Titans' Tackling Needs To Beat Dolphins' Speed on MNF

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – If the Titans are going to break through for their first win of the season Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium against the Dolphins, they’ll have to slow down one of the NFL’s fastest offenses.

“You can’t simulate (Miami’s speed),” Brian Callahan said after the second of three practices focusing on the Dolphins. “We used to play Indy back in the day when they had (Dwight) Freeney and (Robert) Mathis and on scout team we would line them up a yard offsides so the tackles could feel how fast they’d be. It’s things like that. You can’t simulate that with the receivers, necessarily.

L'Jarius Sneed and Tyreek Hill
J'Jarius Sneed manhandles Tyreek Hill in last year's playoffs

“You cannot simulate how fast and how explosive those guys are. That’s why they are who they are.”

They are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, receivers capable of running away from anyone at anytime.

But the Titans traded for L’Jarius Sneed because he proved able in Kansas City to clamp down Hill and others of his caliber. In last season’s Miami-KC playoff game, Sneed allowed one 9-yard reception to Hill and was so physical with him at the line on some occasions that he eliminated him from plays. Hill did find a long TD against the Chiefs' other excellent corner, Trent McDuffie.

“We know what to do to stop his speed and we’re going to keep that with us,” Sneed said.

I think the video offers a pretty good hint about the approach.

Also working in the Titans’ favor: Tyler Huntley will play quarterback with Tue Tagovailoa on IR due to a concussion, and “Snoop’s” career yards per attempt is 5.27 with a high season of 7.11. Tagovailoa’s career mark is 7.64 and at his peak in 2022 it was 9.22.

Tennessee is coming off a poor tackling game. Dennard Wilson said 15 missed cost the team 118 yards.

The Titans will need to be far more efficient in getting the Dolphins' speedsters, including De’Von Achane, to the ground.

“They are fast guys,” Ernest Jones said. “Handling their speed goes into the disguises and coverages that we have set up for them. Ultimately that is something we really can’t manage until we get out there and go against them. We know they are fast. We’ve just go to go out there and handle it accordingly.”

As it pertains to the electric Achane, the Titans need to do much better setting the edge and forcing perimeter runs back to Jeffery Simmons (who’s questionable with a bad elbow) and T’Vondre Sweat in the middle of the field.

“It should be fairly easy to correct,” Jones said. “It should be. But football happens. Within the play, something may happen. But the goal is to set edges and force it back.”