The Tennessee Titans’ run defense has been historically great over the last calendar year.
After finishing last season with the No. 1 run defense in the NFL (76.9 yards per game) in 2022, the Titans have followed it up by being tied for the fourth-best over the first two weeks of the 2023 campaign, only allowing a measly 65 yards per game on the ground.
To put their dominance into perspective, the Titans currently own the stingiest run defense over a 17-game span since the start of 2007.
Over their last 17 games (Sept. 25, 2022, to Sept. 17, 2023), the Titans have only allowed 1,098 rushing yards in total, an average of just 64.6 yards per contest. Tennessee is holding their opponents to a ridiculous 2.9 yards per carry in that span.
If you to exclude the Week 2 game against the Chargers and go off the 17-game span from Sept. 19, 2022, through Sept. 10, 2023, Tennessee would also be ranked No. 3.
The previous leader over a 17-game span was the Pittsburgh Steelers defense of 2010-11, a unit that allowed 1,103 yards from Jan. 3, 2010, to Jan. 2, 2011.
#Titans run defense. 🧱 pic.twitter.com/S13IYMg6hu
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 21, 2023
What makes these numbers even more impressive is the fact that Tennessee’s defensive front was ridiculously banged-up a season ago.
Jeffery Simmons missed two games due to an ankle injury that plagued him over the entire second half of the season, and Harold Landry, Denico Autry, Bud Dupree and David Long all missed at least five games apiece, with Landry missing the entire season due to a torn ACL.
Needless to say, a healthy 2023 Titans defensive front has the potential to top anything the group did over the last year.
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