These aren’t your daddy’s Tennessee Titans.
No longer are the Titans plagued by their quarterback Marcus Mariota not having weapons catching the ball. No. Ryan Tannehill is now the quarterback, and he certainly has weapons catching the ball.
On Sunday, the Houston Texans will have to game plan from a young group of playmaking pass-catchers residing on the Titans’ side of the ball. 25-or-younger wide receivers A.J. Brown, Corey Davis and Tajae Sharpe should terrify Houston’s secondary.
The Texans worked out Brown, Davis and Sharpe when they each respectively entered the NFL. The skills the Bill O’Brien-led coaching staff once saw have emerged in the Titans’ Tannehill-led offense.
“Corey Davis, when he came out, good size, good speed and they’ve done a really good job with him,” said O’Brien on Wednesday. “Good route runner, good hands, really understands coverage. A.J. Brown, to come into this league to play the way he’s playing as a rookie is a testament to him and the coaching that he’s receiving. Tajae Sharpe, he’s done a really good job for them over the years. There’s a lot of weapons on that offense.”
Davis, the No. 5 pick in 2017, isn’t the go-to option for Tennessee’s pass offense. It’s the second-round rookie, Brown, who hails from Ole Miss.
The former Rebel is playing like an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate. A talent comparable to Pro Bowler JuJu Smith-Schuster, Brown is a big-play threat, tallying 39 receptions for 779 yards and six touchdowns on the year. According to Pro Football Reference, 371 of his yards have come after the catch.
Once considered to be the No. 1 option in Tennessee, Davis has played the sidekick role to Brown in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s attack. He has 33 receptions for 460 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games of play.
Sharpe is an overlooked talent in the Titans group of young pass-catchers. He is productive in spurts, recording 17 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns on the year. He may have an increased role on Sunday with slot receiver Adam Humphries questionable with an ankle.
The Titans’ young group of receivers has gelled to the point where the Titans have scored 30-plus in each of their past four games. In that span, Tannehill has produced to the tune of 1,013 yards, nine touchdowns, an interception and a 144.2 passer rating.
For a leaky Texans secondary, the Titans’ receiver galore could spell doom.