The Tennessee Titans will begin their 2023 campaign on Sunday when they take on the New Orleans Saints on the road — and there are no shortage of questions for the Titans going into the contest.
Tennessee spent the offseason retooling its roster, with the team returning just 56.5 percent of its players from last season, which is tied for the fifth-biggest roster turnover rate in the NFL.
Buy Titans TicketsEven before a snap is played in 2023, the Titans’ defense is easily its strength as long as it can stay healthy, which has been a major problem in recent years, especially when it comes to the secondary.
Here are the teams with the lowest percentage of players who were on the team in 2022
10. Seahawks- 60.7%
9. Rams- 58.9%
8. Colts- 58.2%
7. Raiders- 57.4%
6. Falcons/Titans- 56.5%
4. Panthers- 54.4%
3. Bears- 50.8%
2. Texans- 49.2%
1. Cardinals- 43.5%— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) August 30, 2023
On offense, the Titans have brought in a handful of new starters along the offensive line, and the addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is a massive upgrade for the passing attack.
As much hope as there is for better days in Tennessee after a disastrous 2022 season, we really don’t know how things will pan out with so many new pieces on offense, defense and special teams.
With that in mind, here are six burning questions for the Titans going into Week 1.
How good is the offensive line?
The Titans have improved their weapons in the passing game this offseason, especially with the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, but none of that will matter if the offensive line, which is sporting four new starters (and five if you want qualify Aaron Brewer’s switch to center as a new starter), doesn’t hold up.
After the Titans sported one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last year, the spotlight will shine brightly on the revamped group that includes Brewer, left tackle Andre Dillard, left guard Peter Skoronski, right guard Daniel Brunskill and right tackle Chris Hubbard.
The good news is, pass protection was good during the preseason and the run-blocking was solid for the most part, but that was against mostly backups.
We really have no idea what to expect from Tennessee’s new-look offensive line until it actually takes the field in a regular-season game — and the group will have a stiff test right off the bat against star pass-rusher Cameron Jordan and a Saints defense that finished top five in sacks last season.
What will the offense look like under Tim Kelly?
One of the gripes with the Titans’ offense over the years has been the run-heavy approach, as opposed to a more modern style that has Tennessee spreading it out and throwing the ball more.
Some of that approach has to do with philosophy, but personnel plays a part, as well.
Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly is in his first year at the helm of Tennessee’s offense and is taking over for Todd Downing, who was arguably the worst play-caller in the NFL last season.
Many have projected the Titans to use more three-receiver sets and air it out a bit more under Kelly, but the new Titans OC has previously hinted the offense will continue to run through running back Derrick Henry.
“It would be foolish of me to not play to our strengths.” ~ #Titans OC Tim Kelly when asked how Derrick Henry will work into his offense. pic.twitter.com/gzDPuzB8x7
— Blaine and Mickey (@BlaineandMickey) August 1, 2023
Whatever the case may be, Kelly has a much better group to work with than the 2022 offense did after the addition of Hopkins, so the Titans have the ability to throw it more, assuming the O-line is sufficient in pass protection.
According to Team Rankings, the Titans were tied with the sixth-lowest pass rate in 2022 at 50.91 percent, which was actually down from the year prior (51.22 percent).
That rate figures to go up in 2023, but how high remains to be seen.
Will Harold Landry be himself?
We already know the Titans will sport one of the best defensive fronts and pass-rushes in the NFL, but this unit won’t reach its full potential if outside linebacker Harold Landry isn’t himself.
After leading the team in sacks in 2021, Landry is coming off a lost season in 2022 after tearing his ACL prior to Week 1. As is the case with many players who go through that injury, Landry might need a year to get back to his top form.
The good news for Tennessee is the defense has no shortage of talent upfront, so it doesn’t need Landry to be at 100 percent to be among the league’s best.
However, if the Boston College product proves to be all the way back one year removed from the injury, Tennessee’s defensive front — and more specifically, the pass-rush — might be the NFL’s very best.
How will the secondary pan out?
The Titans sported the league’s worst pass defense in 2022, but a lot of that had to do with the secondary being ravaged by injuries.
The two most impactful losses were cornerback Kristian Fulton and safety Amani Hooker, but Tennessee was also without slot cornerback Elijah Molden.
Adding to all that, there were also injuries to key pass-rushers upfront to make things more difficult on the back end.
When Hooker has been healthy, he’s formed one of the better safety duos in the NFL with Kevin Byard, and Fulton has proven he has the goods to be a No. 1 cornerback when he’s on the field.
So, the biggest question for the secondary, which also has better depth this year, isn’t necessarily about talent but rather health.
If Fulton, Hooker and the pass-rush can stay healthy, a secondary made up of those two, Molden, Byard, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Roger McCreary has the potential to be very good.
Another thing to keep an eye on is how the Titans deploy these guys. It’ll be interesting to see how many snaps McCreary and Molden get in the slot, and how often the former is deployed on the boundary with Murphy-Bunting now in the fold.
Is Nick Folk the answer?
While he’s had success in the past — Folk had a field-goal success rate of 89.3 percent over four years with the New England Patriots — the veteran kicker has an entirely different challenge on his hands with the Titans.
Tennessee has been cursed with kickers since 2019, with the team bringing in and letting go of several players who have tried their hand and failed at the job. Negligence at the position has no doubt played a part, also.
The Titans found some stability in Randy Bullock the past two years, but with his salary ballooning and his limitations with longer field goals, Tennessee decided to roll the dice and let him go.
After the failed Trey Wolff-Caleb Shudak and Michael Badgley experiments, the Titans landed on an established option in Folk, who was acquired via trade with the Patriots for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Based on past numbers, Folk should provide the stability the Titans need, but nothing is ever certain when it comes to Titans kickers.
Who are the returners?
The Titans have yet to officially name their kickoff and punt returners ahead of Week 1, but that announcement should be coming at some point this week, as the team will likely release its first depth chart of the 2023 regular season.
Mike Vrabel doesn’t commit to a #Titans’ opening day punt returner.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) August 31, 2023
Wide receiver Kyle Philips was originally slated to be the punt returner, but an MCL injury landed him on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least the first four games.
Rookie wide receiver Kearis Jackson was given several looks as a returner in the preseason finale, both on kickoffs and punts, so he figures to be the favorite for at least one of those roles.
Julius Chestnut was listed as the top kick returner on Tennessee’s most recent unofficial depth chart, so he’s someone else to consider. I also wouldn’t rule out explosive rookie running back Tyjae Spears, who returned a kick in preseason Week 1.
While those three are most likely to secure the two jobs, both spots remain up in the air with less than a week to go until game time.
