O-Line Holds Key to Success

Ben Jones, Dennis Daley, Nate Davis Aaron Brewer and Nicholas Petit-Frere need to find consistency, cut down on penalties for this team to accomplish much.

NASHVILLE – In determining whether the Tennessee Titans are a contender or q pretender as they head down the stretch, there are plenty of questions that have to be answered.

Can the front seven, for instance, find some semblance of a pass rush after posting just four sacks in the last four games?

Can the secondary regain its footing, after surrendering 754 yards and six touchdown passes over the past two weeks?

If you tell me the likes of Denico Autry, Zach Cunningham, Kristian Fulton and potentially David Long will be returning to the lineup in the coming weeks, I like the defense’s chances of returning to its stingy, bullying ways of earlier this season.

The biggest uncertainty for the Titans, in my opinion, remains on the other side of the ball: How far can this team really go behind this offensive line?

Unlike the situations at some of the other trouble spots – such as wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker and secondary – there are no soon-to-be-returning starters who will help solve the offensive line’s problems. Barring any unexpected changes up front, Dennis Daley, Aaron Brewer, Ben Jones, Nate Davis and Nicholas Petit-Frere will need to find solutions within their collective group.

It’s a lot to ask of a quintet that’s struggled all season, thanks in part to the loss of starting left tackle Taylor Lewan and top reserve Jamarco Jones to injury.

Consider:

• The Titans have surrendered 35 sacks this season, the ninth-highest figure in the league. The problem seems to be getting worse instead of better with 10 of those sacks in the last two games. Daley leads the league with 11 sacks surrendered, per Pro Football Focus, and the combination of Daley (40), Petit-Frere (31) and Brewer (26) has given up a combined 97 quarterback pressures.

• In the run game, the offensive line is hardly delivering road-grading performances. Derrick Henry and his fellow Titans ball carriers gain an average of just 0.8 yards before getting contact, tied for the lowest figure in the NFL, per PFF. Henry had been held fewer than 100 yards for four straight games – averaging just 2.8 yards per carry – before he gained 121 last Sunday against Jacksonville.

• Then there are the penalties. Tennessee's offensive line has been flagged for 36 this season, the third most in the league. More specifically, the Titans’ 17 holding penalties are tied for third highest in the league, and 18 false starts rank fifth.

“It’s just been happening too often, whether it’s a false start or whatever it is,” offensive line coach Keith Carter said of the penalties. “We’ve just got to focus and string some good plays together for a whole game, four quarters.”

Do all those ugly facts and figures look like the resume of an offensive line that’s prepared to carry a team to great success in coming weeks?

Not at the moment.

If there’s any reason for optimism, it probably occurred in the run game during last Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that contest, Henry actually found some openings, his three gains of more than 10 yards as many as he’d posted in the previous five games combined. Henry totaled 119 yards on 14 carries at halftime before the Titans had to go to the air in comeback mode during the second half.

“I thought we ran the ball well in the first half last week,” offensive coordinator Todd Downing said. “I thought we got back to who we were as a run offense. I thought guys were finishing ... I hope we can build on what we did in the first half of that game … and look forward to seeing what that looks like the next four games.”

Added Carter: “I thought we got off to a good start, and we were starting to build some confidence.”

As for pass protection?

It was hard to find much sign of progress on an afternoon that saw Tannehill get hit nine times, sacked four times by the Jaguars.

Tannehill has proven adept at handling the heat this season, as his 95.4 NFL quarterback rating under pressure is second-best in the league.

But it’s still hard to believe the Titans will go far when Tannehill is hitting the turf as often he has in recent weeks, and when the passing game is limited due to his lack of time in the pocket.

Such is the remaining challenge for this Titans’ offensive line, probably the most significant of any position group on the team.