The Tennessee Titans invested premium resources into improving their offensive line this season. General manager Ran Carthon utilized the No. 7 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft on left tackle JC Latham, and he also made free-agent center Lloyd Cushenberry one of the highest-paid players in the league at his position.
The problem? Tennessee's offensive line was so putrid last season that it needed a complete overhaul, one that couldn't realistically be completed in one offseason. Despite the Titans having four new offensive line starters, a new scheme, and a legendary offensive line coach, all that change is somewhat misleading. Two of those four new starters are actually in-house solutions.
Right guard Dillon Radunz and right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere are "new" starters because the former couldn't win a starting job in prior years, and the latter spent the majority of 2023 either suspended or on injured reserve. Both Radunz and Petit-Frere struggled mightily in Sunday's Week 2 defeat to the New York Jets. The right side of Tennessee's offensive line was their biggest question mark heading into the season, and it became a living nightmare on Sunday.
Nicholas Petit-Frere struggles
Petit-Frere was a routine turnstile against a Jets pass-rush that had its best player on the couch through an ongoing contract-related holdout. After a decent Week 1 debut, Petit-Frere regressed in Week 2. Pro Football Focus credited him with allowing nine pressures, seven hurries, and one sack.
Next Gen Stats were even less kind, crediting Petit-Frere with 13 pressures, tied for the fifth-most in a game since 2018. The 60% pressure rate allowed by the Titans was also their highest in a contest since midway through the 2022 campaign. Whether the real amount of pressures allowed by Petit-Frere is nine, 13, or something in-between, it's a far-too-high number.
Nicholas Petit-Frere allowed 13 pressures yesterday against the Jets, tied for the 5th-most in a game since 2018.
— Will Boling (@will_boling) September 16, 2024
The 60% pressure rate allowed by the Titans is also their highest in a game since Week 5, 2022.
(via @NextGenStats)
After Jets pass rusher Jermaine Johnson presumably suffered a season-ending injury, Robert Saleh's defensive line was left with players like sophomore Will McDonald IV, seventh-round rookie Braiden McGregor, and practice squad call-up Jalyn Holmes on their d-line. That exact trio combined for zero sacks or QB hits in Week 1. Naturally, McDonald exited Sunday with three sacks, matching his rookie-year total in one game.
Dillon Radunz
Radunz didn't fare much better. PFF credited Radunz with allowing four pressures, three hurries, and one sack. He was also whistled for a clear holding penalty where he tackled a Jets defender to the ground after blatantly losing the rep.
The sentiment entering the season was that if the Titans could receive league-average play from Radunz and Petit-Frere, the offense would survive. They did not receive that in Week 2, and the overall offensive line doesn't yet appear to be improved from the nightmare units in 2022 and 2023, despite the resources invested. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan must swiftly see progress before lineup changes are considered.