Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Cameron Wake, center, waits to run a drill during an organized team activity on Tuesday in Nashville.NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans expect more sacks from defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ unit this season – but though that is part of the group’s goal of overall improvement, piling up the numbers in that single statistical category is not its primary focus.
“We get so caught up sometimes in like, well, if a guy didn’t have a lot of sacks that he must not be playing particularly well,” Pees said. “Well, the team that led the league last year in sacks was also 31st on defense. Between me, I’d rather be eight on defense and midway in the sacks, just me personally. Guys who have a lot of sacks doesn’t mean they’re playing great defense. It means they got a lot of sacks.”
Tennessee had 39 sacks in 2018, tying for 16th in the NFL. The Titans would like to be better in that category.
Nonetheless, Pees is more worried about the Titans doing what’s asked of them within the defensive scheme, even if that means sacrificing sack numbers. Tennessee made a few personnel changes to a defense that ranked third in fewest points allowed, eighth in fewest yards allowed and sixth against the pass in 2018.
Brian Orakpo had 1.5 sacks in his final season before announcing his retirement, and the Titans didn’t bring back veteran linebacker Derrick Morgan, who managed only a half-sack in 2018. Tennessee’s big offseason move came with the signing of free agent Cameron Wake, who has 98 sacks in his NFL career but turned 37 in January. Four-time Pro Bowl lineman Jurrell Casey led Tennessee with seven sacks last year, when veteran linebacker Wesley Woodyard had 4.5.