Much like "three-man rush" and "prevent defense" are phrases that no fan wants to hear, "bend-don't-break" is something that often gets your blood pressure rising. Tennessee Titans fans need to familiarize themselves with the pros and cons of this style of play because that is exactly what head coach Robert Saleh wants on defense.
There is a school of thought among defensive play callers that allowing yards isn't a black mark on your defense as long as you can prevent explosive plays and limit points. The idea is that by forcing offenses to methodically move the ball down the field, you can stay patient while waiting to take advantage of a mistake. Whether that is a hold, a TFL, a sack, or a dropped pass, anything can be the catalyst for the defense to ramp up the aggression to end a drive.
In Week 1 of the preseason, Titans fans got a heavy dose of that new reality when 49ers backup quarterback Kurtis Rourke moved the ball easily up and down the field against the starting secondary. Despite all their success, the 49ers only had seven points at halftime, and they started the game with the ball. For the most part, the Titans' defense kept to their mantra and prevented points and explosive plays down the field.
Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh debuted a stubborn defensive mantra in Week 1 of the preseason
To be clear, there were a half-dozen plays where the Titans' defensive backs allowed catches in front of them that Saleh is going to have a problem with. Not because the defensive backs weren't in the right position when the ball was thrown, but because they were a step slow in their reactions, and missed opportunities to make plays on the ball.
This is a defense that isn't overaggressive in its pressure packages, but Saleh does demand aggressiveness as soon as the ball is in the air. Whether that means a pass breakup or trying to jar the ball loose with a big hit, that is up to the defensive back, but either way, Saleh won't be satisfied when a simple curl route converts a 3rd-and-12 into a first down.
Expect the big-time players to make big-time plays and expect Saleh to try to capitalize after those moments, but until then, he is savvy and experienced enough to know how hard it is for an offense to play perfectly for an entire drive.
Most possessions depend on an explosive play or multiple third-down conversions to result in scoring drives, and Saleh trusts his guys to make the biggest plays in those moments. So while it might get annoying watching this defense for the first few plays of a drive, that is part of the plan, and as long as they show up in the big moments, the Titans' defense will be effective.
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