The Tennessee Titans have been absolutely dominant in run defense the past two weeks, including in their win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
They have allowed 81 yards total in those two games. Not only is this a great improvement from early in the year, but when you look at the passing yards allowed the last two weeks (715 yards total), it becomes obvious just how critical it was for the Titans to limit the run.
Run defense has, and always will be, a team job; however, one Titan has been the rock of which the run defense is built on — his name is Teair Tart.
Tart has a crazy story; multiple colleges and then an undrafted free agent in the NFL. He stuck with the Titans his rookie year in 2020, but only played in seven games and 154 defensive snaps.
Tart had a solid year in 2021 in 11 games for the Titans as well despite some injuries and seemed like a nice rotational interior defensive lineman. Make no mistake, though, Tart wasn’t considered some X-Factor on defense heading into 2022.
Tart has changed that narrative through five weeks; he has been everywhere. Yes, I started off this article by discussing his run defense because as a nose tackle, that will always be his primary role.
But Tart has POPPED in pass defense as well, knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage and even getting an interception in Indianapolis!
While the tape tells the story the numbers do as well.
Tart is currently the NINTH (!!!!) highest-graded defensive lineman in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, one spot ahead of the heralded lineman out of Indy, DeForest Buckner.
Not only that, but Tart currently has five pass break-ups which is the most on the team. The single-season record for a Titans defensive lineman is nine, set by Jevon Kearse. Tart is on pace to smash that record.
Tart hasn’t been a sack junkie in his career, as he has yet to record one. So, if Tart can continue to impact the passing game in this way, his value skyrockets.
So, as we always do, let’s dive into the tape and see how big of an impact Teair Tart made in the nation’s capital in Week 5.