Titans snap count takeaways, PFF grades, interesting stats from Week 17

Here’s a look at the Tennessee Titans’ snap counts, top Pro Football Focus grades and some interesting stats from the Week 17 win over the Houston Texans.

Before we look ahead to the all-important wild card game against the New England Patriots, let’s take a look at some Tennessee Titans snap count takeaways, top Pro Football focus grades, and other interesting stats from Week 17 against the Houston Texans.

Facing a “win and in” game, the Titans were able to get the job done, and that job was only made easier by the fact that the Texans chose to sit many key players with nothing to play for.

It was only fitting that some of the most important players who have gotten the Titans to where they are today — the playoffs — came up big when the team needed them the most.

When taking a look at Tennessee’s snap counts, there were a few interesting things of note. Also, because of this tear that the Titans have been on, there is no shortage of interesting stats and history being made by some of the players on the team.

Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Snap counts: Offense

First, we’ll begin with the snap counts on offense.

Takeaways

-It was good to see Derrick Henry back, and most importantly, healthy. His 47 snaps were tied for the most he has had in a game this season, so clearly his hamstring wasn’t a concern. In fact, with the game already in hand, head coach Mike Vrabel let Henry get a few extra carries to secure the rushing title.

–Darius Jennings was involved immediately upon his return to Tennessee. Jennings played a season-high 16 snaps with both Adam Humphries and Cody Hollister unable to suit up. In his earlier stint with Tennessee, Jennings never played more than eight on offense in a game.

-No, Jamil Douglas isn’t creeping his way back to a starting job. Rodger Saffold had to sit out a few plays with an injury, but managed to make his way back into the game. You can relax now.

Snap counts: Defense

Let’s take a look at the defensive side of the ball.

https://twitter.com/jwyattsports/status/1211680325346177030

Takeaways

-There was one guy whose snap count I was particularly interested in seeing, and that was Derick Roberson, who added his third sack of the season in Week 17, and his third in two games. Well, he didn’t get the bump I was hoping to see, as he totaled 16 snaps, which is three more than last week. Hopefully the UDFA out of Sam Houston State continues to see that number increase for as long as the Titans are playing. Interestingly enough, his three sacks are the fourth-most on the team.

–Tye Smith was very involved for the Titans. Not only did he play 56 of the team’s 58 defensive snaps, but he also was in on 13 on special teams. Adding to that, LeShaun Sims, who was thought to be a starter with the Titans having a ton of injuries in the secondary, only saw the field for seven defensive plays and may have fallen out of favor if the reason isn’t injury-related.

-Should Adoree’ Jackson return for the first round of the playoffs, it’ll be interesting to see who gets cut out, whether that be Smith or Tramaine Brock, who played 53 snaps. It’s also possible we see the pair split snaps. Perhaps Sims can work his way into the equation too.

-After sitting out last week, Jeffery Simmons played just 28 snaps, which was the fewest he has seen since his debut in Week 7. Hopefully he isn’t playing hurt and the Titans were just trying to manage his reps to keep his fresh for the playoffs. Austin Johnson benefited the most with 26 snaps, and he almost out-snapped Simmons entirely.

Top PFF grades

The five highest-graded Titans on offense in Week 17 were…

The five highest-graded Titans on defense in Week 17 were…

Notes

–Jack Conklin is nearing free agency as the 2019 season winds down and has quietly had a great season. The Titans’ right tackle graded out as is the 11th-best tackle and the sixth-best right tackle, per PFF. He’ll be one of the biggest decisions the Titans have to make in the offseason.

–MyCole Pruitt is typically known as a blocker, but in Week 17 the big man found pay dirt on a one-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill. The tight end also added a second catch for 12 yards and was once again effective as a blocker.

–A.J. Brown did it again. He finished with four catches for 124 yards and a score. He completed two more big plays on Sunday, one of which went for 51 yards and a touchdown, and another that saw him make an insane catch in traffic to put the Titans on the one-yard line. We’ll have a slew of interesting stats about him coming up.

-Old reliable Kevin Byard led the way for the Titans. The star safety’s interception on Sunday sealed the deal for Tennessee.

–Tramaine Brock could be fighting for snaps once Adoree’ Jackson returns, so putting his best foot forward is important. He was able to do just that, as he finished as the fifth highest-graded defensive player for Tennessee with the help of six tackles (five solo).

–DaQuan Jones continues to have a superb season, and Jurrell Casey‘s sack ties him for second on the team, and it was the 51st of his career.

Interesting stats

League leaders: Ryan Tannehill finished with the highest passer rating in the NFL this season, scoring a 117.5. His 9.6 yards per attempt was one yard more than any other quarterback, also. Derrick Henry won the rushing crown with 1,540 yards, and his 16 rushing touchdowns was tied for tops in the league.

A.J. for OROY: Rookie wideout A.J. Brown might have wrapped up Offensive Rookie of the Year. Here’s where he ranks among all rookie receivers in 2019 (John Glennon, The Athletic):

• 52 catches (5th)
• 1,051 receiving yards (1st)
• 20.2 average yards per catch (1st among qualified)
• 8 touchdown catches (tied-1st)
• 8 40-plus yard receptions (1st)
• 39 first-down catches (tied-2nd)

A.J. makes history: Per our own Will Lomas, Brown is the first rookie in NFL history to total 1,000 yards in a season on less than 64 catches. Just a great example of how explosive he has been for the Titans in 2019.

A.J. joins Randy Moss: Brown’s 51-yard touchdown catch on Sunday gave him four touchdown receptions of 50 yards or more for the season, and that’s the most any rookie receiver has had in a campaign since Randy Moss (Jim Wyatt, Titans Online).

A.J. an all-time rookie: Brown joins Bill Groman (1,473 in 1960) and Ernest Givens (1,062 in 1986) as the only rookie receivers in Titans/Oilers history to total 1,000 yards through the air (Jim Wyatt, Titans Online).