The Titans’ defense left a lot to be desired on Monday night. The offense put the Titans up by 10 early in the game and the defense looked solid. However, the next 27 points belonged to Houston. The defense has allowed 72 points in the last two games after allowing the least in the league through 9 games. This game may have been one of the worst performances by the unit this season. The Texans had close to 300 yards on the ground and the Titans could not get the ball back to the Titans to give them a chance to win the game. However, the Titans had one player step up in the secondary.
CB Logan Ryan
When you think of the #1 cornerback on the Tennessee Titans, Logan Ryan is not the name that comes to mind. However, he has been the most reliable cover corner for the team this season. Ryan made one slip up against the Chargers. Outside of that, he has stepped up in a major way. Normally, you will see him play on the slot receiver for the opposing team, but that was not always the case for Ryan on Monday. He lined up against Deandre Hopkins on the outside and, for the most part, he didn’t have a large impact on the game. Hopkins had two catches for 52 yards in the first half. However, he had just three other catches for 22 yards and wasn’t a factor in the red zone.
Perhaps this stat says more about the front seven, but Ryan had 11 tackles in the game which led the team. Ryan has always been a good tackling cornerback and he was able to clean up what others missed. The tackling was bad on Monday night. However, Ryan made plays and continued to be worth the deal the Titans signed him to last offseason.
What’s Next?
The Jets passing game hasn’t been breaking any records this season. Rookie Sam Darnold leads the league in interceptions by two despite having missed the last two games. His replacement Josh McCown has thrown just one touchdown in those games to three interceptions. Ryan will most likely move back inside to the slot this week. He will most likely see a lot of Jermaine Kearse. No matter who starts at quarterback for the Jets, this could be the week Ryan gets his first interception of the season.
Honorable Mention: LB Jayon Brown
Had the call been reversed in the fourth quarter and Brown had forced Deshaun Watson to fumble, he would have been the defensive Titan of the week. However, the refs did not see the ball moving before Watson’s knee hit the ground. Brown sacked Watson early in the game and seemed to make the game-changing play late. Brown has been much improved this year. It is possible he is GM Jon Robinson’s best selection since taking over.
