Be concerned about the Tennessee Titans pass rush

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 6: Jurrell Casey #99 of the Tennessee Titans sacks Blake Bortles #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the game at Nissan Stadium on December 6, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 6: Jurrell Casey #99 of the Tennessee Titans sacks Blake Bortles #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the game at Nissan Stadium on December 6, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

The Tennessee Titans need to find a solution to their glaring issue on defense.

I have been vocal about my thoughts on the Tennessee Titans defense, however getting specific I think we should all be very concerned about the pass rush.

The Titans are suffering from two major issues as far as I can tell.

First, they aren’t getting home with their interior rush. In fact, aside from Jurrell Casey’s game Monday, there really haven’t been any impact performances from anyone on the defensive line.

More from Titans News

If you can’t force a QB off his spot with an interior rush, it sets you up for a lot of hardship down the middle of the field. A strong interior rush makes it really hard to complete passes over the middle of the field because you don’t really have anywhere to step into your throw as a QB.

Secondly, the Titans don’t have a speed rusher on the outside. This is actually the biggest issue with the pass rush in my opinion.

Most big plays from the pass rush seem to happen quickly. The first 1/3/5 steps from an edge rusher usually determine the success of the play. If you have someone that can win and get to the QB before the can find the right read you are going to have a big play from the defense.

The Titans have no change up right now. They have Derrick Morgan, Brian Orakpo and Erik Walden who win with effort, hands, leverage, and power. None of those guys are going to make stronger offensive tackles particularly scared.

Brian Orakpo flashes a first step that makes him harder to handle than the other two, but with Dick LeBeau dropping him into coverage so frequently the Titans aren’t really getting everything they can out of him.

The pass rush is a concern, but there are some positives. Tennessee is getting good pressure when they are aggressive and they have proven players. In fact, I believe Orakpo, Walden and Morgan combined for 30 sacks last year.

More from Titan Sized

However, teams are showing this year that you can’t just rush four (or three) and get to the quarterback if you are the Titans. If you want to be a great defense that is something you have to be able to do.

I don’t know if that can be changed before the trade deadline or if it is something that has to be addressed this offseason. All I know is that it is something to watch going forward, and it is a big reason why the Titans are one of the worst defenses in the NFL in points per game.

Schedule