Tennessee Titans defense will be radically different vs Buffalo Bills
By Will Lomas
Player changes
Before I get into this, let me say that this is me being incredibly optimistic and thinking that none of the starting defenders are the new positives and that Kristian Fulton will be asymptomatic and will get two quick negative tests to allow him to be back before next Sunday.
Right now, the Tennessee Titans want their starting defense to be these 11 players in some alignment:
-Jadeveon Clowney
-Harold Landry
-DaQuan Jones
-Jeffery Simmons
-Jayon Brown
-Rashaan Evans
-Kristian Fulton
-Jonathan Joseph
-Malcolm Butler
-Kenny Vaccaro
-Kevin Byard
When they want to get creative or when they feel like they need to shift to a 4-3 look from their usual 4-2 or their 4-3 under front (basically what you imagine a 3-4 defense looks like), they do make a player change. They take out Kristian Fulton, move Kenny Vaccaro down to linebacker, and they bring in Amani Hooker.
After watching all three games this season, I think there are some player changes that need to be made.
First of all, as soon as Adoree Jackson is healthy he has to enter the lineup and start opposite Malcolm Butler. That is an absolute must and it should allow the Titans to get more aggressive.
Secondly, the Titans rotation at EDGE has stunted due to injuries, but now they are going to have a full arsenal with Derick Roberson added into the mix. His quick-twitch athleticism and his ability to win off the snap will make rushing four more palatable.
Finally, Tennessee needs to consider leaving Hooker on the sideline and bringing in David Long Jr. to be the linebacker in this 4-3 look that they give. I’m not sure what they are trying to do or why he isn’t getting playing time, but this makes them faster and keeps their second-best defensive back in his normal spot.
But what can change besides the players on the field?