The Tennessee Titans’ defense was a bit underwhelming in the second half of last season, but thanks to an offensive explosion from Week 7 on, it wasn’t as noticeable as it could have been.
In the first six games, the Titans allowed just 15.3 points per game. In the 10 games that followed, that number ballooned to 23.9 points per contest. Thanks to such a strong start, Tennessee finished the 2019 campaign having allowed 20.7 points per game, good enough for 12th in the NFL.
Of course, it’s important to note the significant impact injuries to Adoree’ Jackson and Malcolm Butler had on Tennessee’s defense. Jackson missed five games, while Butler’s season ended after Week 9.
Tennessee’s defense is set to look different in 2020, as defensive coordinator Dean Pees retired and wasn’t replaced, and two key veterans, cornerback Logan Ryan and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey, are no longer with the team.
The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia believes the Titans’ defense might be worse off than it was last season. He ranks Tennessee’s unit at No. 18 in the NFL, two spots lower than the rank it was given in 2019.
Unless second-year player Jeffery Simmons makes a big leap or the Titans sign Jadeveon Clowney, it’s tough to see a scenario where they get significantly better defensively in 2020. Tennessee lost defensive coordinator Dean Pees, along with six players who played 200-plus snaps last season. The linebackers are strong, and Kevin Byard is one of the league’s best safeties. But the pass rush and coverage figure to be mediocre. The Titans could be counting on rookie corner Kristian Fulton to be a full-time player and Vic Beasley to be more consistent than he was in Atlanta. They were well-coached last year, and the whole was greater than the sum of their parts. But overall the Titans project to be a solid, yet unspectacular, defense.
The Titans face no shortage of questions on the defensive side of the ball.
It’s possible Tennessee still has more moves up its sleeve with about $22 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, and the hope is that money will be used to make a big splash signing of Jadeveon Clowney.
We still don’t know who will call plays. That responsibility figures to go to head coach Mike Vrabel, who has experience in that department as a former defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans.
The Titans also have to figure out who replaces Ryan in the slot, and who will pick up the snaps alongside DaQuan Jones and Jeffery Simmons that were vacated after Casey was dealt.
The team’s lone solution to improve the pass-rush, outside linebacker Vic Beasley, is off to a rough start after reporting to camp 10 days late. The lack of a consistent pass-rush was the biggest reason for the Titans’ demise in the AFC Championship Game last season.
It remains to be seen if Beasley is the answer the Titans are looking for, but the good news is he seems to be a good fit in Vrabel’s defense if he can keep his head on straight.
There’s no question the Titans will be returning plenty of talent on defense in 2020 and remaining healthy is key, but the aforementioned unanswered questions will be the difference between this defense being average and great.
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