The Tennessee Titans have been absolutely dominant in run defense the past two weeks, including in their win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
They have allowed 81 yards total in those two games. Not only is this a great improvement from early in the year, but when you look at the passing yards allowed the last two weeks (715 yards total), it becomes obvious just how critical it was for the Titans to limit the run.
Run defense has, and always will be, a team job; however, one Titan has been the rock of which the run defense is built on — his name is Teair Tart.
Tart has a crazy story; multiple colleges and then an undrafted free agent in the NFL. He stuck with the Titans his rookie year in 2020, but only played in seven games and 154 defensive snaps.
Tart had a solid year in 2021 in 11 games for the Titans as well despite some injuries and seemed like a nice rotational interior defensive lineman. Make no mistake, though, Tart wasn’t considered some X-Factor on defense heading into 2022.
Tart has changed that narrative through five weeks; he has been everywhere. Yes, I started off this article by discussing his run defense because as a nose tackle, that will always be his primary role.
But Tart has POPPED in pass defense as well, knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage and even getting an interception in Indianapolis!
While the tape tells the story the numbers do as well.
Tart is currently the NINTH (!!!!) highest-graded defensive lineman in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, one spot ahead of the heralded lineman out of Indy, DeForest Buckner.
Not only that, but Tart currently has five pass break-ups which is the most on the team. The single-season record for a Titans defensive lineman is nine, set by Jevon Kearse. Tart is on pace to smash that record.
Tart hasn’t been a sack junkie in his career, as he has yet to record one. So, if Tart can continue to impact the passing game in this way, his value skyrockets.
So, as we always do, let’s dive into the tape and see how big of an impact Teair Tart made in the nation’s capital in Week 5.
Play No. 1
Teair is a nose tackle after all, so we have to start with run defense.
This is filthy; look at how Tart takes on the double team and doesn’t give up an inch of ground. You can see the center be like, “crap, I have been here too long I have to get to the backer,” but it is too late.
This is a big theme as well — Tart keeping David Long clean.
The center doubling Tart keeps him from getting up to block Long. That makes the running back have to bounce outside away from the charging Long.
When he does, Tart decides to quit playing with his food, sheds the guard and makes a nasty tackle.
Play No. 2
Just awesome play recognition and strength from Tart on the next one. This is textbook defense.
Tart shoots his hands and keeps his arms extended while engaged with the lineman. He keeps his eyes up reading the play, sees the back coming, sheds the block and makes a great tackle. It’s teaching tape from Tart.
Yes, I love alliteration.
Play No. 3
This play doesn’t result in a big loss but, my Lord, look at the penetration and knock back that Tart gets here. He drives No. 68 backwards so far that he knocks into the lead blocker coming across the formation.
Now, credit to Robinson and Wentz here. They made it a decent play with effort, but Tart was too impressive on the play to leave it out.
Play No. 4
Back on our first play I mentioned a theme: Tart keeping Long clean. There is no better example than this next play.
Watch Tart take on not only the double team, but the lead blocker as well! Tart takes on three blocks so Long can be free (reminds me of those “my hands look like this so hers can look like this” memes).
As Mike Vrabel discussed last week in one of his media scrums, David Long is an instinctive player. He isn’t a guy who takes on blockers with his hands and sheds them like we saw Tart do earlier. No, Long plays with speed and aggression. He sniffs out what he thinks the play is and he drives downhill. Long swerves around linemen with his quickness.
That is all the more possible when Tart is occupying every blocker coming Long’s way. You can see Long juking back and forth until he finds the ball. He should be buying Tart lunch all week.
Come to think of it, that may be an expensive task!
Play No. 5
As the game went on it was so obvious the Commanders were unable to deal with Tart, and not just in the run game, either.
Watch Tart explode off the ball here and get penetration into the backfield. Norwell has no choice but to grab Tart and throw him for a holding penalty. This doesn’t show up as much in a box score, but these are huge, winning plays.
Play No. 6
This one is just hilarious to me. Tart has the Commanders so freaked out they are trying to jump the snap to get an extra split second of advantage to help themselves from their destined fate.
Again, you’d never know it from the box score, but Tart had these boys shook all day.
Play No. 7
And, of course, how could we talk about Pop Tart without discussing his incredible coverage skills. Word on the street is he may even play some corner soon if Farley keeps it up!
All jokes aside, Tart is adept enough and coordinated enough to make these kinds of plays, as we saw in Indy.
The Titans dropped rushers into coverage all day against Wentz. Here, Wentz doesn’t read it well. Tart drops back into coverage right around the goal line here and makes an acrobatic leap to knock the pass away from the intended target.
THIS IS A NOSE TACKLE!!
Wrapping it up
It feels like every week I do a breakdown on the Titans’ defensive line. Between Weaver, Autry, Simmons, and now Tart, it’s easy to see why.
The defensive line has to continue to dominate week to week for this team to have a chance to win. They are doing it without about 40 million dollars in edge rushers. Tart popping off the screen each week and making a big jump from his 2021 form is a big reason why.
