Titans in top half of NFL in average expected rushing yards

It’s no secret that the Tennessee Titans’ offense has been lackluster through the first six games of the 2023 season.

Tennessee’s offense currently ranks bottom 10 in several major categories, including points per game (17.3), yards per game (283.5), and third-down conversion percentage (33.8 percent).

Even the rushing attack, which is normally the Titans’ strength, has had its issues. However, one particular metric shows Tennessee is actually doing a decent job setting their running backs up for success.

According to data analyst Arjun Menon, the Titans rank 14th in expected rushing yards per designed run play outside the red zone, coming in at approximately 4.6 yards.

This metric essentially helps to show how well run plays are being schemed up, combined with how efficient the run-blocking has been between the 20s.

Here’s how many yards offenses have been expected to gain on average on designed rushing plays outside the redzone so far this season (basically a measure of how well teams are setting up their rushers for success). Chargers are last by a full 0.6 yards than the 2nd worst team pic.twitter.com/9funU9Mqbp

— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) October 19, 2023

While the Titans rank sixth in yards per carry (4.6), they haven’t been running the football as much.

Tennessee’s 145 attempts rank tied for 25th, and the team is averaging just the 19th-most rushing yards per contest (110.3). The Titans are typically at or near the top of the league in both of those categories.

When the Titans return from the bye, they desperately need to get their running game going early and often, especially if one of their young quarterbacks is at the helm in place of an injured Ryan Tannehill.