3 things the Tennessee Titans must fix on defense
By Ravi Konjeti
Stop opposing drives and reduce 3rd down conversion
Inexplicably, the Titans have been horrendous at stopping third downs this season. While under the previous defensive coordinator Dean Pees, Tennessee ranked 16th last season. This year, they are dead last.
Whether it is a short distance or a long third down, the Titans just cannot get off of the field. It’s let to opposing teams staying in games that they should not be in or letting the clock get milked down.
The issue is so confounding that finding a solution is not easy. First and foremost, I think the Titans need to resolve their secondary rotation. Returning Adoree Jackson should help alleviate some of the struggles, but the starting duo of Malcolm Butler and Jonathan Joseph has just not worked. Joseph continues to struggle to keep up with opposing wideouts while Butler has continued to show an inability to force incompletions.
Tennessee spent a second round pick on Kristian Fulton and may need to throw him into the fire more. Fulton showed better promise in the last two weeks and has better coverage skills than Joseph does at this late in his career.
Secondly, the Titans need to play more physically. A lot of the time, the opposing wide receivers are going unchecked at the line. What it enables is having the speedy wide receivers get into a full groove into their routes and inevitably pushes the secondary to play catch-up.
The Titans don’t need to play pressed coverage in all downs, but on short-yardage possessions, Tennessee must force-wide receivers to get physical. The Steelers exposed the Titans, continually with their short-yardage plays. If Tennessee wants to hold up down the stretch, they must get their defense off the field and force 3-and-outs.