The Tennessee Titans defense is figuring it out just in time

Is the Titans Week 9 defensive clinic a sign of things to come?

Is it too dramatic to say that the Tennessee Titans changed overnight? Or that Jeffery Simmons is the best non-Aaron Donald interior defensive lineman in the NFL? Or that the mere presence of Dean Pees in front of the Titans was enough to transform them into the group we all wanted them to be?

Yes. But also, no. But also… maybe?

Look, everything is backward this season. In a year where the preseason was shut down entirely and offseason training was kept to a minimum, maybe the Tennessee Titans defense has always been good– and just needed a while to shake off the rust.

Or maybe they just needed a wake-up call in the form of getting torched by a rookie quarterback on a one-win team. Maybe they needed the help of a young All-Pro cornerback to completely elevate their group.

Maybe the aura of Dean Pees just brings with it the magic of strong defensive play. (I’m not letting go of this as a possibility)

Whatever the reason is, be it an aberration or otherwise (or have you heard my theory on Dean Pees), the Tennessee Titans defense looked… dare I say, good, last Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

Better yet, they dusted off their cape and played the role of hero that they had grown accustomed to in seasons past, bailing out the offense after what might have been their worst showing of the season.

And ahead of a game with countless implications, from AFC South supremacy, to overall momentum, to AFC playoff seeding, to the glory of bragging rights and retweeting outdated trash talk from an opposing fan base– the Tennessee Titans might have done themselves a huge favor. They might have got right, and just at the right time.

With the division-rival Indianapolis Colts coming to town and bringing their elite defense with them if the Titans want to hang tough to pull out a win, they’ll need to bring their A-Game on defense to match the effort that the Colts are sure to bring.

They’ll need to bring an effort that looks close to the one they had against the Bears.