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A Countdown of the Titans' Top Plays of 2020 (So Far)

Derrick Henry, Jeffery Simmons, Malcolm Butler among those who have produced memorable moments for Tennessee.
David Boclair|
A Countdown of the Titans' Top Plays of 2020 (So Far)
A Countdown of the Titans' Top Plays of 2020 (So Far)

NASHVILLE – Things have not always gone the way the Tennessee Titans wanted through the first nine games of the 2020 NFL season, particularly of late. Three losses in the last four games cost them sole possession of first place in the AFC South and made the remaining seven games seem a little more challenging.

No one can say it has been boring, though. There have been plenty of highlights along the way.

In recognition of the fact that the Titans have played nine games thus far, here are the top nine plays of 2020 (so far):

9. Derrick Henry’s 4-yard run vs. Buffalo (Week 5), second quarter, 6:03 to play: It was not a big gain or a scoring play. In fact, it did not even count because of offsetting penalties. Nonetheless, it will have a permanent place in Henry’s highlight reel because of the stiff arm he used to shed cornerback Josh Norman. Photos of the play became memes that delighted and amused across social media platforms for days afterward.

8. Jonnu Smith’s 63-yard reception vs. Jacksonville (Week 2), first quarter, 14:52 to play: After a low-scoring opener in which the offense did not have a single play of 25 yards or more, Smith set a different tone on the first snap of the home opener. The tight end was wide open on the left side a little more than 20 yards downfield then ran for another 40 or so. It was the longest gain of his career and set up his 13-yard touchdown reception two plays later.

7. Malcolm Butler’s interception against Buffalo (Week 5), third quarter, 3:26 to play: Butler’s second of the day ended a long drive and Buffalo’s chance to cut an 11-point deficit to four. Not only that, but the veteran cornerback returned it 68 yards. The offense converted with a touchdown three plays later, and Tennessee outscored Buffalo 21-6 in the second half in a rare Tuesday night contest that marked the Titans’ return to action after their COVID-19 outbreak.

6. Jeffery Simmons’ tackle on fourth-and-goal at Denver (Week 1), second quarter, 3:25 to play: Immediately after the Titans tied it 7-7, Denver drove 74 yards in 11 plays, at which point it faced fourth-and-goal from the 1. The Broncos went for it, but Simmons sniffed out the shovel pass, met receiver Jake Butt just as the ball arrived and stopped him for no gain. Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter, and the play established a precedent for the defense, which has made more than its share of goal-line stands this season.

5. Harold Landry’s interception vs. Jacksonville (Week 2), fourth quarter, 0:51 to play: It was a game that, in retrospect, was surprisingly close. Landry sealed the outcome when he came down with a pass that Simmons tipped at the line. Jacksonville was at its own 45 and not far from range to attempt a game-tying field goal. It came 50 seconds after Tennessee kicked the go-ahead field goal and delivered a second straight stop for the defense after the Jaguars had scored four straight possessions.

4. Stephen Gostkowski’s game-winning 25-yard field goal at Denver (Week 1), fourth quarter, 0:17 to play: Gostkowski delivered the difference-making points inside the final two minutes of each of the first three games. This one, however, came after he had missed four earlier kicks (three field goals, one PAT). The fact that he made the one when it counted most seemed to signal an end to the Titans kicking woes that dated back to the start of 2019. It’s clear now that was not the case, but it was a nice thought while it lasted.

3. Desmond King’s fumble return for a touchdown vs. Chicago (Week 9), third quarter, 4:41 to play: Acquired in a deal with the L.A. Chargers as part of a roster shakeup spurred by the NFL’s trade deadline, King made a memorable Titans debut after just one day of practice with the team. After Simmons forced a fumble on a short reception, the slot cornerback scooped up the ball and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown and a 17-0 that all but put the contest out of reach. It is the Titans’ only touchdown off a return of any kind this season.

2. A.J. Brown’s touchdown reception vs. Houston (Week 6), fourth quarter, 0:04 to play: Brown’s 7-yard reception capped a nine-play, 76-yard drive as the Titans beat the clock and forced overtime in a game in which both teams led during the fourth quarter. It was his second touchdown catch of the contest, but it was only verified following a lengthy video review that added to the drama of the moment. The offense carried the momentum of that moment into overtime, where it got the ball first and promptly drove to the game-winning touchdown.

1. Derrick Henry’s 97-yard touchdown run vs. Houston (Week 6), fourth quarter, 9:23 to play: Henry became the fifth player in NFL history with two career touchdown runs of 90 yards or more when he went behind the right guard and then outran four members of the Texans’ defense for a score that put his team back on top after Houston had scored the only 13 points of the third quarter. It was the longest play in the NFL this season until Tampa Bay’s Ronald Jones went 98 yards Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Henry does have two of the three longest runs in franchise history.

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David Boclair
DAVID BOCLAIR

David Boclair has covered the Tennessee Titans for multiple news outlets since 1998. He is award-winning journalist who has covered a wide range of topics in Middle Tennessee as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he worked for three different newspapers from 1987-96. As a student journalist at Southern Methodist University he covered the NCAA's decision to impose the so-called death penalty on the school's football program.

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