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Michael Irvin credits Titans A.J. Brown for all of Ryan Tannehill’s success

By Michael Moraitis

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 08: A.J. Brown #11 of the Tennessee Titans breaks a tackle by Daryl Worley #20 of the Oakland Raiders to score a touchdown in the second quarter at RingCentral Coliseum on December 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 08: A.J. Brown #11 of the Tennessee Titans breaks a tackle by Daryl Worley #20 of the Oakland Raiders to score a touchdown in the second quarter at RingCentral Coliseum on December 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin threw a little shade at Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, basically saying wide receiver A.J. Brown was the reason he was so successful.

It seems that Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin credits Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown for the success of quarterback Ryan Tannehill more than Tannehill himself.

Tannehill had his best season as a pro with 2,742 yards and 22 touchdowns to six picks, while also leading the NFL in passer rating and finishing third in completion percentage.

As for Brown, he was not just a standout rookie in 2019, he was one of the most explosive players in the NFL period. Brown finished with 52 catches for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns, and he also totaled 20.2 yards per reception, the second-best mark in the league.

Irvin spoke to the media on Thursday and was asked about the Titans duo that led to the team’s offense being absolutely electric in 2019.

According to Irvin, we can’t simply forget about Tannehill’s past struggles with the Miami Dolphins and all of a sudden think he’s gotten better as a quarterback. Instead he thinks we have to credit Brown for helping Tannehill elevate his game.

https://twitter.com/jwyattsports/status/1222966316098781184

Now, does Brown’s ability to make big plays happen whenever the ball is in his hands help elevate Tannehill? Of course.

However, to sit there and say that Tannehill did not elevate Brown’s game also would be short-sighted. Having a more competent quarterback at the helm helps raise the game of any receiver, and that’s exactly what happened when Tannehill was inserted as the starter in Week 7.

In the six games with Marcus Mariota under center, Brown averaged 45.5 yards per game and scored two touchdowns. In 10 games with Tannehill, Brown averaged 77.8 yards per game and found pay dirt six times through the air.

You can also Derrick Henry also helped both players, as the threat he poses as a runner opened things up in the play action, which was a big reason for Tennessee’s success through the air.

The relationship between Brown and Tannehill is very much symbiotic, as Tannehill bringing better quarterback play to Tennessee put Brown in a better position to succeed, while Brown’s special talent made Tannehill’s job easier.

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