Going into the 2023 season, Tennessee Titans pass-rusher Harold Landry was someone I was high on. I knew it would take him some time to get back to form, but there was never a real doubt in my mind that he would.
Admittedly, it took a little longer than I expected, but ever since the bye in Week 7, we’ve gotten the chance to see Landry getting back to his old ways.
When comparing Landry’s impact from before the bye (six games) and after (seven games), there has been an undeniable increase in production.
Landry has increased his quarterback pressures from four to 27, and his sack totals from two to seven while also increasing his pass-rushing grade by 21.1 points, per Pro Football Focus (H/T James Foster of No Flags Film).
Harold Landry is back. Filthy ghost move here to force an inaccurate checkdown.
Before the bye week:
– 111 pass rush snaps
– 4 pressures (3.6%)
– 2 sacks
– 51.1 PFF PRSH GradeAfter the bye week:
– 179 pass rush snaps
– 27 pressures (15.1%)
– 7 sacks
– 72.2 PFF PRSH Grade pic.twitter.com/qsusWxNp6N— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) December 12, 2023
As I mentioned in Monday’s truths and overreactions article, the part that really got me excited about his Week 14 outing was how explosive he looked.
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen that Gumby-like bend along the edge that leads to him explosively dipping under the offensive tackle’s punch and getting after the quarterback like a NASCAR driver turning the corner.
Harold Landry III (@HaroldLandry) with a nasty double swipe here. Does a great job putting his inside hand down to control his bend and get to the QB. The OT is left of the dirt watching his QB get sacked!#Sack #Passrush #BDPR #Dline #TitanUp pic.twitter.com/ybBBWH8I6H
— Big Dog Pass Rush (@bigdogpassrush) December 12, 2019
That ability makes it a nightmare for offensive tackles to beat him to the junction point because he’s able to set the defender up with his hand usage before dipping underneath the blocker at a moment’s notice.
For context, the junction point is the area on the field where the tackle and defender are trying to get to so they can put themselves in position to win the rep.
For a tackle, it’s getting to the JP and preventing the defender from turning the corner. For a defender, it’s trying to get to that point on the field where they can turn the corner and get to the quarterback.
When the Boston College product is on his game, it truly is a sight to behold. There aren’t many pass-rushers who have the ankle flexion and natural athleticism to produce lethal ghost rushes the way Landry does.
Despite his slow start, Landry is still on the verge of producing a double-digit sack season. The thought of what he could be next year when he’s two years removed from his ACL surgery is something that should have Titans fans salivating.
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