The Tennessee Titans’ pass-rush has been one of the staples of this team over the last few years.
You could make a strong argument that the Titans’ dominant front four was the main reason why Tennessee ended up with the No. 1 seed at the conclusion of the 2021 regular season.
What made the group so special was how the Titans’ front four was able to consistently put pressure on the opposing quarterback without having to blitz.
Unfortunately, those days appear to be long gone.
According to a chart created by Kutztown University professor Brad Congelio, Tennessee is still one of the squads that blitz the least.
Through nine weeks, the team has one of the lowest pressure percentages in the NFL, as well as a bottom-half ranking in blitz percentage.
The NYJ defensive unit is doing something pretty special.
They are creating the most pressure despite having the 2nd lowest blitz percentage in the #NFL.
The SF, PHL, BUF grouping shows how out of the ordinary the Jets' defensive unit is.@BrianCoz @RichCimini @DWAZ73 pic.twitter.com/8iRZ9OBEu2
— Brad Congelio 🏈📊🧑💻 (@BradCongelio) November 9, 2023
This is a major issue because having to blitz more means Tennessee is taking someone out of coverage, where this team could use all the help it can get after what has been a lackluster first half of the season for the secondary.
If Tennessee is going to find a way back into relevancy, it desperately needs its tenacious pass-rush to get back to being relentless without having to blitz.
Otherwise, this defense will likely have to settle for being an average-at-best unit for the duration of the 2023 campaign.
