Tannehill Taking Better Care of the Ball

The Tennessee Titans quarterback has tied the longest streak of his career without an interception ahead of Thursday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

NASHVILLE – In an offseason full of self-reflection, Ryan Tannehill focused on one aspect of his game above all others: ball security.

The Tennessee Titans’ 2021 season ended in ugly fashion, with Tannehill throwing three interceptions in a divisional-round playoff loss to Cincinnati.

That game followed a regular season in which Tannehill threw 14 interceptions and fumbled 10 times.

So far this season? It’s been a completely different story.

In fact, Tannehill heads into Thursday’s game at Green Bay having not thrown an interception in his last four games, the longest stretch he’s gone without a pick during his Titans tenure – and tied for the longest of his 10-year NFL career.

He’s also fumbled just twice in seven games this season (losing one), part of the reason the Titans are tied for eighth in the NFL with a plus-3 turnover ratio.

“Yeah, I had too many turnovers last year,” Tannehill said. “I looked at them over the offseason. Some I could do something about and some of them I couldn't, but I want to control what I can control. I want to be smart with the football and know when I have to push the envelope.”

Tannehill’s interception rate through seven games this season is just 1.6 percent, tied for sixth-lowest in the NFL and the second-lowest figure of his career. In 2021, that interception rate was 2.6 percent, 11th-highest in the NFL. The 14 interceptions he threw in 2021 were tied for the second-most of his career.

Tannehill continued his turnover-free play in last Sunday’s 17-10 win over Denver when he threw a season-high 36 passes. He completed 19 for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

Against a Broncos defense that began the game ranked second against the pass, it appeared to be an encouraging step for a Titans passing attack that has struggled to produce this season. It still ranks next-to-last at 148.2 yards per game.

“It was good,” Tannehill said of the passing attack, which was needed on a day Derrick Henry was limited to 53 yards on 19 carries.

“We left some opportunities out there. (But) there were definitely some good things that we can build on. If we can just clean up some details on some other things, I felt like we did some things that can push us in the right direction. I'm so happy for our guys and proud of the way we went and competed. We just need to build on it.”

Among those potential building blocks in the passing game:

• Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (five catches, 119 yards) recorded the team’s first 100-yard performance of the season and added two touchdown catches.

• Tight end Austin Hooper caught a season-high five passes (for 41 yards), and his total included two third-down completions for first downs in the fourth quarter.

• Rookie tight end Chig Okonkwo caught a 41-yard pass, his second reception of more than 40 yards in as many games. He was on the receiving end of a 48-yard pass from Malik Willis against Kansas City.

• Rookie receiver Treylon Burks returned from missing four games because of a turf-toe injury, catching three passes for 24 yards.

“I thought we did some good things,” offensive coordinator Todd Downing said. “I thought we also left some stuff on the table. As we get back into the flow of things – getting Ryan back, getting Treylon back – and that expectation of where guys are going to be, we took a step in the right direction. But we left some meat on the bone as well.”

What Downing, Tannehill and the passing attack did not have to regret Sunday – once again – was an interception.