Concerns are being raised about the Tennessee Titans‘ secondary after their preseason debut. Despite fielding their starters, the secondary got taken advantage of by the San Francisco 49ers‘ second-string offense. Backup quarterback Kurtis Rourke completed 12-of-14 passing attempts. Rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling routinely got the better off starting Titans corners Alontae Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott, who the team committed more than $100 million to in free agency.

It’s also true that Cam Ward and the Titans’ offense have routinely gotten the better of the secondary at training camp practices. Yet the first-string offense was not productive versus the 49ers, with Ward struggling with accuracy and timing. It added another layer to the secondary discussion.

Advertisement

Though the Titans clearly need the secondary to be more productive than they were versus the 49ers (small sample size), head coach Robert Saleh needs his defensive line to be the catalyst that drives his defense forward. The Titans’ best player on defense is unquestionably defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Saleh had full autonomy when revamping the defensive line this offseason, acquiring players he’d previously coached like John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Jacob Martin, Solomon Thomas, and Jordan Elliott.

This Titans defense will be as productive as the front seven allows them to be. Linebackers Cedric Gray, Cody Barton, James Williams, and rookie Anthony Hill Jr. have also consistently been making plays at practice and in the preseason. Together with the defensive line, they could combine to cause havoc up front for the opposition.

Taylor and Flott need to be better than they’ve been. Sophomore starters Marcus Harris and Kevin Winston Jr. need to take productive steps forward for the secondary to reach their potential. All of the above remains true, but the secondary needs Saleh’s front seven to make their lives considerably easier once regular season football begins.