There is a sports adage that says teams beat themselves more often than opposing teams beat them, which is just a nicer way of saying the team that makes the fewest errors gives itself a great chance to win the game. That core principle is on display via a recently released stat, and Tennessee Titans fans should feel very good about where Brian Daboll ranks among play-callers.
One of the most aggravating things is watching a team get to third-and-inches, and seeing them line up in shotgun formation and take a sack or tackle for loss and then punt.
Instead, everyone and their grandmother in the stadium is screaming for the team to sneak the ball, especially after the success of the "tush push" over the last few years. Wouldn't you know it, the analytics back common sense here, and there is a chart below to prove it.
New Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll makes good decisions as a play caller
The NFL keeps trying to find reasons not to sneak it.
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) July 8, 2026
The numbers keep saying: sneak it.
Since 2022, on 3rd/4th & 1, or any snap from the 1-yard line:
QB sneaks:
81.8% success rate
+0.45 EPA/play
All other plays:
63.8% success rate
+0.03 EPA/play
There may not be another… pic.twitter.com/2rTmPEZuZr
That chart shows how often play-callers are in that situation, and how often they make the easy, smart decision to sneak the ball. Luckily for Titans fans, Daboll had the fourth-highest rate of sneaking it at nearly 30%.
Does that mean everything is going to be sunshine and rainbows for the Titans? No, there will be calls that fans don't like and players that get more snaps than fans want. However, this is a great illustration of what fans want to see, and that is a coach who doesn't overcomplicate the things that should be easy.
The way the Titans are currently constructed, so many things rest on the shoulders of players who could be very good, but with big question marks. Players like JC Latham, Austin Schlottmann, Carnell Tate, and Gunnar Helm could be anything from average to great players this season.
The good news is that this chart suggests that the play-caller and biggest influence on the offense is going to make smart decisions without overcomplicating down-and-distance scenarios that should be straightforward.
Instead of running ineffective screens and killing momentum as they did in 2025, maybe the Titans will stick to what works for an entire drive. Maybe the Titans will find a way to get players in space and to put them where Cam Ward wants them without relying on him to scramble for extended periods of time to make something happen.
The proof is in the pudding, and we will find out how impactful Daboll is, but history suggests that he is going to get the most out of what he has. That should be music to the ears of Titans fans as they get ready to see the new-look offense at training camp.
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