Tennessee Titans Defensive Player Grades & Takeaways From Week 9 Loss to Pittsburgh Steelers

The Tennessee Titans did not get a great performance from the defense against the Pittsburgh Steelers and with that there are some ugly player grades on that side of the ball.

The Tennessee Titans defense has struggled all year in pass defense, but they turned in an uncharacteristic performance in run defense against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was an unexpected letdown against the struggling offense of the Steelers.

It should be no surprise then that the defensive player grades are far from impressive. Let's look at the top five overall grades and grades that stood out on the defensive side of the ball. Player grades courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Top Five Overall Grades

CB Kristian Fulton - 79.5 Overall Grade

DT Teair Tart - 76.9 Overall Grade

LB Jack Gibbens - 73.1 Overall Grade

OLB Trevis Gipson - 68.2 Overall Grade

OLB Harold Landry - 67.1 Overall Grade

After a tough stretch to start the season, Kristian Fulton has quietly had three excellent games in a row. Fulton has drawn the ire of Titans' fans and head coach Mike Vrabel alike this year, but he seems to be rounding into form while the rest of the secondary crumbles.

Trevis Gipson continues to be on this list week after week. Gipson only played 13 snaps as he continues to see limited action, creating the question of how much more Gipson should play and how soon. As the Titans continue to see struggles on the edge, the question needs to continue to be asked.

Standout Grades

CB Eric Garror - 37.0 Overall Grade

S Elijah Molden - 41.6 Overall Grade

S Terrell Edmunds - 48.0 Overall Grade

The Titans sorely missed now-traded safety Kevin Byard, particularly in run defense. Molden and Edmunds not only struggled in the run game, but were liabilities in the pass game, giving up 5 catches for 46 yards and a touchdown in total.

Garror filled in for Roger McCreary for a second week and continues to be targeted by the opposing team. Garror didn't allow any completions, but his man was routinely open, a continuation of Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Related Titans stories

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• VRABEL TRADE TO PATS?: There are some rumblings out of New England that the Patriots want Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel to be their next head coach. The Titans are in rebuild mode, so would it make sense to actually trade their head coach for draft capital? CLICK HERE
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• WEEK 9 DRIVE CHART: The Tennessee Titans took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a primetime tilt on Thursday Night Football and left with a loss by a score of 20-16. The offense didn't do enough, but there were good moments for the team in a tough environment. CLICK HERE