Defensive metrics show the truth about Titans defense
The Tennessee Titans (5-2) are riding a five game win streak behind a series of stellar defensive performances. After early struggles with limiting explosive plays and surrendering 41 points in a Week 2 blowout loss, the Titans defense has finally taken shape as one of the best in the NFL. Over their five game winning […]
The Tennessee Titans (5-2) are riding a five game win streak behind a series of stellar defensive performances.
After early struggles with limiting explosive plays and surrendering 41 points in a Week 2 blowout loss, the Titans defense has finally taken shape as one of the best in the NFL.
Over their five game winning streak, Tennessee has surrendered just 15.2 points per game while winning the turnover battle 9-4 over that stretch.
What’s even more impressive is that many of the points surrendered by the Titans defense have come in “garbage time,” or once the game has already been largely decided.
According to one NextGen metric, over the last five weeks when factoring out garbage time, the Titans defense is blowing away every other NFL defense and is operating at historically efficient rates.
That is the best rushing and passing defense in EPA/play (expected points added) by a wide margin.
Expected Points Added, also known as EPA, is a nextgen stat which measures how a team’s Expected Points changed on a given snap. The second chart is a reflection of that output when looking at the last five game, without garbage time (win probably within 20-80 percent).
So, in case there was any question behind how the Titans continue to find a way. In case there was still concern over if this brand of football is sustainable over an entire season. Snap for snap, the number say the Titans defense is as good as it gets.
That really says it all.
Image via Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
