How the Titans may have set themselves up to fail vs. Chiefs months ago
For a while, the Tennessee Titans have employed a unique defensive strategy that has been used to target some of the league’s best tight ends. Instead of staying up at night — although there's no proof that this staff doesn't — and stressing over how to extremely minimize the impact dynamic tight ends can have […]
For a while, the Tennessee Titans have employed a unique defensive strategy that has been used to target some of the league’s best tight ends.
Instead of staying up at night — although there's no proof that this staff doesn't — and stressing over how to extremely minimize the impact dynamic tight ends can have against their defense, the Titans' staff have taken a more simpler approach.
Find a defensive back with adept speed and physicality, and stick him on any opposing talented tight end that might pose a threat.
The player that occupied this role, well at least until this season, was none other than Dane Cruikshank. The former Titan was perfect for the role, as his combination of speed and his willingness to use his body for semi-violent outcomes, allowed him to stick with tight ends and defend them with serviceable efficiency at the very least.
But Cruikshank isn't on this team anymore, nor is his handy dandy skill set that the Titans loved to depend on.
So where do the Titans turn to find another defensive back capable of filling the hole left by Cruikshank? Well, an answer might lie on the roster, but those specific solutions aren't very concrete.
At least concrete enough to where the problem isn't so worrying.
To get an idea of how difficult it might be to replace Cruikshank, you have to back to last season, when he was tasked with covering tight ends on game by game, or matchup by matchup basis.
Two of those matchups Cruikshank had, were against Travis Kelce and George Kittle, two of the best tight ends this graceful game has to offer. In those two games, Cruikshank more than held his own, limiting Kelce and Kittle to one catch and two yards on three targets per AtoZ's James Foster.
That's impeccable production against elite competition and isn't something you can simply replace by confidently plugging in another player.
Of course, the Titans do have defensive backs that have talent to be put into consideration to hold down this role. Kevin Byard was the primary option many years ago, but the Titans value his elite centerfield safety play, so labeling him as a situational matchup safety wasn't going to stick.
Amani Hooker has developed into a wonderful safety with impressive ball skills, but like Byard, the Titans really value his ability to play centerfield safety, along with his ability to help in run support and showcase his willingness to play more underneath coverage when he's called upon to do so.
With those two out of the way, the only options now are Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Andrew Adams, both of whom have been introduced as new faces and have carved out comfortable roles within the defense — more so Adams in that case.
Johnson Jr. has been seen as more of a safety than a corner for the Titans, and his name was leaked as an early replacement for the old "Cruikshank role". But he hasn't really been used that way so far, and it's unclear if the Titans have that specific role in mind for him.
Adams on the other hand has been fantastic since joining the Titans. He filled in for Hooker when he was hurt earlier this season and has earned the respect of his teammates, coaches, as well as admiration from fans.
But like Johnson Jr., it's unclear if the Titans see him as a matchup based defensive back, or in other words, a defensive back with position by position versatility.
With these uncertainties now in the open, it seems we're not any closer to figuring out how the Titans will fill the Cruikshank role in time for Sunday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Who by the way, still possess Kelce and his dominant skill set on the offensive side of the ball.
Maybe the Titans won't find a concrete solution, but they'll need to find a temporary remedy, as they surely don't want opposing tight end sovereignty to be one of the main reasons their vaunted defense fell short.
Not only against the Chiefs, but against the rest of their competition this season as well.
Featured image via George Walker/The Tennesseean
