Tennessee Titans Defensive Player Grades & Takeaways From Week 5 Loss to Indianapolis Colts
The Tennessee Titans' defense had a bit of a surprisingly bad performance on Sunday. No, it is not a shock to see the Titans' pass defense make mistakes, but to see the Titans' run defense be bullied to the tune of 193 rushing yards allowed was a stunner.
What can't be considered a surprise then, is how the defensive player grades came out from Week 5 per Pro Football Focus. Let's dive into the top five overall grades and some of the individual grades that stood out.
Top Five Overall Grades
S Elijah Molden - 82.1 Overall Grade
OLB Trevis Gipson - 73.1 Overall Grade
S Amani Hooker - 67.0 Overall Grade
DL Denico Autry - 64.6 Overall Grade
S Kevin Byard - 62.7 Overall Grade
Three safeties in the top five obviously stands out first. The Colts were not able to attack deep over the middle of the field. Instead they decided to attack Kristian Fulton and Sean-Murphy Bunting on the outside or look underneath.
Gipson's second-straight appearance in the top five rings hollow without the production of Week 4. Gipson only played nine snaps and got one pressure. The pass rush overall was not good enough in this game though, so Gipson is not alone.
Standout Grades
Jeffery Simmons - 36.6 Run Defense Grade
Simmons popped up on the injury report for Friday's practice before the Colts game with an ankle injury. It wasn't obvious during the game that Simmons was affected, but we are left to try to find answers after Sunday's performance. Simmons was the fourth-lowest graded Titan on defense, had an even worse grade in run defense and tackling. Simmons did register five pressures though, tops on the team.
Kristian Fulton - 44.7 Coverage Grade
Jack Gibbens - 32.6 Coverage Grade
Fulton was an obvious target throughout the game and ended up allowing four catches for 95 yards with a 118.8 pass rating and two penalties. The penalties coming at back-breaking moments for the Titans.
Gibbens was the lowest-graded Titan on defense and his struggles were across the board. A 32.6 coverage grade was a team worst and his run defense grade was 45.5, in the bottom five.
Related stories on Titans-Colts
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- WATCH TITANS SURRENDER LONG RUN: The Tennessee Titans have begun their Week 5 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts and early in the game we saw the run defense allow a 56-yard touchdown run to running back Zack Moss. CLICK HERE
