Tennessee Titans' Biggest Change for the Upcoming Season

The biggest change in the Tennessee Titans’ playbook will be on the defensive side of the ball.  The Titans have a very simple offense: run left, run right, inside draw, play action pass and a bootleg pass to the tight end over the middle. 

It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is; he will be running these plays.  Jeff Fisher loves them, and they have been effective for him over the years.

The defense will get most of the attention because the team lost Albert Haynesworth in free agency. Haynesworth made everything simpler for his teammates.  Defensive ends were able to go one-on-one on the outside because Haynesworth commanded a double team. 

Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch had his most productive seasons playing along side Haynesworth.  Before joining the Titans he never had more than 3.5 sacks, he has two 12 sacks seasons since joining the Titans. That’s not a coincidence.

Haynesworth’s pressure allowed the secondary to play a soft zone and almost never blitz.  Cortland Finnegan, Chris Hope and Michael Griffin are all capable making multiple Pro Bowls at defensive back. They all had at least five interceptions and hid the oft-injured Nick Harper. 

The Titans will blitz often and stunt more than ever before this season. Harper isn’t getting any younger and was already the worst starting defensive back. Teams will attack Harper and force safety help. Offense will then simply respond to safety help by going to three receiver formations and forcing one-on-one matchups.

Both Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse have a history of injuries, so Fisher knows he can’t depend on his starting defensive ends on a weekly basis. He’s going to have to get creative to bring pressure.

Without a dominant defensive lineman, a zone defense is a recipe for disaster. Fisher may not have the most talented defensive line, but he does have a several bodies. Offense can expect more blitzes from Safety Chris Hope.

Vanden Bosch will frequently run stunts to use his motor to beat less agile offensive lineman; he isn’t fast but he will outwork most other linemen.

Tony Brown, Jason Jones and Kevin Vickerson will rotate at the two defensive tackle positions. Fisher wants fresh bodies on the field to wear down the interior linemen and make them more susceptible to missing assignments at the end of games.

The defense playbook will also change because the team has a new defensive coordinator. Jim Schwartz left to become the new head coach for the Detroit Lions. Chuck Cecil will replace Schwartz, and players will have to get use to his play calling.

The calls might be the same but it takes time for players to get comfortable with a new coordinator’s temperament and mannerisms.

A new coordinator and the lost of Haynesworth will change the defense playbook.  The Titans will try to overcome his lost with quantity. No one can replace Haynesworth, but the team hopes to use it depth and scheme to mask his absence. 

Ultimately, the secondary will have to make more plays for the Titans to be a playoff contender in the 2009-2010 season.