A SWOT analysis of the Titans-Browns match

After months of waiting, NFL football has finally arrived! This year, I want to take a slightly different approach to game preview. SWOT analysis is a method of study often used by organizations as a strategic decision-making framework. The term "SWOT" is simply an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We will use this format to break down the Browns game this week.

Strengths

1. Titans secondary

Some indicators do not like what the Titans defense did last season – Football Outsiders, DVOA, ranked them 21st among the best defenses against the NFL, but others do:

• 9th in the NFL as a percentage of completion allowed
• 8th in the NFL in yards allowed by pass attempt
• 8th in the NFL in the ranking of the authorized opponent
• 8th in the NFL in passing yards per pass (yards in yards lost to sacks)
• 6th in the NFL total allowed passing yards
• 3rd in the NFL total of authorized passes

Whatever statistics you choose to believe, I feel that high school was an obvious strength of this training last year. Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro, Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler and Adoree Jackson are back together again this year with Defense Coordinator Dean Pees and High School Coach Kerry Coombs. This continuity seems to be useful for a unit that needs excellent communication and coordination to succeed.

The Titans also add Amani Hooker's fourth round pick to the mix. He has been very good in camp and pre-season and gives the coaching staff a lot of flexibility with "big nickel" and "big penny" packages that I think we'll see added to the defense this year. It's a talented and deep group that should be as good or better than last season.

2. Titans inside linebackers

Rashaan Evans, Jayon Brown and Wesley Woodyard offer the Titans one of the most talented and diverse NFL linebackers. Woodyard, after leading the Titans in the attack for each of the last two years, plans to go back to the rotation role this year. Although it is fair to say that it has begun to slow down a little at the beginning of the season, its main expected reduction factor is the emergence of Evans and Brown.

After playing as a linebacker in his rookie season, Brown had a veritable sabbatical year in 2018. He finished the second season in the tackles team (97), second in the team sacks (6), second in the team tackle for the loss (8), 3rd in the team in success in the quarter (10), 5th in the defending team (6) and tie in the lead of the forced escape team (2). Pro Football Focus ranked ninth among the best linebackers in the world of football last year. Brown is simply a playmaker. He has tremendous speed and athleticism, but his football instincts make him special. I believe Brown is the best NFL player whose casual fans have never heard of.

Rashaan Evans, first choice in 2018, will join Brown in the starting lineup this year. Evans started slowly last season after facing a garter problem that cost him all the training camp and the pre-season. However, the light clicked for the Alabama product around mid-season and it was outstanding from that point. Evans is the leader of the Titans corps, capable of shocking offensive linemen with heavy hands while having the speed to run sideways on land. It also offers some skills as a pass hunter during passes.

Evans and Brown are one of the best pairs of linebackers in the NFL at present.

3. Titans … pass the sensors?

I know … it seemed odd to even hit, but I think the Titans pass will catch a real strength for the team this season. Delanie Walker is back and has looked like her old self during camp and preseason. Marcus Mariota's relationship with him is unique and I think his return will greatly enhance his quartermaster's confidence.

Corey Davis started becoming a legitimate WR1 last year. Looking at his volume statistics, that does not tell the whole story. In an attack that averaged the average number of times in the league, Davis would have finished more than 1,200 yards at his pace. The band showed a guy with elite physical tools that was starting to put everything in place despite the little help from his casting. At the camp, Davis stole the show early in the evening, turning a hot red strip with spectacular shots at least once a day.

This year, Davis will not have to be the only and dangerous receivers of the Titans. In addition to Walker's return, the team also signed former Bucs slots receiver Adam Humphries and drafted the AJ. Brown with the 51st overall pick. Humphries gives Mariota an alternative to Walker in the middle of the field and is the type of catcher that quarterbacks can trust to open up and be in the right place at the right time. He is also very good with the ball in his hands after the restart.

Brown is a full-bodied catcher of 6 "-0" and 226 pounds, but he has fast feet and good speed that goes with the construction of this linebacker. His best attribute is his control of the ball and his ability to follow the passes in the air. After being handicapped by an injury early in the camp, Brown stepped up in recent weeks and used some of his skills in the second and third pre-season games. I would expect Tajae Sharpe to get the "start" as the third catcher of the Titans, but do not be surprised if Brown plays a lot of shots.

weaknesses

1. Titans guard right and tackle left

Titans are fortunate to have Dennis Kelly. When Jack Conklin lost the season last year, Kelly played football and excelled, finishing the season as a ranked PFF 18th. He is one of the best NFL backup attackers. However, he is not Taylor Lewan. I can not imagine that Kelly is a total disaster at the level of Will Svitek against J.J. Whatever the situation, you will need help to manage Myles Garrett and / or Olivier Vernon this weekend.

At the guardhouse, Kevin Pamphile is expected to start after standing up to Jamil Douglas and Corey Levin in a preparatory battle. But it's a level substitute and I guess the Browns will be looking to get Sheldon Richardson on him as much as possible on the passes. The Titans will need Rodger Saffold to play as an $ 11 million guard this week, as Ben Jones will likely have to keep his eyes on Pamphile in this game.

2. Titans pass the race

The Titans defense was good last year despite from their passes rushing counterparts. Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan (two retired retirees) followed one another. They managed to combine two sacks on their 26 combined starts last season. The team really struggled to put themselves under pressure without blitz.

The team hopes that Harold Landry will continue to progress in his second season and will bring veteran smuggler Cameron Wake into attack. The question is whether this will be enough to bring this group where it needs to go. Landry was eliminated from all four pre-season games – initially for maintenance reasons, but later for an injury – and we only saw 10 snapshots for Wake. We do not know if these two players can combine with Jurrell Casey to create enough pressure QB opponents this season. I am optimistic, but until that happens, it must be considered a weakness.

3. Ground kick?

The Titans put Ryan Succop in IR this week and signed the former Bucs kicker, Cairo Santos. Santos has been a pretty accurate kicker during his five-year career in the NFL, registering a career mark of 83.2%, but he does not have a lot of legs. Long field placement attempts will probably not be as much on the table as they could have been with Succop.

I do not think Santos is a huge downgrade of Succop in the precision department, but if the Titans need a late bet to win the match on Sunday, those extra meters of the leg may be missed.

opportunities

1. Establish the race

I'm not a big supporter of the race-building program – I firmly believe that passing attacks win football games in the modern NFL – but I could make an exception in this game. The Browns defense is built to defend the pass. Myles Garrett, some of Olivier Vernon's best smugglers, Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson, and one of the best young shooters of the match at Denzel Ward.

Where the Browns fight, they defend the race. Last season, Cleveland was ranked 28th in rushing yards, 31st in touchdowns, 24th in the number of attempts per attempt allowed and 25th in the defense against the race. Whatever the metric, this team had trouble stopping the race.

The Titans finished last season as a leading offensive in the league. Derrick Henry, in late December, nearly pushed them into the playoffs after a 5-6 start. All the off-season storytelling surrounding Henry was whether or not he could pick up where he left off. With pressure on the calf preventing players from going back during the first two weeks of the camp and no preparatory action to evaluate, it is impossible to know if Henry – and the offensive line of the Titans – can return to this level.

It's fair to expect a drop in the game along the offensive line because of Lewan's exit, but there's also reason to be optimistic here. Rodger Saffold is perfectly suited to the area blocking system that Arthur Smith is picking up from last season. Jack Conklin seems to have returned to his All-Pro form based on early returns, and even Kevin Pamphile should be an upgrade in regards to running the lockout over Josh Kline.

The best way to slow down an elite player is to keep him out of balance and prevent him from getting his ears stuck and rushing. It will be essential for the Titans to stay ahead of the chains in this match and this means that it is essential to be able to succeed with the race during the first trials. Forcing Garrett, Richardson, Ogunjobi and Vernon to eat a few blocks of execution, then setting up a decisive pass out of the game can slow those players down and give Mariota time to find his improved targets.

2. The offensive line of the Browns

There has been a lot of talk about how the Titans' offensive line would stand up to Myles Garrett and the Browns' top four, but the Browns' offensive line is even worse as the match approaches. Cleveland is solid on guard and center left with Joel Bitonio and J.C. Tretter, but after exchanging vigorous right guard Kevin Zeitler against striker Olivier Vernon, the other three runners go from terrible to below average. The left tackle Greg Robinson and the right guard Eric Kush are proven liabilities. Right tackle Chris Hubbard is a replacement level player.

One of the keys to this game is whether Titans can take advantage of a highly suspect offensive line. It's not just about looking after Baker Mayfield. If the Tennessee forward manages to control the line of scrimmage and bail out Browns explosive running back Nick Chubb, it will help them a lot to find success. Although Mayfield was excellent last year, he was not particularly good in the 3rd and long term situations. According to Sharp Football Stats, the Browns rank 25th in the NFL in terms of success rate.

If Cleveland ranks 3rd and longer, the Titans will also have the chance to take advantage of Browns' offensive offensive linemen. If Jurrell Casey, Harold Landry and Cameron Wake may have the opportunity to turn a blind eye when avoidable situations occur, I guess they will succeed in this case.

3. Delanie Walker vs linebackers and Browns safeties

It is hard to exaggerate how much the attack on the Titans failed Walker last year. Yes, they were able to find productions by Jonnu Smith, Anthony Firkser and MyCole Pruitt at the end of the season, but the tight end was a real black hole for the offense until the 9th week.

Walker is back and very motivated this season. Beyond that, he receives more help than he had at any other time of his time with the Titans. Corey Davis and Adam Humphries will need some attention from the Browns defense and should give Walker a match against a friendly group against a group of linebackers and protectors who are usually suspected in a blanket outside of Joe Schobert .

Schobert plays Mike's stance in the Browns defense, so I would not expect him to draw Walker in the cover. It is more likely that these tasks will fall on Christian Kirksey or Morgan Burnett in this game. It's a match that Titans should love a lot when they get it. I would expect the new offensive coordinator to have packages designed to allow Walker to meet face to face with this defense.

Threats

1. Baker MayfieldExplosive parts

Starting in Week 3 – when Mayfield took office – the Browns placed fourth in the NFL in explosive games and was one of only four teams in the top 10 in both legs ( tenth) and explosive passes (fifth) Sharp football statistics. And it was a team that did not include Odell Beckham Jr., one of the most explosive receivers in the league.

It's a bit of a force-on-strength confrontation as the Titans' defense ranked third and seventh in the league in preventing Explosive games, a nod to the influence of security, Kevin Byard. Tennessee must prevent Brown from creating game play in this game.

2. Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon

We have already talked a lot about this group, but if you want to play the worst scenario for the Titans offensive in this game, it revolves around the Browns defense that takes control of the match and makes life miserable to Marcus Mariota. Garrett is obviously the leader of the ring after a season of 13.5 sacks, the former first overall pick developing as quite expected. His mix of size, speed and strength can overwhelm opposing attackers.

The other three are not left out either. Ogunjobi just finished a successful season in second year while he had 5.5 sacks from his defensive tackle, Richardson had 4.5 with the Vikings last year and Vernon had 7 with the Giants. Although none of these players is a high level player like Garrett, they are dangerous enough to cause problems, especially when teams pay special attention to No. 95.

If I were Arthur Smith, I would try to slow down this group with the running game, the screens, and play the action as much as possible.

3. lack of familiarity

It will be difficult for Titan coaching staff to fully understand what will happen to the Browns on both sides of the ball. There have been significant changes in Cleveland, both coaching and staffing. The fact that OBJ, Vernon, Richardson and Morgan Burnett are sent by sending Zeitler and Jabrill Peppers changes the composition of the talent in attack and defense.

The biggest problem here is that the Browns head coach has exactly eight games under his belt as a qualified player at any level of football. These eight matches have obviously taken place on an interim basis after Cleveland's dismissal of Hue Jackson in mid-season. He has had tremendous success as a call to the game in this sequence, but it's hard to say how he could tinker with the offensive this season. The kitchens have brought Todd Monken, an air raid practitioner, his offensive coordinator, although the head coach retains his responsibility for the game. This offense is a little mysterious in 2019 and it will be extremely difficult for Titan coaches to pinpoint trends with such a small sample of data.

It's a similar story on the other side of the ball. Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has exactly one season to play – he spends his 2017 season in Carolina as a defensive coordinator under defensive head coach Ron Rivera. Last season, as head coach in Arizona, Wilks entrusted these tasks to his defensive coordinator, Al Holcomb. This means that it will be very difficult to determine exactly what Titans have to expect from him in certain situations.

This is going to be a situation where the adjustments in the game are critical. The Titans will surely have a plan in place, but Mike Vrabel and his staff must be ready to change and adapt quickly if the Browns come with unexpected looks.