Defense Continues to Look For Answers on Third Down
NASHVILLE – Sunday was not the first time this season that third-down defense was an issue for the Tennessee Titans.
It had a chance to be the worst day yet for that unit, though. Only Amani Hooker’s end zone interception with 2:35 to play saved the day, in a manner of speaking. Before that, the Pittsburgh Steelers had converted 13 times in 17 tries, which is exactly what Buffalo did against that unit two weeks earlier.
So, the Steelers finished 13-for-18 on third down, a tidy 72.2 percent, in their 27-24 victory over the Titans at Nissan Stadium. The conversions included four on third-and-1 and two when more than 10 yards were needed. Five different Pittsburgh players moved the chains at least once led by wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (five times). One was the result of a penalty against the Titans.
“We're not as detailed as we need to be, whether it's third-and-short, third-and-medium, or third-and-long, we're giving up all the varieties,” safety Kevin Byard said. “So, we have to be better and we have to go watch this film and continue to correct those things.
“It comes down to pride, honestly, I think it comes down to pride and taking pride that we have to be better on third down.”
Tennessee came into the contest with the NFL’s worst third-down defense having allowed opponents to convert 57.8 percent of the time. It came out even worse.
Opponents have now moved the chains 61 percent of the time, and the 50 third-down conversions through six games are more than two-thirds the number the Titans allowed in all of 2019 (74 on 204 tries).
“Not being able to get off the field on third down, playing some good defense, and then third-and-longs [get converted], again, over and over again,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “… It hasn't gotten any better. Didn't improve. You know, we'll evaluate what we're doing, who we're doing it with and see how we improve.”
A rundown of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ third-down opportunities during Sunday’s contest (successful stops in italics):
First quarter
Third-and-11 from the Tennessee 40: 14-yard reception, Diontae Johnson
Third-and-1 from the Tennessee 17: 6-yard run, James Conner
Third-and-1 from the Tennessee 2: 1-yard run, Benny Snell Jr.
Second quarter
Third-and-14 from the Pittsburgh 35: 22-yard reception, Eric Ebron
Third-and-1 from the Tennessee 34: 3-yard run, James Conner
Third-and-12 from the Tennessee 33: 21-yard reception, JuJu Smith-Schuster
Third-and-5 from the Tennessee 20: Incomplete pass
Third-and-2 from the Tennessee 9: 9-yard reception, JuJu Smith-Schuster
Third quarter
Third-and-4 from the Tennessee 36: 21 yards, Malcolm Butler pass interference
Third-and-7 from the Tennessee 12: Incomplete pass
Third-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 25: 7-yard reception, Diontae Johnson
Third-and-3 from Pittsburgh 23: 7-yard reception, JuJu Smith-Schuster
Third-and-10 from Pittsburgh 39: Incomplete pass
Fourth quarter
Third-and-1 from the Pittsburgh 18: 5-yard reception, JuJu Smith-Schuster
Third-and-7 from the Pittsburgh 26: 7-yard reception, JuJu Smith-Schuster
Third-and-3 from the Tennessee 32: 4-yard reception, Diontae Johnson
Third-and-7 from the Tennessee 25: 8-yard reception, Diontae Johnson
Third-and-12 from the Tennessee 19: Interception, Amani Hooker in the end zone
Pittsburgh’s first three conversions were part of a 16-play drive to open the contest. That possession lasted more than nine minutes and ended with a touchdown, the first of three on the Steelers’ initial four drives. They did not punt until nearly halfway through the third quarter.
The last four conversions came on a fourth-quarter drive that last 7:38 and nearly put the game out of reach. Hooker’s interception gave the Titans a chance – but only one chance because the defense could not get off the field any sooner.
So, when Pittsburgh’s defense held on third-and-13 from the 28 (Tennessee’s offense was 5-for-13 on third down), the best the Titans could do was force overtime. That did not happen because Stephen Gostkowski’s 45-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds to go missed to the right.
“Typically, the reason that drives last that long are because you're converting third downs and I know we had some third down conversions in the first half that we didn't quite do in the second half,” Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “We would like to have a complete game, we would like to have a second half like that first half, but they're a professional team, they make adjustments and they made some and I didn't make enough plays in the second half.”
He and his unit did more than enough on third down, though.
