Titans Secondary Under Pressure As Season Begins

NASHVILLE - There's no debating that the Tennessee Titans defense will be the strength of this football team entering the 2023 NFL season. Still, however, there are questions about this unit, mainly the secondary.

Here are a few simple numbers from the 2022 season that show where the defensive backfield struggled last season.

Overall the Titans defense ranked No. 11 at the end of '22, allowing a total 0f 351.6 yards per game and 19.7 points per game defensively. However, of those total yards allowed, 274.8 per game came via the pass.

Granted, the Titans pass rush wasn't the best in the NFL, and getting Harold Landry back and adding Arden Key to the mix should improve that area, thus helping the secondary.

Still, that won't be enough to significantly impact this figure unless there is a significant improvement on the back end.

Last season, the Titans allowed a league-worst 671 total passing yards. They were tied with Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Arizona (29) behind only the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs for most touchdown passes allowed (33).

Despite these numbers, the Titans secondary did manage 14 interceptions on the season, which placed them in the middle of the league in that total.

While the addition of Sean Murphy-Bunting should help, the remaining members of the cornerback group must improve their performance and, in the case of Kristian Fulton, remain healthy and on the field.

Fulton is regarded as the best corner on this roster and is thought to be a lock to be a starter on the outside once again, while Murphy-Bunting and second-year pro-Roger McCreary will likely battle on the other side.

Likewise, a healthy Elijah Molden could find himself in the conversation outside, though he is best suited for the slot corner role now.

Finally, Caleb Farley, the former first-rounder, had also dealt with injuries that had kept him from contributing as the team had hoped when he was selected based on his immense potential. Once again, he will enter this season hoping to finally put those issues behind him and participate at the level his skill suggests he can.

If that happens, this unit immediately jumps toward the upper part of the league, but that doesn't seem likely, given his history since entering the league.

Considering the Titans did not add anyone on the defensive side during the recent draft, that seems to indicate they are satisfied with where they are and the potential of those players at this point.

Enter Chris Harris, the former Washington Commanders coach, who was tabbed to replace the fired Anthony Midget following last season. Harris will assume the title of defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach.

A well-regarded coach, it's believed that the addition of Harris will instantly improve this unit this season, but that remains to be seen.

While this unit was the Achilles heel of the Titans defense last season, the blame for their collapse rests on the offense. Still, an improved secondary, particularly the play of the corners this season, could go a long way toward lifting this team above predictions and putting them into the conversation for an AFC South title in a weak division.

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