When the Tennessee Titans lost edge rusher Harold Landry one week before the season to an ACL tear, most people instantly thought about the impact his loss would have on the pass rush.
However, when looking at the tape of Week 1 against the New York Giants, it is obvious Landry’s presence was missed far more in the run game.
The Titans’ EDGEs (OLBs/DEs) had a very rough game. Part of it is because of the way the Titans tried to play defense against the Giants, but another major factor is the overall athleticism the Titans have in that group now.
Denico Autry, Bud Dupree and Rashad Weaver are players that rely on physicality more than their agility. They play with power, not speed, as their primary weapon. The Giants clearly had a plan to take advantage.
In fairness, the EDGEs aren’t the only ones to blame for the miserable run defense. The Titans’ linebackers (David Long Jr. and Zach Cunningham) were out of control and played with no discipline for most of the day.
Their inability to shed blocks once a body gets on them is concerning. Along with that, the Titans’ defensive backs took terrible angles and missed multiple tackles — Amani Hooker specifically.
So, not only did the Titans players not play well, the defensive structure and philosophy put the players in a tough spot to begin with. That stems from the New York Giants’ use of RPO (Read-Pass Option) plays that give the offense the ability to pass or run on any given play.
New Giants head coach Brian Daboll came over from the Buffalo Bills where the RPO is heavily utilized. The Titans knew they had to account for it, and the Giants did too.
As we always do — and boy I’m happy to be back — let’s dive into the film to see what really happened!