allowed in the NFL last season after a horrid start to the campaign that saw Tennessee surrender 26 in the first six games, an average of 4.3 per contest.
Things stabilized in the 13 games that followed (including playoffs), as the Titans’ group upfront allowed 34, an average of 2.6 per contest. Rodger Saffold attributed that turnaround to the building of chemistry and improvement in communication from the big guys upfront.
The biggest question marks going into 2020 will be at right guard and right tackle, with the latter position set to have a new starter after Jack Conklin departed in free agency.
However, there are reasons for optimism the Titans can improve this number:
- Rodger Saffold allowed six sacks in his first six games, but none after that.
- Nate Davis posted an overall PFF grade of 30.1 through Week 14, but 71.5 from Week 15 on.
- Conklin posted a PFF pass-blocking grade of 72.3. His likely replacement, Dennis Kelly, finished with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 77.4 in 2018 and 75.2 in 2019. Kelly could actually provide an upgrade in pass protection at right tackle.
- After a lot of instability upfront to start last season with Davis getting hurt, Taylor Lewan getting suspended and Saffold needing time to learn the playbook and how to play with his new teammates, the Titans will enjoy some continuity in 2020 and the O-line will have a full camp together.
As long as Davis continues his upward trajectory and Kelly can come close to or improve upon what Conklin did in pass protection, the Titans should be vastly improved in pass protection.