Titans vs. Panthers: What’s different since last meeting in 2015?
By Brady Akins
The Offense
Neither team came into the game with a ton of eye-catching offensive talent outside of the quarterback position. The Titans, however, were especially starved for skill position talent coming into the game against the Panthers.
Running back Antonio Andrews went into the game as the lead man in the backfield and ended the day with 11 carries for eight (!) yards. Like they had much of the season, the Titans tried to work some other running backs into the mix. Bishop Sankey got a couple of carries, but Dexter McCluster ended as the team’s best-producing running back, running three times for 25 yards.
Tight end Delanie Walker led all Titans in receiving yards against Carolina, ending with 52 on just three catches. Walker ended the season for the Titans as their most prolific pass-catcher, grabbing 94 passes for 1,088 yards by the end of the 2015 season. While tight ends had solid numbers in Tennessee’s offense, the Titans wide receiver group struggled to produce in 2015. Rookie receiver Dorial Green-Beckham led the wide receiver group in total yards with just 549 on the season.
Things weren’t much more exciting for Carolina, but the Panthers did feature a few key pieces on offense that made them a dangerous group.
Veteran running back Jonathan Stewart was the starter for the Panthers in 2015. Though not as explosive as he once was, Stewart started 13 games in 2015 for Carolina and nearly eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing. He ended the match against Tennessee as the game’s leading runner, carrying the ball 22 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Much like the Titans, Carolina’s most explosive receiving threat came at the tight end position. Greg Olsen entered the 2015 season after a breakthrough 2014 campaign, where he reached career highs in receptions and receiving yards.
Olsen had brought his dominance from the year before into the 2015 season and ended up breaking the 1,000-yard mark in receiving once again by the end of the season. The Panthers only threw 25 times against the Titans, but Olsen ended up catching eight of those passes for 80 yards.
Both teams were built in a similar mold on offense, with run-first offensive identities and explosive pass-catching tight ends. But with receivers like Ted Ginn Jr. and rookie Devin Funchess, the Panthers were the more talented team on offense.