Seahawks Enemy Overview: Titans Evaluating For Future After Playoff Elimination
Several years removed from an AFC Championship Game berth, the Tennessee Titans have fallen on hard times in 2023, as evidenced by their elimination from playoff contention last weekend in an overtime loss to the Houston Texans.
But while Tennessee has struggled mightily for most of the season due to roster turnover and injuries and will miss the postseason for a second straight year, the final three weeks will still have great value for coach Mike Vrabel and his staff as they begin building for 2024. Though they may not have near as much at stake as the Seahawks on Sunday in Nashville, coach Pete Carroll knows it would be a major mistake to overlook a team that defeated the Dolphins only two weeks ago.
"They’re tough, they’re physical, they’re strong, they’re big," Carroll assessed. "They run the heck out of the football; they believe in it. They’re really aggressive on defense, and we’ve got to get ourselves ready to go. We’ve got to have a fantastic week here to make that happen."
Despite having nine losses already, the Titans have delivered several unexpected upsets over the course of the season. Back in Week 4, for example, they smoked the Bengals at home in a 27-3 rout, looking briefly like a team to watch out for in the AFC South. With rookie quarterback Will Levis under center, they then stunned the Dolphins in Week 14, overcoming a two-score deficit inside five minutes to play for a stunning victory in prime time.
With plenty of prideful veterans still on the roster, including All-Pro running back Derrick Henry and edge rusher Denico Autry, the Titans won't fold up shop down the stretch. Even without anything to play for in the standings, auditions are already underway for next season in Tennessee as well as other teams, creating an opportunity to put quality play on tape while also serving the role of spoiler.
Still one spot out of the final wild card with no margin for error as they pursue a playoff spot in a tough road environment, here's a close look at the Seahawks upcoming Week 16 opponent, including series history, additions/departures, a deep dive into scheme, and Carroll's evaluation of the hard-nosed Titans.
*All stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Series History
18th regular season meeting. Seahawks hold a slim 10-7 advantage in the series, though the Titans have won the previous two matchups and three of the four games since Carroll arrived in 2010, including a 33-30 victory on the road at Lumen Field in 2021. Seattle has won four out of seven games since Tennessee relocated from Houston, including three straight games from 1997 to 2005.
What's New?
Departures: Undergoing major turnover along the offensive line, former Pro Bowl tackle Taylor Lewan announced his retirement following numerous injuries and starting guard Nate Davis took a multi-year deal from the Bears, leaving the Titans with two big holes to fill. Swing tackle Dennis Daley further depleted depth by taking a one-year deal with the Cardinals. Tennessee also lost a pair of veteran edge rushers, releasing oft-injured Bud Dupree in a cost-cutting measure and losing Demarcus Walker to Chicago in free agency. Among other noteworthy losses, linebacker Zach Cunningham signed with the Eagles, tight end Austin Hooper went to the Raiders, and defensive tackle Mario Edwards joined the Seahawks on one-year deals. At the trade deadline, the team dealt safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles for draft compensation, unloading one of their longest-tenured stars.
As part of a new-look offensive line, Peter Skoronski slid inside from tackle to guard and has given up three sacks so far in his rookie season in Tennessee.
Additions: Still trying to recoup production lost trading A.J. Brown to the Eagles one offseason prior, the Titans won the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes, signing the veteran receiver after being released by the Cardinals. Ex-49ers linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair bolstered the middle of the defense as a key signing in free agency Former first-round pick Andre Dillard came over from Philadelphia in free agency, only to lose his starting job to sixth-round pick Jaelyn Duncan after a rough start. Following a solid single season in Jacksonville, outside linebacker Arden Key bolted within the AFC South division to join Tennessee and has produced five sacks in 14 games. In the draft, to help mitigate Davis' exit in free agency, the Titans used the 12th overall pick on Northwestern's Peter Skoronski, who slid inside from tackle to guard. The team later invested a second-round pick in Levis, tabbing him as their next potential franchise quarterback.
Injury Report
Injuries have ravaged the Titans defensively as of late, starting with cornerback Kristian Fulton and defensive tackle Kyle Peko landing on injured reserve in Week 14. The team has already ruled out star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons for Sunday as well as starting safety Amani Hooker, linebacker Jack Gibbens, and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting.
Inside The Scheme
Running a traditional pro style offense with a heavy emphasis on the run game, the Titans rank near the bottom of the NFL in 11 personnel usage with three receivers, one running back, and one tight end on first down (43 percent), but only the Patriots use more 12 personnel groupings with two tight ends on the field at a 41 percent rate. They also in the bottom five in the league in shotgun snaps, using single back 35 percent of the time and I-formations 13 percent of the time out of under center sets.
In the run game, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has called a balanced attack with a near-50/50 split between zone and gap schemes, leaning slightly towards zone concepts at 53 percent. On play action concepts, Will Levis has thrown four touchdowns compared to just one interception, but both he and Ryan Tannehill have completed under 60 percent of their passes off of play fakes, ranking 35th and 36th among qualified candidates.
With Levis unlikely to play against the Seahawks, Tannehill will be set to make his first start since October. Carroll expects the seasoned veteran to present unique challenges for his defense with plenty to play for as he heads towards free agency in the spring.
“Ryan Tannehill has been a good football player for a long time," Carroll said. "They got off to a pretty even start with him, and then he got hurt. He’s been down for a while because Will hit the scene with four touchdown passes right out of the chutes and got them going. They gave Levis a chance to play, but Ryan comes back and he’s an accomplished, established, experienced quarterback that can run this offense. We’ve got to get ready for all of that.”
Defensively, the Titans have been snake-bitten by injuries at all three levels, including along the defensive line. But they have stuck with their principles, only blitzing extra defenders 20.8 percent of the time per PFF charting and preferring simulated pressures still sending four or fewer rushers. Though they sit outside the top 20 in pressure rate according to Pro Football Reference, they have amassed 41 sacks as a team, the 11th-most in the NFL, proving more than capable of turning heat up on opposing quarterbacks.
In coverage, in part due to the decision to trade Byard at the deadline, the Titans have deployed Cover 4 or "quarters" concepts north of 20 percent of the time. Only five other teams have ran quarters coverage at a higher rate this season. They sit near the bottom of the league in middle of field open Cover 3 usage at 31.5 percent, while they rank in the middle of the pack calling Cover 1 with man underneath (19.8 percent) and Cover 2 (12.6 percent).
Mixing in a wide array of coverages without blitzing frequently, the Titans have been solid on defense despite personnel losses, including ranking seventh in yards per attempt allowed on the ground and first in red zone scoring percentage (37.3 percent).
“They’re really tough, Carroll said of Tennessee's defensive success. "They’re a tough group and they play really physical at the line of scrimmage. When they have all of their guys, they’re as good as anybody we play. They’re aggressive, they’re going to make you have to beat them, and they don’t let you run the football, is really what is good about them.”
