Countdown to Kickoff: 56 Days

The countdown to kickoff continues.

The Tennessee Titans will open the 2020 regular season Sept. 14 at Denver. That is 56 days away. So, today we look at one way the number 56 figures into the team’s recent history.

It was the one thing that did not change much when the Tennessee Titans switched quarterbacks in 2019.

Whether it was Marcus Mariota or Ryan Tannehill, the man under center was under siege far too often. Those two were sacked a combined 56 times. That was the most allowed during the Titans era (1999-present) and third most in the NFL behind Miami and Carolina, which each allowed 58.

The only other times the Titans allowed 50 or more in season were 2014 (50) and 2105 (54) – and both times they tied for the NFL’s worst record.

Mariota was sacked 25 times. That was an average of more than one for every four passes that did get out of his hands. In five of his six starts the opposing defense got to him at least three times. In Week 3, Jacksonville sacked him nine times.

Tannehill went down 31 times, including at least once in eight of the 10 games after he replaced Mariota. His worst day was in Week 13 against Indianapolis when he went down six times (Tennessee actually won that game).

Last season was the second time they allowed more than 35 sacks and still finished with a winning record. The other was 2018, when the quarterbacks went down 47 times, including Mariota’s career-high of 42. Unlike in 2019, they did not make it to the postseason that year.