Byard Bones Up on Opposing Quarterbacks
NASHVILLE – Kevin Byard never expected any of the NFL’s 32 rosters to stay the same.
But the last two months have been different. A wave of significant trades, particularly ones involving quarterbacks, resulted in some of the league’s biggest names changing teams with a seemingly disproportionate amount of talent ending up in the AFC. Quarterback Russell Wilson is now with Denver. Quarterback Matt Ryan is now with Indianapolis. Wide receiver Davante Adams is now with Las Vegas. Others such as quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Tyreek Hill moved within the conference.
Byard, the Tennessee Titans’ All-Pro safety, decided not to waste any time trying to make sense of it all. He quickly got to work studying the quarterbacks Tennessee will face this year. That group includes three who are new to their teams, two in their second year on the job and three who never have faced the Titans.
“I’m already getting a bead on trying to watch as much film [as possible] on quarterbacks, not only just in my division but all the teams that we play. Starting from the NFC East to the AFC West,” Byard said at the start of the offseason training program. “I’m studying film. And not necessarily studying for game plans and things like that.
“I’m just watching the quarterbacks.”
The 2022 NFL schedule will be released next Thursday.
At that time, Byard will know which quarterbacks he can expect to face when. Until then, he wants to know what they like to do, how they operate in and out of the pocket and other things along those lines.
The Titans faced six of those quarterbacks last season (seven, if you include the playoff game against Cincinnati and Joe Burrow), although one – Carson Wentz – is with a new team. Wentz is one of three who have faced Tennessee more than once in the regular season without a victory.
Five of the 14 have been starting quarterbacks in a Super Bowl.
“The AFC is loaded, loaded with talent – especially quarterback talent,” Byard said. “… if I keep watching and keep watching, maybe I can pick up little things here and there. So, when it’s actually time to play those guys, in that week I can go back to my notes … and try to carry it over.”
A look at the expected starting quarterbacks for the Titans’ 2022 opponents, with notable regular season passing stats against Tennessee in parentheses:
New Starters
• Denver – Russell Wilson (1-2, 6 TD, 0 INT, 112.2 psser rating)
• Indianapolis – Matt Ryan (2-1, 2 TD, 2 INT, 86.9 rating)
• Washington – Carson Wentz (0-3, 5 TD, 2 INT, 79.2 rating)
Second-year Starters
• Jacksonville – Trevor Lawrence (0-2, 1 TD, 5 INT, 60.0 rating)
• Houston – Davis Mills (0-1, 3 TD, 0 INT, 128.5 rating)
Emerging Stars
• Cincinnati – Joe Burrow (1-0, 2 TD, 0 INT, 106.7 rating)
• Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert (yet to play the Titans)
• New York Giants – Daniel Jones (yet to play the Titans)
• Philadelphia – Jalen Hurts (yet to play the Titans)
Established Starters
• Buffalo – Josh Allen (2-2, 7 TD, 5 INT, 87.7 rating)
• Dallas – Dak Prescott (0-1, 2 TD, 1 INT, 99.3 rating)
• Green Bay – Aaron Rodgers (2-2, 10 TD, 4 INT, 101.0 rating)
• Kansas City – Patrick Mahomes (0-2, 3 TD, 1 INT, 95.8 rating)
• Las Vegas – Derek Carr (3-1, 8 TD, 1 INT, 107.2 rating)
Tennessee’s defense is largely unchanged from a year ago. Outside linebacker Harold Landry was re-signed, which meant the starting front seven is the same as it was in the playoff loss to the Bengals. Byard, fellow safety Amani Hooker and cornerback Kristian Fulton remain as well. The only expected change is at the other cornerback spot, where 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley will have the chance to stake a claim.
That unit finished in the top 10 of the NFL in sacks, passes defensed and interceptions, and in the top half of the league in passing yards allowed and passing yards allowed per play
This season, however, will present some different challenges.
“Going into every, single year there’s going to be things like that, as far as roster turnover in the league,” Byard said. “But in recent years, I don’t really remember it being this much. That month of March just kind of exploded with Russell Wilson coming to the AFC.
“… So, it’s going to be huge on us on defense, being able to play very well and getting pressure on these quarterbacks and try to make these guys make mistakes."
