The 5 most impressive Titans players so far in 2020
The Titans flawless start to the season came to end on Sunday afternoon, as the Titans fell to the Steelers by a score of 27-24.
This was bound to happen eventually, and losing to the Steelers is not exactly something to be embarrassed about. The Titans are still standing at 5-1 and in first place in the AFC South.
With 7 weeks of the 2020 season in the books, there is more than enough sample size to form several conclusions. For one, Derrick Henry is good. Like REALLY good. And all of that talk about Ryan Tannehill’s amazing 2019 season being a fluke? Yeah, turns out he’s legit too.
While the high-priced players on the Titans’ offense have done their share, the team has also gotten welcome contributions from several role players. Due to COVID-19 and multiple injury issues, the Titans have to had to look in unlikely places for contributions.
Anthony Firkser, the backup tight end, exploded out of nowhere and dropped an 8 catch, 113-yard game.
Kalif Raymond, while seldom used, has come up huge when called upon and also has a +100 yard game on the season.
The entire starting offensive line for the Titans has been exceptional as well, as they are currently tied with Indianapolis for the fewest sacks allowed. However, with all of these performances, 5 players still stand as the most impressive so far this season.
5. A.J. Brown, 23 catches, 332 yards, 4 TD’s
In 2019, Brown had just about as good of a rookie season as a wide receiver can have. Finishing with 52 catches and over 1,000 yards, it seemed like the Titans had a budding star on their hands. So far this season, Brown has 23 catches for 332 yards and 4 TD’s.
In 2020, Brown has solidified his claim to the number one receiver title on the Titans. Brown currently leads the Titans in Receptions, Receiving Yards, and is 2nd in Yards per catch and 2nd in TD’s.
Opposing teams can’t focus too much on the Titans’ explosive rushing attack due to the presence of a difference-making receiver like Brown. The presence of Brown has also allowed guys like Adam Humphries and Anthony Firkser to provide solid production in 2020.
The Titans have a few solid pass catchers, but no one who scares a defense like Brown does. Brown is the type of difference-maker the Titans thought they were getting when they selected Corey Davis in the first round. Davis has been fine, but Brown has completely taken over the number 1 receiver role in Nashville.
I expect Brown to continue to impress as this season goes on, and the Titans will need him too.
4. Harold Landry III, 26 tackles, 1.50 sacks
While one would like the sack numbers to be higher here, the Titans as a team have struggled to get to opposing QB’s. Only the Panthers and Jaguars have registered fewer sacks as a team than the Titans have in 2020.
Surely, that’s a stat that has to improve at some point. Harold Landry, coming off a season with double-digit sacks, seems like a prime candidate to start breaking into the sack column. Since becoming a full-time player in 2019, Landry has consistently performed as the best edge rusher on the Titans roster. And yes, this includes Jadeveon Clowney.
Landry III has been applying pressure, he just hasn’t translated it to sacks yet. But make no mistake, without Harold Landry III, the Titans just might have the worst pass-rushing unit in the league to this point.
Landry has not only proven himself a capable pass rusher, but he’s stepped it up in the run game, as evidenced by being 6th on the team in tackles, as primarily a pass rusher.
Hopefully, as the year goes on, Vic Beasley and Jadeveon Clowney will start piling up the sacks and take some pressure off of Landry III. As of now, Landry III is the most important pass rusher the Titans have.
3. Jeffery Simmons, 21 Tackles, 2 Sacks
Coming into the season, I had sky-high expectations for Simmons.
Luckily, he has fully delivered to this point.
Simmons not only leads the team in sacks, (as a defensive tackle), but he has contributed 21 tackles and is already borderline-elite as a run stopper. Simmons has been rewarded with an absurdly impressive PFF score of 86.1.
To measure Simmons’ impact, simply look to the left or right of him. Fellow starters DaQuan Jones and Jack Crawford can have their play best described as “meh” to this point in the season. Rookie Larrell Murchison has also struggled to this point on the d-line, making Simmons all the more vital to this defense.
Watching a Titans game in 2020, Simmons is often the only player that stands out for a positive reason. While the Titans defense has not had much to brag about in 2020, Simmons has been the brightest of bright spots and has all the makings of an elite defensive lineman for years to come.
2. Derrick Henry, 663 yards, 4.6 avg, 7 TD’s
Anybody who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past couple of years is likely aware that Derrick Henry is an absolute monster.
Does any other team have a back that can do this?
Henry led the league in rushing a season ago and looks well on his way to doing so again in 2020. Everybody knows the NFL in 2020 is a pass-first league, but Henry has completely taken over games unlike any running back in 2020.
Similarly to Tannehill, some believed that Henry’s legendary 2019 performance was a flash in the pan. Well, it’s now week 8 in the 2020 season, and Derrick Henry is currently the leading rusher once again and is tied for the league-lead with 7 rushing TD’s.
Henry has also contributed 10 receptions for 81 yards, bringing a different dynamic to the offense. The contributions of Henry are more-so amplified when you realize the Titans have gotten absolutely zero production out of rookie backup running back Darrynton Evans.
Unfortunately for Henry, there’s one more player on this team who has delivered an MVP-worthy performance thus far…
1. Ryan Tannehill, 1,590 yards, 15 TD’s, 68.5% completion
Ryan Tannehill won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2019 and was rewarded with a very generous contract extension. What has Tannehill done in Year 2 as the Titans starter? Exceeded expectations once again.
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Tannehill once again has an above-average completion percentage of 68.5%, proving that he is an accurate and consistent passer. Tannehill has also completed 15 TD passes compared to only 2 INT’s. These numbers show a QB who doesn’t set the world on fire through the air, but he’s is incredibly efficient and avoids costly mistakes that have plagued Titan QB’s in the past.
The Titans’ signal-caller is also averaging 265 pass yards per game, a solid 40 yards per game ahead of his 2019 pace. Keep in mind A.J. Brown and Corey Davis, Tannehill’s top WR’s, have only played together for 2 of the Titans 6 games to this point.
While the impact of Derrick Henry is abundantly clear, nobody has made a bigger difference to the heart and soul of this team than Ryan Tannehill. Even Henry, who has a case for the MVP award in his own right, has come out and proclaimed that Tannehill is playing at an MVP level.
Anyone who had reservations about Tannehill as the starting QB should hopefully be convinced by now. The Titans are in a good spot, with a great QB and RB leading the way.