The Tennessee Titans spent a ton of money in the offseason in an attempt to give second-year quarterback Will Levis as many bells and whistles on offense as possible. The running back room was completely remade, as Derrick Henry walked and former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard was signed to be his replacement.
Pollard, a Memphis native and Tigers alum, signed a three-year, $24 million contract in the offseason. While his performance through the first three games of the season wasn't anything to write home about, Pollard earned his game check, and then some, in primetime against the Miami Dolphins.
In a game where Levis was knocked out almost immediately due to injury and Mason Rudolph needed to manage the game, Pollard took over. No. 20 has 108 total yards (88 of which came on the ground) and found his way to the end zone. His offensive line did him no favors in this game.
Pollard's 88 yards on the ground were even more impressive when you consider that he piled up 106 of them after contact. His offensive line was letting defenders get right in his face, and Pollard still managed to break five tackles on his way to a very productive day for Tennessee.
Quite a night for #Titans RB Tony Pollard, as he totaled 106 yards after contact just to reach 88 yards rushing.
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) October 1, 2024
Averaged 4.82 yards after contact per carry.
Pollard forced 5 missed tackles along the way, per @PFF.
Tony Pollard dominates vs. Dolphins despite terrible OL play
Pollard has now amassed 333 yards from scrimmage in his first four games with the Titans. When extrapolated out to a full 17-game season, Pollard would be on pace to amass just over 1,400 yards from scrimmage despite splitting some touches with Tyjae Spears.
While Brian Callahan has been open about trying to give Spears and Pollard a more balanced workload, Pollard has been so effective that it's been hard to go away from the hot hand. Pollard has shown the same level of speed and explosiveness he put on display in Dallas.
The Titans have invested in their offensive line with top draft picks like JC Latham and Peter Skoronski and free agent signings like Lloyd Cushenberry III. However, the unit as a whole hasn't clicked yet, which has made running the ball and protecting Levis a difficult task game in and game out.
No matter what happens with Levis, the play of Pollard through all of the issues Tennessee has had to deal with in the last few weeks should give Callahan and the fanbase hope that what they are building on offense could be sustainable.