The Tennessee Titans’ pass-rush has picked up right where it left off last season despite their injury troubles on the edge. Harold Landry was lost before the season due to a torn ACL, while Bud Dupree is once again struggling to remain healthy.
However, the consistency of Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry and Teair Tart, combined with the emergence of Rashad Weaver, has kept Tennessee in the conversation as one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Titans’ defensive line currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL after four weeks with a pass-rush grade of 93 and a run-defense score of 61. Their overall grade after four games came in at a stout 82.
The only teams who own a better ranking than the Titans are the San Francisco 49ers (No. 1) and the Buffalo Bills (No. 2).
.@Titans went to @colts and took them behind the woodshed! The JayTrain had 15/20 runs go for 2 yards or less including this costly fumble. #TitanUp #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/iPj8IujwAH
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 5, 2022
Weaver currently leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss with four each in as many games. Tart, on the other hand, has impacted several games in a variety of different ways.
.@Titans @speedboy_te75 is playing like a monster opposite @GrindSimmons94 . Good luck trying to run up the gut v these 2! And the INT; titans converted to go up 24-3. Tart is a problem. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/IDEr7Nu6LV
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 5, 2022
Then you have Simmons and Autry who have generated 13 pressures apiece and have combined for five sacks between the two of them (Autry three, Simmons two).
.@Titans v @colts and the #Titans @GrindSimmons94 are winning the LOS. It’s a simple game…win the LOS…win the contest and @JayT23 will get rolling again #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/BvdfSuccGh
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 5, 2022
The fantastic analytics team over at Next Gen Stats elaborated on what’s making the Titans such a disruptive group up front.
Tennessee’s front has been especially successful in getting after quarterbacks before they are able to go through their progressions, with 15 pressures within three seconds of the snap on non-blitzes this season (tied for second-most in NFL). Like many teams on this list, the Titans have been able to create havoc while relying on a four-man rush, which they use on 73 percent of dropbacks (third-highest rate in the NFL).
As impressive as this group has been, you can’t help but wonder how good it would collectively be if everyone had just stayed healthy.
Nonetheless, this is a unit that is more than capable of carrying the Titans this season. This week, they face a Washington team that has already allowed a league-high 17 sacks, along with a whopping 73 pressures.
Look for Tennessee’s dominant defensive front to make its presence felt early and often as the unit tries to lead the Titans to one last victory before their much-needed Week 6 bye.
