The Tennessee Titans’ defense has been phenomenal this season and they have (once again) performed at this high level despite several key injuries.
Everyone has talked about Harold Landry’s heart-breaking injury right before the start of the season and it has been well-documented that Bud Dupree has been dealing with injuries in both hips this year.
What has gone under the radar is that the Tennessee Titans’ deepest group (defensive backs) has had their depth tested every week in 2022. That is why it is incredible to think about what this defense could look like if they finally had their starting DBs back together again.
Kristian Fulton is listed as questionable on the injury report, but if he can go on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, then Week 12 would be the first time in 2022 that the Tennessee Titans starting DBs would be on the field together for the first time.
How did the Tennessee Titans get here?
The Titans’ DBs started off missing their slot corner Elijah Molden due to an injury suffered very early in camp. While that might not seem like a big deal compared to losing a boundary cornerback, his injury forced rookie Roger McCreary to play inside and move around instead of being able to stick to one side of the field and develop.
Not long after the start of the season, Kristian Fulton struggled with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss some time as well.
As if missing 40% of their starting DBs wasn’t bad enough, safety Amani Hooker was quickly added to the injury report. He missed two weeks with a concussion, and then missed more time recently with a shoulder injury.
However, those DBs are all trending in the right direction to play this weekend which means that we could be in store for the debut of the Kevin Byard, Amani Hooker, Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary, and Elijah Molden combo.
It couldn’t come at a better time because the Cincinnati Bengals trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd is the best trio of receivers in the NFL right now. Having all hands on deck is a huge benefit because even when a defense is completely healthy, that trio has no problem carving up DBs.
This will be a real matchup of great against great when you look at the Tennessee Titans’ defense and the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense. It should be one of the most interesting matchups across the NFL without a doubt.