Unlucky Titans trend is already changing course this season
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have lucked into some much easier matchups to begin the 2023 season than originally scheduled. That's not a luxury they had a year ago. In 2022, the Titans defense never got a break from their opponent’s starting quarterback. According to a statistic shared by Bill Barnwell, 98.8 percent of passes thrown […]
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have lucked into some much easier matchups to begin the 2023 season than originally scheduled. That's not a luxury they had a year ago.
In 2022, the Titans defense never got a break from their opponent’s starting quarterback. According to a statistic shared by Bill Barnwell, 98.8 percent of passes thrown against Tennessee’s defense last season came from the “primary QB” of their opponent. That was the highest percentage in the NFL.
But somehow, that unlucky trend has reversed course this season as the Titans have managed to avoid impact players from each one of their first three opponents.
In Week 1, the New Orleans Saints were without Alvin Kamara after he was suspended by the league.
In Week 2, the Los Angeles Chargers were without Austin Ekeler, who suffered an ankle injury in the season opener.
In Week 3, the Cleveland Browns will be without Nick Chubb after his gruesome knee injury in Pittsburgh on Monday night.
That’s three players, all of whom led their respective teams in touches last season, that the Titans have avoided, and that stroke of luck may continue over the next couple weeks.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who the Titans are scheduled to meet at Nissan Stadium in Week 4, reinjured his calf against the Ravens. Burrow's status for this weekend and the next few weeks remains unknown.
In Week 5, Tennessee will play the division rival Colts. Indianapolis has been without Jonathan Taylor to open the season, and while Taylor will be eligible to come off the PUP list in time for a date with the Titans, there’s no guarantee he will be back. Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is also in concussion protocol.
Then there’s Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens where starting running back J.K. Dobbins is already done for the season. Dobbins is another player who would have likely led his team in touches this season if healthy.
Even with Nick Chubb out of the picture this weekend, the Titans defense will be approaching things the same way. Multiple Titans players and head coach Mike Vrabel were complimentary of Jerome Ford, who is the next man up of Cleveland.
The Browns are built to run the ball no matter who the running back is. Just like the Titans were in 2021 when D'Onta Foreman had 566 rushing yards in nine games taking over for Derrick Henry.
Does it help to not have to deal with Nick Chubb? Of course, but as Azeez Al-Shaair pointed out to me in the locker room on Wednesday, the name on the back of the jersey isn't really important.
“I don’t care what your name is. If I’m looking at the back of your jersey, I’m probably getting beat," Al-Shaair told me.
While that's absolutely the right mentality for everyone on Tennessee's defense, Chubb's absence obviously gives the Titans an unforeseen advantage. The injury luck was not there for this team in 2022, but so far this fall, things have really been turning around.