INGLEWOOD, Calif. – On two snaps 20 seconds apart, Jeffery Simmons and Kevin Byard forced Matthew Stafford into a pair of terrible decisions. The stunning sequence ended with Byard sprinting to the end zone carrying the second of Stafford’s back-to-back interceptions.
With star running back Derrick Henry sidelined for at least the near future, the Tennessee Titans might need a new identity on their Super Bowl quest.
In their first game without the NFL’s two-time reigning rushing champion and current league leader, the Titans found it: They’re a dominant defensive team capable of forcing even Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams’ powerful passing offense into game-changing mistakes.
Byard returned Stafford’s second consecutive pick 24 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Tennessee’s defense carried the Titans to a 28-16 victory in a showdown between conference co-leaders.
“Those guys played fantastic,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of his defense. “It was fun to watch them play. … We really think that group is playing with a lot of confidence right now. That they would be able to come in here and play the way they did and hold them to field goals – and we played great in the red zone.”