Titans’ biggest surprises from 2020 season: Defense
When you talk about the biggest weakness for the Tennessee Titans from this past season, the defense is the choice by far.
Tennessee finished No. 29 against the pass, No. 19 against the run, No. 30 in sacks and No. 24 in points allowed. Injuries certainly played a role in those horrid numbers, but we also saw disappointing performances from several key players at different position groups.
There were a few bright spots here and there, but the negative far outweighed the positive, and if not for the historic performance from Tennessee’s offense, the regular season could have gone much differently.
Here’s a look at the biggest surprises (both good and bad) from the Titans’ defense during the 2020 campaign.
Malcolm Butler
(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Butler was the Titans' No. 1 corner by default while Adoree' Jackson was absent the first 13 games, but he held onto that title even when Jackson returned. The 30-year-old turned in his best season in Nashville in 2020. Here's a look at every statistic he posted that was his best since joining the Titans:
Interceptions: 4
Passes defensed: 14
Tackles: 100
Completion rate allowed: 63 percent
QB rating allowed: 83.2
Pro Football Focus grade: 71.6
Adding to all that, from Week 8 through Week 12 Butler was PFF's highest-graded cornerback in the NFL during that span, posting an 83.7. While there was some thought that the Titans could possibly cut Butler and his hefty 2021 salary of $14.2 million that would save roughly $10 million, Tennessee almost has no choice but to keep him after his 2020 showing.
Breon Borders
(AP Photo/Wade Payne)
With the Titans' secondary desperately needing a boost during the season, Borders stepped in and provided it. The 25-year-old didn't see his first action until Week 8, but from that game through Week 12 Borders earned the fifth-highest PFF grade in the NFL among cornerbacks, posting a 77.1. Granted, Borders no doubt had his issues, but his numbers in coverage overall were impressive. While he did allow three touchdowns, the Duke product surrendered a completion rate of just 51.1 percent and a QB rating of 86.6 when targeted in six games. Unfortunately, Borders' season ended early after he was placed on IR; however, he did more than enough in a small sample size for the Titans to keep him around in 2021.
Ineptitude of the secondary
(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
The overall ineptitude of the Titans' secondary was quite a surprise, even when you consider a lackluster pass rush provided no help and the slew of injuries this team dealt with. The Titans allowed 277.4 passing yards per game, the fourth-most in the NFL. Chalk it up to whatever you want, but Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro didn't play up to the standard we've come to expect, Adoree' Jackson provided zero boost upon his return, Kristian Fulton didn't make much of an impact even when he was healthy, and the addition of Desmond King made no difference. Of course, there were some bright spots, like Butler and Borders, but overall this unit was depressingly bad, both in coverage and when tackling. Full strength or not, I don't think anyone could have this kind of outcome.
Historically bad pass rush
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
After the Titans added both Jadeveon Clowney and Vic Beasley last offseason, we expected the pass rush to be improved, or at the very least match what it did in 2019. Instead, the Titans finished with just 19 sacks (they had 43 in 2019), which was the third-fewest in the NFL and tied for the fewest all-time for a playoff team in a 16-game season. Beasley and Clowney combined for zero sacks, the former only lasted five games before being released and the latter's season ended after eight games due to a knee injury. Harold Landry's regression from nine sacks in 2019 to 5.5 sacks in 2020 was unexpected, although he didn't exactly have help around him to take pressure off. Still, the hope was that Landry could be a star, and star pass rushers can normally impact a game, without or without much help. General manager Jon Robinson's No. 1 priority this offseason will be to improve this area, which is something he was unable to do this past season.
Rashaan Evans' regression
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
After seeing Evans step up in a big way time and time again in his second season, we saw his career take a step back in 2020. Evans just wasn't the same impactful player in his third season, even against the run, and his ejection in Week 1 was a sign of things to come. Overall, Evans had eight penalties, the most on the team and five more than he had in his first two seasons combined. The Titans will now be faced with making a decision on Evans' fifth-year option this offseason. Based on the way he played this past campaign, he hasn't earned the right to have it picked up.
