Tannehill's Impact Evident in Numbers

It has been 16 games (including the playoffs) since Ryan Tannehill took over as the Tennessee Titans quarterback.

That is one full season’s worth. And, compared to Marcus Mariota’s final 16 starts, it is impossible to argue that coach Mike Vrabel made the wrong decision.

Most notably, the Titans have won 12 of 16 games, including two postseason victories, with Tannehill in charge of the offense as compared to eight wins over Mariota’s final 16 starts. Pretty much any other number you look at is similarly skewed in Tannehill’s favor.

It is not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. Mariota’s closing stretch included two different offensive coordinators, Matt LaFleur for 10 games and Arthur Smith for six. Tannehill’s 16 starts have all come with Smith in charge of the offense, but those two have forged a working relationship unlike any Mariota enjoyed with any of the coordinators he had during his five seasons with Tennessee.

“I think (Smith) does a good job of game planning, trying to spread the thing around,” Tannehill said recently. “When I'm out there I'm just going through my reads trying to find the open guy … I have a lot of confidence no matter who's out there that I'm in a good spot to move the ball.”

With a nod to Mike Sando of The Athletic, who did the math for an item in his Monday column, here is a look at some of the key differences:

• The number of plays each directed is almost identical, 953 for Mariota as compared to 963 for Tannehill

• With Tannehill, the Titans have averaged one full yard more per play (6.3 to 5.3), and the result is a difference of more than 1,000 total yards (6,104 with Tannehill, 5,013 with Mariota)

• The Titans’ points per game average has increased by more than a touchdown, 26.9 with Tannehill as opposed to 18.1 with Mariota

• Even the difference in rushing offense is decidedly in Tannehill’s favor. Tennessee has averaged 5.13 yards per rush over their last 16 games as compared to 4.39 in the final 16 with Mariota

• Tennessee also has five additional rushing touchdowns on just 34 additional attempts (roughly two attempts more per game)

• The advanced stat expected points added, which measures the value of individual plays in terms of points, shows that the Titans have averaged 8.2 points above what was expected with Tannehill, 1.1 points below what was expected with Mariota

“As situations pop up, we’re constantly evaluating that – what we do well, especially in critical situations,” Smith said recently. “Playing off what we’ve done, what (defenses) do. That’s kind of the chess match there. We’re constantly look if there’s counter-punches for things we’re doing and what fits us.”

Internally, it seems, Tannehill has been a perfect fit.