Our Defense is Likely Way Overrated on this Board

[EastStreet]

28 minutes ago, DougDew said:

NFL teams don't try to score every 90 seconds using five 60-yard possessions when they are controlling the game.  They try to eat the clock for 10 minutes with one 85-yard possession and win it by 10.  No fear of falling behind....and if they did...just open it up and score 21 when they have too.  They wont have to, and that will be reflected in the lower final yards and points tallies at the end of the season.  The D is now and will be ranked higher than they really are.

 

Different teams have different makeups. And some teams rely on the O, some rely on D. And some are more aggressive, and some conservative...

 

But we have big spans in margin within the NFL... And teams like KC, rank well (top 3) in margin (pts), but still are top 10 in 4Q points..... And if you compare Philly and Buffalo. They have a top 3 margin, but both go conservative in the 4Q. Buffalo goes hard during the 3Q though. 

[chad72]

Nope, this D is not overrated. It is definitely Top 10 material. It is good enough to win games in a complementary fashion. 

 

But our O can't expect this D to play like the Bears D with no margin for error. 

[indyagent17]

Are you seriously going to put a post up deriding the defense. The world for gluing for a reason they only gave up 17 points to one of the best offenses in the NFL. The office kept him on the field too long. I wish people would actually watch the game sometime before commenting

[chad72]

Just now, indyagent17 said:

Are you seriously going to put a post up deriding the defense. The world for gluing for a reason they only gave up 17 points to one of the best offenses in the NFL. The office kept him on the field too long. I wish people would actually watch the game sometime before commenting

 

I am responding to @Nickster who said our D was overrated. I put it up by saying "No, this D is not overrated."

 

Come again!!! 

[indyagent17]

Just now, chad72 said:

 

I am responding to @Nickster who said our D was overrated. I put it up by saying "No, this D is not overrated."

 

Come again!!! 

That wasn’t meant for you I’m sitting in traffic and I hit the wrong thing to “. We both agree

[EastStreet]

 

D is not elite, but top 10ish. 

We have some holes. 

The pass rush (pressure and sacks) have improved big time. 

 

So.. not overrated, unless you think top 3 and elite... 

[coming on strong]

1 hour ago, EastStreet said:

 

D is not elite, but top 10ish. 

We have some holes. 

The pass rush (pressure and sacks) have improved big time. 

 

So.. not overrated, unless you think top 3 and elite... 

its close if paye turns into a pro bowl pass rusher and dayo becomes it could be .   we are a elite defensive end and elite  corner away from top 3 .   stats dont lie top 3 in yards per game and top ten in points per game .     plus that is with a horrible offense putting the defense in a bad situation .  with a better offense those numbers would be better

[AKB]

After today I think our defense proved they can play. just hate the QB runs that beat us ofc. 

[EastStreet]

24 minutes ago, coming on strong said:

its close if paye turns into a pro bowl pass rusher and dayo becomes it could be .   we are a elite defensive end and elite  corner away from top 3 .   stats dont lie top 3 in yards per game and top ten in points per game .     plus that is with a horrible offense putting the defense in a bad situation .  with a better offense those numbers would be better

Could be, but not there yet. We need pressures to translate to more sacks. And more INTs. Dayo looked good today bull rushing, but he needs a go-to move. Yannick is second in pressures, but sucks vs the run. But overall, I like the potential of the DL, but doubt Yannick is back. So we'll need Paye to move to LEO, and Dayo turn into legit and consistent. Still concerned with DBs, given our performances (past) vs bad QBs. 

[1959Colts]

We still could use a premier pass rusher

 

[FuedinHatfield]

This defense is the only reason games like yesterday happen. Yet here we are questioning them. They held the NFL's #1 scoring offense to 3 points in the first half. 

 

Are we that miserable that the one bright spot as a team and we're going to drag them through the mud. The defense is the least of our problems.

[Rhodelesstraveled]

16 hours ago, chad72 said:

 

I am responding to @Nickster who said our D was overrated. I put it up by saying "No, this D is not overrated."

 

Come again!!! 

Here is my unpopular take.  I think the D is good.  But when we play TN the D never stops Henry.  Until we can and do I think it is fair to say the D is a problem.  

 

Their D has no trouble stopping our run game.  

 

It is the basis of why we cannot beat them.  

[Rhodelesstraveled]

I posted the above ^^^^not to be controversial.  

 

I read this article this AM in the Athletic about our division rival and it struck a lot of chords with me.  

 

We have to beat them to get to where we are going.  I think most of this board thinks we are just a QB and LT away. 

 

I think we are a lot further away than we are because of who Irsay keeps picking to lead us.  

 

Source here: https://theathletic.com/3914957/2022/11/21/mike-vrabel-tennessee-titans-coach/ 

For those of you who don't have an athletic membership here is the key quote:

 

"The NFL is so volatile, not even Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers can count on winning this season.

The New York Giants and New York Jets tied for the league’s worst record over the previous five seasons, but both will take winning records into Thanksgiving, despite rough outings Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings, humbled 40-3 at home by Dallas, are nonetheless 8-2 and running away with the NFC North after some thought they should have blown up their roster to initiate a rebuild.

 

So volatile is the league that teams over the past couple seasons have gone all-in to acquire Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson, Tyreek Hill, Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz, A.J. Brown and others.

Through all this tumult, only two teams have winning records this season and in each of the previous four: the Kansas City Chiefs, who would have been your first guess, and the Tennessee Titans, who have outperformed oddsmakers’ preseason expectations every year under coach Mike Vrabel and crushed the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field to kick off Week 11.

 

The Pick Six column leads this week by revealing from league sources and research what other teams can learn from the 7-3 Vrabel-led Titans, who maximize their chances for winning through tactics available to everyone, but rarely discussed or even noticed.

 

“They are New England 2.0,” a rival coach said of the Titans.

 

• What your team can learn from Titans
 

1. The Titans own the NFL’s fifth-best record since Vrabel became head coach in 2018. That includes 29-19 (.604) outside the AFC South and 41-21 vs. teams that had winning records. Here’s how they keep proving skeptics wrong.

 

Some coaches call plays. Not Vrabel. He coaches the entire team and focuses on gaining competitive edges in critical moments.

Because of the Titans, the league closed a loophole that Vrabel exploited against New England in the 2019 playoffs when Tennessee, leading 14-13 with 6:39 remaining, incurred intentional penalties to drain the clock to 4:44 without running a play. Tennessee won other games after taking intentional penalties while seeking competitive advantages. The Titans also are known for being better than others at laying on offensive players during two-minute situations, and for incurring well-timed injuries to defensive players, which opponents see as buying time for defenders to regroup.

 

There is more than that beneath the surface.

 

“They are not known for analytics at all, but in terms of difference-making plays in crucial situations and coaching it better, they have won multiple games off stuff they have done situationally, tactically,” an exec from another team said on the condition of anonymity for competitive reasons.

 

When Vrabel gave his acceptance speech in February after winning Coach of the Year at the NFL Honors Show, he thanked the people coaches of the year typically thank — the team owner, his own family, players and assistant coaches. There was one conspicuous addition.

 

Before Vrabel acknowledged Titans players and coaches, he nodded toward a very important person in the audience and said, “I want to thank Stretch,” even though nobody outside a tight circle of NFL insiders had any idea who “Stretch” could have been.

 

John “Stretch” Streicher is the Titans’ football development coordinator. He is Vrabel’s answer to Ernie Adams, the retired Patriots researcher and strategist Bill Belichick said he “leaned heavily on” for decades. Adams’ role in New England became mystical as opponents suspected the Patriots of stretching or outright breaking rules to gain whatever edge they could gain.

 

Many teams employ staffers in Adams-type roles, but there’s evidence beyond Vrabel’s NFL Honors shout-out that Tennessee does a better job than anyone of implementing competitive advantages.

 

For example, the Titans under Vrabel lead the league in opponent false starts, according to TruMedia. They have drawn more of them overall, more of them on field goals and extra points, more of them on fourth-and-1, more of them when opponents were on the fringes of field-goal range, more of them inside their own 10-yard line — basically more of them when it matters most. Their defensive linemen are known among opponents for moving subtly or not so subtly — “stemming” is the parlance — to draw offensive movement in critical moments.

 

Nose tackle Teair Tart sometimes aligns in a stance with one knee on the ground. As the snap nears, he raises the knee off the ground, sometimes triggering movement from the offense. Fellow nose tackle Naquan Jones and other linemen sometimes shift abruptly, with similar results. The Titans have done this so well in critical situations, they lead the league in expected points added (EPA) on opponent false-start penalties since Vrabel took over, and it’s not particularly close: plus-58.5 EPA for the Titans, which is 1.5 times the league average. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have employed more formidable outside pass-rushers, rank second since 2018 with 47.4 EPA on these opponent false starts.

 

The Titans account for two of the three largest EPA gainers on 2,517 regular-season opponent false starts from Vrabel’s hiring through the Titans’ victory at Green Bay. Tennessee owns four of the top 18, nine of the top 76 and 17 of the top 185. The Titans’ top four EPA gainers on opponent false starts all featured stemming, an aggressive arm wave or subtler movement by defensive linemen. That included one at Brady’s expense while the quarterback was still with the Patriots.

 

The Titans’ biggest EPA gainer on an opponent false start added 2.0 EPA in a 20-17 victory against the San Francisco 49ers last season. The score was 10-10 late in the third quarter when obvious stemming got the 49ers to jump on fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 35. The 49ers went for it on fourth-and-6 from the 40, failed to convert and then watched Tennessee drive for a touchdown on its ensuing possession. The 2.0-point EPA gain was a little more than the Titans gained from completing a 16-yard touchdown pass against the Packers on first-and-10 early in the fourth quarter Thursday night. That’s adding significant value.

 

Tennessee opponents have said the Titans, mindful that holding is rarely called on defensive linemen, do a great job holding offensive linemen to maximize pass-rush stunts. They said the Titans have also been known to mimic opposing quarterback cadences. Both tactics became easier when the NFL relocated umpires to the offensive side of the ball.

 

“Every little thing you can think of to get an advantage, they have,” an opposing coach said. “Vrabel is on the competition committee. He has come from New England. He doesn’t call plays, so he can just work the officials and think of different ways to find an edge. You have to appreciate the gamesmanship and the attention to detail that they do it with.”

 

Vrabel’s membership on the competition committee lends itself to gaining an even firmer grasp of the rules and how to maximize advantages within them, while also giving him influence over potential changes. Earlier this season, Vrabel tweaked the league’s officiating department with a “reply-all” email to all head coaches and general managers suggesting the league focus more on getting basic officiating correct instead of drilling down on finer points of emphasis featured in weekly officiating videos.

 

None of this would matter much if the Titans did not do the basic things well. They play a physical brand of football rooted in some of the game’s most established fundamentals: running the ball, stopping the run, maximizing pass efficiency through the use of play-action. The offense has fallen off since the start of last season as the weaponry has declined, but the Titans are still outscoring opponents by 2.7 points per game, same as their average margin from 2018-20, because the defense has improved with an assist from Jim Schwartz’s hiring as a senior defensive assistant in 2021.

 

Players matter, too.

 

“It’s not like they are barren of talent like everyone thinks,” an exec said. “There is a toughness to Ryan Tannehill that, as maligned as he has been, he has had some really good performances. Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry are really physical, tough players. You have Kevin Byard, one of the better safeties, and then David Long at linebacker is really coming along.”

 

Analysts still might question how the Titans keep winning after missing on some high-profile draft choices such as 2020 first-rounder Isaiah Wilson, while subtracting talented weapons in free agency (Jonnu Smith) and via trade (A.J. Brown), and while suffering injuries to key contributors such as left tackle Taylor Lewan and pass-rusher Harold Landry.

 

“Because they play complementary football, that is why,” another coach said. “If you play complementary football, you avoid the downfalls of certain jolts that come via draft picks. New England plays a lot of complementary football, but they also have six or seven guys who are special-teams only guys, guys who help them transition from one phase to the next.”

 

All bets on the Titans might be off if something happened to Derrick Henry, their tone-setting running back, except that Tennessee went 6-3 without him down the stretch last season while earning the AFC’s top seed.

 

“All their pieces work really well together,” the exec said. “What they try to do is have heavy run, great play-action. Well, Tannehill is really good under center off play-action. He is really good at throwing those in-cuts. If they are covered, he is really good at scrambling and taking off. That makes them unstoppable in the red zone when you add that to what Derrick Henry does.

 

“Defensively, what do they like to do? Rush four, get after you with those big guys up front and grab and hold on the back end, almost like Legion of Boom, to where officials are just sick of calling illegal contact and defensive holding. They limit turnovers on offense and create turnovers because they are stuffing the run, putting you in longer distances and playing from the back end with tight man coverage and guys being really handsy.”

 

It’s all pointing toward another winning season for Tennessee, which should be the expectation by now."

 

I know this is not fun to accept but it really explains why after Reggie Wayne made fun of TN at the draft in Nashville the joke is now on us.  We need a Vrabel 3.0 to fix this mess.  

 

[Rhodelesstraveled]

Maybe we need to hire Stretch.  We should at least interview him.  

[Rhodelesstraveled]

https://theathletic.com/2795441/2021/08/28/titans-lose-after-a-tough-week-but-its-not-a-stretch-to-say-theyre-having-fun/

 

"Stretch" wants to be a GM.  I think Irsay needs to interview him.  He is Vrabel best friend.  He has worked with him since 2012.  I think we forget TN fired their last coach after he won a playoff game in KC.  They realized they were not going to get over the hump with that success.  Consider where we are now.  We are no where near that situation.  

 

The Titans hired Vrabel in 2018 after parting ways with Mike Mularkey. Tennessee has won at least nine games in each of Vrabel’s first four seasons and made three consecutive playoff appearances.  He now is 7-3 this year again exceeding expectations with a banged up roster.  In 2019, Vrabel guided the Titans to their first AFC Championship Game appearance in 17 years.  

Vrabel’s 50 wins with the Titans through this week, including playoffs, are the most with their organization. 

 

We need a GM who can hire a Vrabel 3.0

[OLD FAN MAN]

On 11/7/2022 at 2:15 PM, BlueShoe said:

If you do not believe the Colts have a top 5 NFL defense, then we do not watch football the same way. 

 

It is okay. You can have an opinion... 

 

I believe this defense is on its way to becoming a premiere NFL defense... 

we give up big plays because we cant get pressure, we need a pass rush

[chad72]

34 minutes ago, Rhodelesstraveled said:

 

I know this is not fun to accept but it really explains why after Reggie Wayne made fun of TN at the draft in Nashville the joke is now on us.  We need a Vrabel 3.0 to fix this mess.  

 

 

Yep, bad karma. 

[Myles]

29 minutes ago, Rhodelesstraveled said:

https://theathletic.com/2795441/2021/08/28/titans-lose-after-a-tough-week-but-its-not-a-stretch-to-say-theyre-having-fun/

 

"Stretch" wants to be a GM.  I think Irsay needs to interview him.  He is Vrabel best friend.  He has worked with him since 2012.  I think we forget TN fired their last coach after he won a playoff game in KC.  They realized they were not going to get over the hump with that success.  Consider where we are now.  We are no where near that situation.  

 

The Titans hired Vrabel in 2018 after parting ways with Mike Mularkey. Tennessee has won at least nine games in each of Vrabel’s first four seasons and made three consecutive playoff appearances.  He now is 7-3 this year again exceeding expectations with a banged up roster.  In 2019, Vrabel guided the Titans to their first AFC Championship Game appearance in 17 years.  

Vrabel’s 50 wins with the Titans through this week, including playoffs, are the most with their organization. 

 

We need a GM who can hire a Vrabel 3.0

What a travesty!!  Vrabel had very little coaching experience and the Titans disrespected and did a disservice to all coaches in the world!

[chad72]

2 minutes ago, Myles said:

What a travesty!!  Vrabel had very little coaching experience and the Titans disrespected and did a disservice to all coaches in the world!

 

He was a LB and DL coach at Ohio State first and then LB coach and DC over 3 years at the Texans. Try again!!!

 

You may have been able to say that about some hires but not about Vrabel.

[#12.]

The defense is great, except when it matters most.  They have no one to close out games like Leonard or Mathis did.  

[Rhodelesstraveled]

Situation football is complementary football and it has to be taught from day one.  Go look at who has the best third down defense and RZ offense and you'll find out their coach is Vrabel.  We need leadership that gets it.  So many people on this board love to argue that Wentz or Ryan are better than Tannehill.  It is not close.  Tannehill has 4 less wins than Mahomes does over the last 4 years.  Why?  He has a headcoach who gets how to win.

 

We love JT, but he is not in Henry's league.  Henry rarely fumbles at key points in a gmae and our guy does.  Simmons got him in our first game here against TN and we saw the Eagles get him Sunday.  TN defense stops Taylor all the time, we never stop Henry even when he breaks his damn foot.  It is infuriating.  I personally think JT has more talent than Henry, but Henry is a way better player because he is so consistent.  He plays to their identity and it augments their coaching philosophy.  We do not have that in Indy.  We need a new GM and HC that get this aspect of the game.   

 

Complementary football had to be a chronic trait of a roster to get consistency in winning.  Having good players is important but it is not as important as most fans believe.  

[throwing BBZ]

12 hours ago, EastStreet said:

Could be, but not there yet. We need pressures to translate to more sacks. And more INTs. Dayo looked good today bull rushing, but he needs a go-to move. Yannick is second in pressures, but sucks vs the run. But overall, I like the potential of the DL, but doubt Yannick is back. So we'll need Paye to move to LEO, and Dayo turn into legit and consistent. Still concerned with DBs, given our performances (past) vs bad QBs. 

 

 Dayo had his best game. Need Depth improvement at DT, and PR. And i wish Franklin were faster. 

 Kudos to our DC Gus for figuring out what he has and bringing them along.

Gus surely will interview for the HC job. If Jeff got it then...?
Yannick has some stepping up to do.

[Rhodelesstraveled]

This is why I think trading for 91 was a waste.  I know we need a pass rush but we also need a guy who can stop Henry.  Our offense is not built like it was with Manning.  With him we always played with a lead so Mathis and Freeney were perfect fits at DE because they did not need to worry about the run.  

 

TN is built the opposite.  They stop you from running to make you pass so they can make you face that DL on long fields all day long.  They know you cant score and you have a high chance of making mistakes.  So far since 2019 their ideas are working.  Ours arent.  

[Rhodelesstraveled]

The Chargers have a great DE in Mack.  What did he do to help LA beat KC?  Nothing.  

 

The Raiders have Adams.  He is the best WR in the league and he is putting numbers up.  Is LV winning?  

 

Neither team is playing complementary football.  This is why we need to dump our guys and start over.  

 

We all thought TN was nuts to get rid of AJ Brown.  Were they?  Nope.  He did not fit Vrabel's culture for that team.  Have they missed him?  I don't think so.  They are 7-3 and lead the division.  Same as last year and they replaced him with a rookie who is starting to heat up.  Anyone who does not fit in he gets rid of no matter how much talent they have.  

[chad72]

29 minutes ago, Rhodelesstraveled said:

Situation football is complementary football and it has to be taught from day one.  Go look at who has the best third down defense and RZ offense and you'll find out their coach is Vrabel.  We need leadership that gets it.  So many people on this board love to argue that Wentz or Ryan are better than Tannehill.  It is not close.  Tannehill has 4 less wins than Mahomes does over the last 4 years.  Why?  He has a headcoach who gets how to win.

 

We love JT, but he is not in Henry's league.  Henry rarely fumbles at key points in a game and our guy does.  Simmons got him in our first game here against TN and we saw the Eagles get him Sunday.  TN defense stops Taylor all the time, we never stop Henry even when he breaks his damn foot.  It is infuriating.  I personally think JT has more talent than Henry, but Henry is a way better player because he is so consistent.  He plays to their identity and it augments their coaching philosophy.  We do not have that in Indy.  We need a new GM and HC that get this aspect of the game.   

 

Complementary football had to be a chronic trait of a roster to get consistency in winning.  Having good players is important but it is not as important as most fans believe.  

 

Yep, talk is cheap. Results and numbers trump everything else. When Eberflus was here, our D gave up enough points and he leaves, our D is better by about 2 points (22 points per game to about 20 or less) but our O got much worse, by about 10 points. We were scoring 26.5 points per game last year and this year, just over 15 points per game.

 

 

[VikingsFanInChennai]

Voted 11-15 because the context was where they'd finish this year, but if the offense had been complementary and if the key players on defense stays healthy for a season, this defense can easily be Elite. No question about that, but I guess defense will need to get improvement in the secondary in order to compete with great offenses in the playoffs. 

[gspdx]

On 11/7/2022 at 2:43 PM, BlueShoe said:

 

 

I am not having this conversation any more. Feel free to continue this conversation without me. 

 

 

 

Been there, done that!

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Colts held eagles to their lowest point total of the season. Thdy just cracked and I don’t blame them at all. That’s way to much pressure. Should never had been in that situation  after Campbell caught that pass.

[Nickster]

22 hours ago, chad72 said:

 

I am responding to @Nickster who said our D was overrated. I put it up by saying "No, this D is not overrated."

 

Come again!!! 

They played that zone option really well.  Hurts made a lot of wrong reads on Yannick and kept when he should have given and gave when he should have kept.  yN and Dayo did a good job slow playing that play.

[Rhodelesstraveled]

They did not play the RPO well at all.  Hurts had close to 100 yds rushing and he won it running right up the gut.  Are you guys watching the games or what? 

[BlueShoe]

5 hours ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

we give up big plays because we cant get pressure, we need a pass rush

The Colts Defense:

 

2nd in fewest rushing yards per attempt

11th in fewest net yards per pass attempt

7th in fewest yards given up per play

11th in points allowed

 

14th in QB hurry%

17th in QB knockdown%

13th in QB pressure%

13th in total sacks

 

All this while rarely ever playing with a lead. Meaning they haven’t had a chance to play a team that’s been forced into a one dimensional passing attack. And they’ve also been put in very bad situations by the offense turning the ball over. 

 

What is also hurting the Colts defense this year, is not getting the turnovers they were getting over the past few seasons. The Colts are tied for 20th in turnovers forced. 
 

Of course, there is room for improvement. However, if the Colts were a typical average defense, they would be near the bottom in all these statistical categories. The offense has not allowed the defense to shine this season. 

[Two_pound]

And the forced turnover machine named Shaq Leonard has played a grand total of 6 quarters this season.

[Scott Pennock]

Our defense is currently a Top-10 Defense with almost zero support from the offense.

 

Amazing considering that we have not generated a ton of sacks......or turnovers.....and have been missing Leonard all year.......oh yeah, and the incessant whining of a lot of the fan base on here.....

 

Kudos to Gus Bradley for getting his group ready to play each week!

[OLD FAN MAN]

9 hours ago, 1959Colts said:

We still could use a premier pass rusher

 

like houston and autry

[OLD FAN MAN]

8 hours ago, Rhodelesstraveled said:

I posted the above ^^^^not to be controversial.  

 

I read this article this AM in the Athletic about our division rival and it struck a lot of chords with me.  

 

We have to beat them to get to where we are going.  I think most of this board thinks we are just a QB and LT away. 

 

I think we are a lot further away than we are because of who Irsay keeps picking to lead us.  

 

Source here: https://theathletic.com/3914957/2022/11/21/mike-vrabel-tennessee-titans-coach/ 

For those of you who don't have an athletic membership here is the key quote:

 

"The NFL is so volatile, not even Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers can count on winning this season.

The New York Giants and New York Jets tied for the league’s worst record over the previous five seasons, but both will take winning records into Thanksgiving, despite rough outings Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings, humbled 40-3 at home by Dallas, are nonetheless 8-2 and running away with the NFC North after some thought they should have blown up their roster to initiate a rebuild.

 

So volatile is the league that teams over the past couple seasons have gone all-in to acquire Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson, Tyreek Hill, Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz, A.J. Brown and others.

Through all this tumult, only two teams have winning records this season and in each of the previous four: the Kansas City Chiefs, who would have been your first guess, and the Tennessee Titans, who have outperformed oddsmakers’ preseason expectations every year under coach Mike Vrabel and crushed the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field to kick off Week 11.

 

The Pick Six column leads this week by revealing from league sources and research what other teams can learn from the 7-3 Vrabel-led Titans, who maximize their chances for winning through tactics available to everyone, but rarely discussed or even noticed.

 

“They are New England 2.0,” a rival coach said of the Titans.

 

• What your team can learn from Titans
 

1. The Titans own the NFL’s fifth-best record since Vrabel became head coach in 2018. That includes 29-19 (.604) outside the AFC South and 41-21 vs. teams that had winning records. Here’s how they keep proving skeptics wrong.

 

Some coaches call plays. Not Vrabel. He coaches the entire team and focuses on gaining competitive edges in critical moments.

Because of the Titans, the league closed a loophole that Vrabel exploited against New England in the 2019 playoffs when Tennessee, leading 14-13 with 6:39 remaining, incurred intentional penalties to drain the clock to 4:44 without running a play. Tennessee won other games after taking intentional penalties while seeking competitive advantages. The Titans also are known for being better than others at laying on offensive players during two-minute situations, and for incurring well-timed injuries to defensive players, which opponents see as buying time for defenders to regroup.

 

There is more than that beneath the surface.

 

“They are not known for analytics at all, but in terms of difference-making plays in crucial situations and coaching it better, they have won multiple games off stuff they have done situationally, tactically,” an exec from another team said on the condition of anonymity for competitive reasons.

 

When Vrabel gave his acceptance speech in February after winning Coach of the Year at the NFL Honors Show, he thanked the people coaches of the year typically thank — the team owner, his own family, players and assistant coaches. There was one conspicuous addition.

 

Before Vrabel acknowledged Titans players and coaches, he nodded toward a very important person in the audience and said, “I want to thank Stretch,” even though nobody outside a tight circle of NFL insiders had any idea who “Stretch” could have been.

 

John “Stretch” Streicher is the Titans’ football development coordinator. He is Vrabel’s answer to Ernie Adams, the retired Patriots researcher and strategist Bill Belichick said he “leaned heavily on” for decades. Adams’ role in New England became mystical as opponents suspected the Patriots of stretching or outright breaking rules to gain whatever edge they could gain.

 

Many teams employ staffers in Adams-type roles, but there’s evidence beyond Vrabel’s NFL Honors shout-out that Tennessee does a better job than anyone of implementing competitive advantages.

 

For example, the Titans under Vrabel lead the league in opponent false starts, according to TruMedia. They have drawn more of them overall, more of them on field goals and extra points, more of them on fourth-and-1, more of them when opponents were on the fringes of field-goal range, more of them inside their own 10-yard line — basically more of them when it matters most. Their defensive linemen are known among opponents for moving subtly or not so subtly — “stemming” is the parlance — to draw offensive movement in critical moments.

 

Nose tackle Teair Tart sometimes aligns in a stance with one knee on the ground. As the snap nears, he raises the knee off the ground, sometimes triggering movement from the offense. Fellow nose tackle Naquan Jones and other linemen sometimes shift abruptly, with similar results. The Titans have done this so well in critical situations, they lead the league in expected points added (EPA) on opponent false-start penalties since Vrabel took over, and it’s not particularly close: plus-58.5 EPA for the Titans, which is 1.5 times the league average. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have employed more formidable outside pass-rushers, rank second since 2018 with 47.4 EPA on these opponent false starts.

 

The Titans account for two of the three largest EPA gainers on 2,517 regular-season opponent false starts from Vrabel’s hiring through the Titans’ victory at Green Bay. Tennessee owns four of the top 18, nine of the top 76 and 17 of the top 185. The Titans’ top four EPA gainers on opponent false starts all featured stemming, an aggressive arm wave or subtler movement by defensive linemen. That included one at Brady’s expense while the quarterback was still with the Patriots.

 

The Titans’ biggest EPA gainer on an opponent false start added 2.0 EPA in a 20-17 victory against the San Francisco 49ers last season. The score was 10-10 late in the third quarter when obvious stemming got the 49ers to jump on fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 35. The 49ers went for it on fourth-and-6 from the 40, failed to convert and then watched Tennessee drive for a touchdown on its ensuing possession. The 2.0-point EPA gain was a little more than the Titans gained from completing a 16-yard touchdown pass against the Packers on first-and-10 early in the fourth quarter Thursday night. That’s adding significant value.

 

Tennessee opponents have said the Titans, mindful that holding is rarely called on defensive linemen, do a great job holding offensive linemen to maximize pass-rush stunts. They said the Titans have also been known to mimic opposing quarterback cadences. Both tactics became easier when the NFL relocated umpires to the offensive side of the ball.

 

“Every little thing you can think of to get an advantage, they have,” an opposing coach said. “Vrabel is on the competition committee. He has come from New England. He doesn’t call plays, so he can just work the officials and think of different ways to find an edge. You have to appreciate the gamesmanship and the attention to detail that they do it with.”

 

Vrabel’s membership on the competition committee lends itself to gaining an even firmer grasp of the rules and how to maximize advantages within them, while also giving him influence over potential changes. Earlier this season, Vrabel tweaked the league’s officiating department with a “reply-all” email to all head coaches and general managers suggesting the league focus more on getting basic officiating correct instead of drilling down on finer points of emphasis featured in weekly officiating videos.

 

None of this would matter much if the Titans did not do the basic things well. They play a physical brand of football rooted in some of the game’s most established fundamentals: running the ball, stopping the run, maximizing pass efficiency through the use of play-action. The offense has fallen off since the start of last season as the weaponry has declined, but the Titans are still outscoring opponents by 2.7 points per game, same as their average margin from 2018-20, because the defense has improved with an assist from Jim Schwartz’s hiring as a senior defensive assistant in 2021.

 

Players matter, too.

 

“It’s not like they are barren of talent like everyone thinks,” an exec said. “There is a toughness to Ryan Tannehill that, as maligned as he has been, he has had some really good performances. Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry are really physical, tough players. You have Kevin Byard, one of the better safeties, and then David Long at linebacker is really coming along.”

 

Analysts still might question how the Titans keep winning after missing on some high-profile draft choices such as 2020 first-rounder Isaiah Wilson, while subtracting talented weapons in free agency (Jonnu Smith) and via trade (A.J. Brown), and while suffering injuries to key contributors such as left tackle Taylor Lewan and pass-rusher Harold Landry.

 

“Because they play complementary football, that is why,” another coach said. “If you play complementary football, you avoid the downfalls of certain jolts that come via draft picks. New England plays a lot of complementary football, but they also have six or seven guys who are special-teams only guys, guys who help them transition from one phase to the next.”

 

All bets on the Titans might be off if something happened to Derrick Henry, their tone-setting running back, except that Tennessee went 6-3 without him down the stretch last season while earning the AFC’s top seed.

 

“All their pieces work really well together,” the exec said. “What they try to do is have heavy run, great play-action. Well, Tannehill is really good under center off play-action. He is really good at throwing those in-cuts. If they are covered, he is really good at scrambling and taking off. That makes them unstoppable in the red zone when you add that to what Derrick Henry does.

 

“Defensively, what do they like to do? Rush four, get after you with those big guys up front and grab and hold on the back end, almost like Legion of Boom, to where officials are just sick of calling illegal contact and defensive holding. They limit turnovers on offense and create turnovers because they are stuffing the run, putting you in longer distances and playing from the back end with tight man coverage and guys being really handsy.”

 

It’s all pointing toward another winning season for Tennessee, which should be the expectation by now."

 

I know this is not fun to accept but it really explains why after Reggie Wayne made fun of TN at the draft in Nashville the joke is now on us.  We need a Vrabel 3.0 to fix this mess.  

 

vrabel learned to take advantage of the rules from his former coach. several rules have been changed because of the pats working them. willie mcginest burned the colts remember, that changed the injury rule.

[Two_pound]

I wonder how many fans on here of the past 20 years remember all the "fake injury timeouts" teams employed against us when Peyton was qb. Does anyone realize Colt opponent defensive players apparently don't get injured now during the course of a game, especially in the 4th quarter at crunch time? Remember all the booing ringing throughout the old RCA dome then LOS every time an opponent laid down with an "injury"? Comical how often it happened and the league never did anything about it.

[EastStreet]

7 hours ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 Dayo had his best game. Need Depth improvement at DT, and PR. And i wish Franklin were faster. 

 Kudos to our DC Gus for figuring out what he has and bringing them along.

Gus surely will interview for the HC job. If Jeff got it then...?
Yannick has some stepping up to do.

 

Yup, liked Dayo yesterday. Ifeadi too. IMO, Dayo will end up being the flex DE/3T. Yannick looked decent too. 

I like Gus, but hated late game D. 

 

[lilolemoi]

On 11/7/2022 at 2:33 PM, DougDew said:

NFL teams are content to score only as much as they have to.  They are not putting a 40 burger up against us because they don't have too.  OTOH, they will always try to put up a 40 burger against KC and the BIlls...score more points and gather more yards against those teams than us...because that's what it takes to beat them....so KCs and BUFs defense will be ranked lower than ours (in terms of total yards and points) even though they have better personnel. 

 

 

This is a mid defense that collapses in the fourth quarter again and again with the exception of playmakers on contract like Gilmore. It just shows money that was spent on underperforming players like Nelson could have been better spent on key positions in FA.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

What happened yesterday was expected as this defense has carried this teams water all season. They say enough is enough.

[chad72]

On 11/21/2022 at 7:54 PM, EastStreet said:

 

Yup, liked Dayo yesterday. Ifeadi too. IMO, Dayo will end up being the flex DE/3T. Yannick looked decent too. 

I like Gus, but hated late game D. 

 

Yesterday showed us how much valuable Kwity was to our D, IMO.

 

Similarly, No Autry, Titans pass rush took a hit vs Bengals and yeah, he’s that valuable to them.