2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 3-14
Titans defense
Every snap the Titans defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.10 EPA a play allowed, 28th of 32, and 0.10 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (28th).
- How they playThey blitz on 26% of dropbacks, the 23rd-most in the league, and get pressure on 26%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.19 EPA a dropback, 29th, softest behind the line middle (+0.43 a throw).
- Who hurt themJonathan Taylor (IND): 292 yards and +15.1 EPA on 35 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.10 | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.19 | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.02 | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 45% | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Yards per play | 6.0 | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.2 | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 42% | 21st of 32 | 36th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 7.0% | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 26% | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 15% | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.0% | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 66% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.40 | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 0.7 | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.10 | 28th of 32 | 14th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Titans. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 5 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 16 against the Chiefs, 0.36 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.00 a play elsewhere, the 18th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at DENL 12-20-0.15usual +0.06
vs LAL 19-33+0.34usual +0.13
vs INDL 20-41+0.39usual +0.06
at HOUL 0-26+0.17usual -0.02
at ARIW 22-21-0.07usual -0.01
at LVL 10-20-0.18usual -0.22
vs NEL 13-31+0.27usual +0.15at INDL 14-38+0.38usual +0.06
vs LACL 20-27+0.08usual -0.03vs HOUL 13-16-0.07usual -0.01
vs SEAL 24-30+0.29usual +0.02
vs JAXL 3-25-0.01usual +0.04
at CLEW 31-29-0.03usual -0.20
at SFL 24-37+0.25usual +0.08
vs KCW 26-9-0.31usual +0.05
vs NOL 26-34+0.25usual -0.10at JAXL 7-41+0.22usual +0.02Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is behind the line middle: +0.43 EPA a throw against a league -0.34. The lockdown zone is behind the line left, -0.43 a throw (league -0.18). Completions against them run 6.1 points over expected, 30th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.2 yards a carry against them, 18th of 32. The leak is outside left: 5.9 a carry and +0.23 EPA (league 5.0, +0.01).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 17.412th | 165.528th | +0.5031st-toughest | 23.54th-most29.64th-most35.66th-most |
| Tight ends | 7.115th | 55.721st | +0.3523rd-toughest | 8.810th-most11.512th-most14.212th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 4.44th | 27.17th | +0.0116th-toughest | 18.313th-most20.015th-most21.614th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 19.15th-most19.15th-most19.15th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | IND | 35 | 292 | 6 | +15.1 |
| Jakobi Meyers | JAX | 17 | 176 | 1 | +14.5 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | 11 | 171 | 2 | +13.8 |
| Michael Pittman | IND | 15 | 168 | 2 | +12.7 |
| Puka Nacua | LA | 10 | 136 | 1 | +12.5 |
| Nico Collins | HOU | 16 | 171 | 1 | +11.2 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-4-to-6: offenses convert 40% against a league 44%. They are stingiest in games they trail by 9+ (+0.06 a play, league +0.04) and weakest in games they lead (+0.26, league -0.01).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 447 | +0.10 | +0.01 | +0.09 |
| 2nd down | 325 | +0.08 | +0.02 | +0.06 |
| 3rd down | 200 | +0.06 | -0.05 | +0.11 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 61 | 66% | 60% | +5 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 47 | 40% | 44% | −3 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 92 | 26% | 26% | +0 pts |
| Red zone | 151 | +0.20 | 0.00 | +0.20 |
| Two-minute drill | 78 | +0.09 | +0.03 | +0.06 |
| When they lead | 255 | +0.26 | -0.01 | +0.27 |
| One-score game | 615 | +0.12 | +0.02 | +0.10 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 322 | +0.06 | +0.04 | +0.03 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 26% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 77% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.14 EPA when they blitz and +0.20 when they do not.
They put 6.6 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 11%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.5 a carry; into eight or more, 4.0.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 4 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.08 EPA against them on 29% of throws; screens +0.16.
60 defensive penalties for 479 yards, 35 of them first downs, the 32nd-fewest. They miss 9% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 10th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Jeffery Simmons leads the pass rush with 32 pressures and 11 sacks on 72% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98Jeffery SimmonsDT | 72% | 32 | 11 | 21 | 17 | 65 | 3 |
| 53Jihad WardLB | 68% | 27 | 5 | 22 | 4 | 30 | |
| 69Sebastian Joseph-DayDT | 42% | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 37 | |
| 49Arden KeyDE | 42% | 18 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 22 | |
| 41Dre'Mont JonesLB | 37% | 10 | 4.5 | 9 | 5 | 25 | |
| 93T'Vondre SweatDT | 36% | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 32 | |
| 92Jaylen HarrellDE | 36% | 11 | 4.5 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 1 |
| 97James LynchDT | 31% | 4 | 0.5 | 3 | 1 | 23 | |
| 7Oluwafemi OladejoDE | 17% | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||
| 79Shy TuttleDT | 14% | 1 | 11 |
Cody Barton plays 100% of the snaps with 78 tackles and 1 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50Cody BartonLB | 100% | 78 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 54 | 75.2 | 7 |
| 33Cedric GrayLB | 85% | 161 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 59 | 93.5 | 7 |
| 52James WilliamsLB | 9% | 25 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 69.9 | 1 |
| 54Dorian MausiLB | 0% | 9 | ||||||
| 48Joe BachieLB | 0% | 3 |
Marcus Harris is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 80.0 passer rating on 31 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37Amani HookerSAF | 87% | 61 | 41 of 61 | 698 | 7 | 108.6 | 8 | |
| 39Darrell Baker Jr.CB | 69% | 63 | 44 of 63 | 645 | 4 | 103.0 | 7 | |
| 18Jalyn Armour-DavisCB | 49% | 35 | 25 of 35 | 381 | 2 | 107.9 | 2 | |
| 25Xavier WoodsFS | 47% | 32 | 23 of 32 | 277 | 1 | 87.9 | 2 | 3 |
| 38L'Jarius SneedCB | 33% | 31 | 19 of 31 | 257 | 3 | 101.7 | 3 | |
| 26Marcus HarrisCB | 31% | 31 | 15 of 31 | 235 | 80.0 | 5 | ||
| 23Kevin Winston Jr.SAF | 30% | 24 | 20 of 24 | 350 | 3 | 133.9 | 2 | |
| 37Quandre DiggsS | 30% | 13 | 9 of 13 | 153 | 2 | 100.6 | 1 | |
| 25Roger McCrearyCB | 28% | 29 | 24 of 29 | 260 | 2 | 105.8 | 1 | 2 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.