Grading the Titans defense a quarter into the season
In an odd turn of events, the 2020 Titans defense has actually been weaker than the Titans’ offense across the board.
The Titans have historically been a team that is carried by a stout defense, but in 2020, the offense has done more than their share.
It was widely believed the Titans’ defense might suffer after the departures of Jurrell Casey and Logan Ryan, but I doubt anyone was expecting the unit to be below-average at this point. The Titans defense is currently allowing 24.7 points per game, 4 points worse than the 2019 team.
The veteran losses from the offseason have contributed, as have the injuries to Adoree Jackson and Dane Cruikshank. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 fiasco, the Titans defense will likely get worse before it gets better. DaQuan Jones, Jeffery Simmons, Kristian Fulton, and Kamalei Correa have all been placed on the COVID-19 list.
The loss of Jeffery Simmons is especially devastating, as Big Jeff has had an amazing start to the season. Correa is a useful pass-rusher, Jones is a solid run-stuffer, and Fulton has been the only 2020 draft pick to do anything at all so far.
Hopefully, as the season goes along and key players get healthy, the unit will improve and play up to their potential. With that being said, let’s go ahead and grade each position group of the defense based on their performance so far in 2020.
Defensive Line
Jeffery Simmons has been a stud so far in 2020, just as predicted.
Unfortunately, that’s about the only bright spot for this group. DaQuan Jones, who’s long been a solid starter for the team, has a PFF grade of 58.6 and has been a non-factor in the pass rush.
The third and final starter on the d-line, Jack Crawford, has also been underwhelming to this point with a 61.9 PFF grade and 1 sack, though it should be noted that his best game was against the Minnesota Vikings where he was actually allowed to play defensive tackle instead of being shoved into an EDGE role. That is what was happening in the first two weeks as Vic Beasley and Derick Roberson tried to get healthy.
The Titans will surely have to get more production out of these players as the season goes along, but if this is a report card for September you have to grade what they have done and not what they might do.
Unfortunately, the defensive line will be even worse, at least for a week or two. Simmons and Jones are on the COVID-19 list, meaning Isaiah Mack and Matt Dickerson are now starters.
Yikes.
Here’s to hoping Dickerson or Mack step up and provide much-needed production on the d-line. The only other healthy d-lineman is rookie Larrell Murchison, who has looked atrocious in limited snaps.
Even with a healthy Simmons and Jones, this unit needs to be addressed in the offseason. The Titans can no longer afford to rely on bargain-bin free agents and undrafted rookies at these positions.
Grade: F
Linebackers (EDGEs and off-ball)
Jadeveon Clowney, the high-profile free agent addition, seems to be fitting in well in Nashville.
While Clowney has never made a big impact in the sacks department, teams have to plan for him, and he applies pressure consistently. Clowney has an above-average PFF grade of 72.9 and has been fine for the team.
Harold Landry III has yet to break into the sack column, but he has 14 tackles, 5 QB hits, 1 TFL, and 1 INT. I’m not worried about Landry, the sacks will come and he has proven that he is more than his stat line. Kamalei Correa is on the COVID-19 list, but he hasn’t contributed much even when healthy. Vic Beasley has been a huge disappointment, and I’m not even sure if he’s a real person.
I believe Landry and Clowney are fine, and Beasley and Correa should contribute as the season moves along. However, I’m more worried about the middle linebackers.
I have always gushed about Jayon Brown and Rashaan Evans, and boy do I look stupid so far. Brown has had a horrendous start to the year, often looking lost in coverage.
Evans has been better…I guess, but still a far cry from expectations. Evans is a run-stopper by trade, however the Titans have allowed 100+ rushing yards in all 3 games so far this season. Fan-favorite Will Compton has actually seen the field on defense if that tells you anything.
Grade: C-
Cornerbacks
Well, relying on 36-year-old Johnathan Joseph and Malcolm Butler fresh off injury has gone about as well as expected.
Joseph was a great player in his day, but he’s very clearly lost a step, and shouldn’t be playing this big of a role in his age 36 season. Shockingly, Butler has been even worse, with a 49.7 PFF grade, and honestly, it should probably be even lower. Butler has been targeted 21 times and allowed 13 receptions, with 0 INT’s.
This secondary desperately needs Adoree Jackson to return. To make matters worse, Kristian Fulton, the rookie from LSU, is on the COVID-19 list. This is even more unfortunate because Fulton has been the lone bright spot in the cornerback room.
Fellow rookie Chris Jackson has been absolutely abysmal to this point, allowing 8 receptions on 12 targets and earning a putrid 27.2 PFF grade.
After Adoree is recovered from injury, and Fulton is cleared from COVID-19, this group should actually be decent. As of now, it’s clear that the team greatly misses Logan Ryan, and they need help. Here’s to hoping the combination of Joseph, Butler, and Jackson can hold it together just until Adoree and Fulton return.
Grade: D-
Safeties
Even when the rest of the roster was putrid, the safety position was usually a position of strength for the Titans, thanks to the phenomenal play of Kevin Byard.
Unfortunately, that game-changing Byard level of play has not emerged to this point in 2020. Don’t get me wrong, Byard is still a great safety. He just hasn’t lived up to the expectations that Titans fans rightly have of him. Byard is yet to have an INT, which is unusual for him.
Kenny Vaccaro, also usually an above-average player, has also looked suspect in 2020. Vaccaro has struggled mightily in pass defense and has also been held without an INT to this point. Vaccaro has contributed with 1 sack, and he is still fine against the run.
Amani Hooker has looked serviceable in limited snaps and is the only safety to land an INT so far, even though it was on a Hail Mary that was tipped to him by the defensive backs who were actually in the right position. Thankfully safety is the one position on the teams’ defense that has not been touched by COVID-19.
Due to the chemistry of Byard and Vaccaro, I have to assume their level of play will rise as the season moves along. I am much more concerned about the poor play of the interior linebackers and the defensive line than I am of the safeties.
Grade: C
Final Takeaways
As you may have noticed, not a single defensive position group received an exemplary grade from me. By almost any metric you would like to use, the Titans defense has regressed from 2019, and even from 2018 and ’17.
It is still early in the season, but this begs the question: Did Vrabel make a mistake in not hiring a defensive coordinator?
The loss of Dean Pees and Kerry Coombs has undoubtedly hurt this team, and it’s fair to question if Vrabel adequately prepared for this. The Titans are 3-0, but that’s no thanks to the defense. The offense has hard to score 30 points to win games, save for Week 1 against a bad Broncos offense.
Vrabel deserves some benefit of the doubt due to the tremendous amount of adversity faced this year, with COVID-19 and injuries greatly affecting the defense. But if this level of play continues, one has to wonder if a DC will be added after this season.
Lack of depth could also be blamed for the Titans defensive woes. Simmons and Jones are missing from the line due to COVID-19, and are being replaced by 2 UDFA’s. I’m sorry, but that seems like poor planning.
I believe in Vrabel, and actually think he’s a good head coach. Unfortunately, he needs to be a good DC at the same time.