Tennessee Titans

But if anyone in Tennessee was plotting a deep playoff run akin to the Titans' unlikely charge to the AFC Championship Game back in the 2019 season, a huge wrench has just been thrown in those plans.

Indeed, the Titans must now deal with a significant piece of adversity following the news Derrick Henry suffered a foot injury in their Week 8 victory over the Indianapolis Colts that could keep him out for the rest of the season.

There is some hope Henry could return this campaign but the reality is they will be without the clear focal point of their offense for the majority of a run that will determine their playoff seeding, the Titans appearing destined for the postseason having taken a commanding three-game lead in the AFC South.

Gone are Henry's hopes of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record, though his absence does not necessarily mean the end of the Titans' hopes of seriously contending in the AFC.

While the Titans have piled much of the offensive burden on a running back who has 288 more rushing yards than any other in the NFL, there has been enough evidence from Ryan Tannehill to suggest he can handle the increased pressure not having Henry will bring, and his connection with a third-year receiver living up to his burgeoning reputation may help him do that.

Tannehill on target

His performance in Sunday's dramatic 34-31 overtime win over the Colts was not Tannehill's finest.

Tannehill was intercepted twice in the first half, his first setting up Indianapolis' second touchdown to put the Colts 14-0.

The second pick was fumbled back to the Titans on the return, Tannehill taking advantage of that reprieve to lead the Titans down the field and tie the game at 14-14.

From that point on, Tannehill was largely in rhythm, displaying timing and accuracy that was reflected by his well-thrown percentage from Week 8.

Per Stats Perform data, Tannehill delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 84.4 per cent of his 33 pass attempts.

Tannehill's ratio in that regard being so high is not a surprise, given he has excelled throughout the season at producing on-target throws.

Among quarterbacks with at least 50 pass attempts, only Joe Burrow (84) has a superior percentage of well-thrown balls than Tannehill (82.9).

With his 7.95 air yards per attempt below the league-wide average of 8.19, Tannehill may need to get more aggressive to help Tennessee record more explosive plays minus the services of a back in Henry who leads the NFL with 20 rushes of 10 yards or more in 2021.

Yet when he is in a groove, Tannehill can be a difficult quarterback to slow down, especially when his top receiver is performing at his highest standard.

Brown at this best

The Titans did not have Julio Jones against the Colts, but his absence was ultimately immaterial as A.J. Brown emphatically rose to the challenge of replacing his production in a monstrous showing.

Brown finished with season highs in catches (10) and receiving yards (155) and galloped in for a 57-yard catch and run that tied matters in the second quarter, demonstrating his upside with ball in hand by shrugging off a weak tackle attempt from Xavier Rhodes and surging down the sideline and into the endzone.

His chemistry with Tannehill evident throughout an undulating contest, Brown proved near-impossible to stop on the slant route, getting open on 90.9 per cent of his targets according to Stats Perform data.

While Brown appears to be coming into form, the Titans will need more from Jones having traded for the former Atlanta Falcons star in the offseason.

Jones is producing a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, on 59.3 per cent of his targets, below the average of 60.8 for receivers (min. five targets) this season.

With the safety net of Henry gone, the Titans will likely need to lean on the passing game more to allow them to set up running opportunities against two-high safety defenses with lighter boxes designed to stop the aerial attack.

The Titans do not require Jones to separate to the extent Brown did against Indianapolis, but more consistency in beating defenders from the seven-time Pro Bowler is a must if Tennessee's offense is to excel without Henry against defenses of the standard they will face in Week 9.

Huge test out west

The credentials of the Henry-less Titans will be tested sternly right off the bat, as they travel to take on a Los Angeles Rams team that just received a huge boost to their defense.

On Monday it was reported the Rams had struck a deal for three-time first-team All-Pro Von Miller, who leads the league in sacks since 2011 with 110.5 and is still performing at an elite level at the age of 32. 

Miller's arrival sees him join Aaron Donald on the Rams' defensive front, giving Los Angeles two players who feature in the top four in Stats Perform's adjusted pass rush win percentage.

Prior to Week 8, Donald led the way with a stunt-adjusted win percentage of 60.2, while Miller was fourth on 47.1. That duo now gets to face a Titans offensive line that went into the week ranked 30th in pass protection win percentage.

Tannehill, therefore, should expect to come under plenty of fire in this primetime road game, meaning he will need to get the ball out quickly to negate the pass rush.

His snap to release time of 2.59 seconds is quicker than the average of 2.65 seconds, but a significant part of his potential success in maintaining that will be receivers expediently gaining the separation to give him the confidence to let rip with those quick-game throws that can keep him in rhythm.

That may be a tough ask against a secondary featuring an All-Pro corner in Jalen Ramsey who, prior to Week 8, had lost just six of his 70 coverage matchups.

But when Brown and Jones are both are healthy, the Titans have the receiving weapons to lean on the pass-catchers who do not draw Ramsey's coverage.

Tennessee's success in exploiting the matchups where the Titans have the advantage will play a critical role in deciding who wins the meeting with the Rams. The trip to Los Angeles figures to serve as an excellent barometer of where the Titans are without Henry, and it is the play of Tannehill, Brown and Jones that will determine how much of a threat they can be without their most feared weapon.

Tennessee punched their ticket to the postseason as division champions with a 34-3 rout of the Miami Dolphins, who were eliminated from playoff contention.

With the Kansas City Chiefs losing to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Titans' victory saw them jump to the top of the AFC, meaning they will clinch a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a Week 18 win over the lowly Houston Texans.

While the Titans donned AFC South champion t-shirts in the locker room after the game, Tannehill conceded he was struggling to find a balance between celebrating that achievement and focusing on what they still have to do.

"That was a battle I was having in [the locker room] myself," the Titans quarterback said. "I'm thinking: Try to enjoy the moment and celebrate, but I'm going around telling the guys that we're just getting started.

"It's a big step and enjoy it, but we're just getting started. We've got a long way to go and that was kind of my message going around to the guys.

"Definitely try to enjoy the moment and celebrate today for what it is, but just knowing in the back of our minds that our ultimate goals aren't done yet.

"We've still got a long way to go."

Tannehill's top target, wide receiver A.J. Brown, added: "We had to worry about ourselves and we had to win today.

"We are not really worried about anyone else no matter what cards we were dealt. We had to win today, and we got the win today.

"Next week, it's going to be winning next week, against Houston. We know that right now, it's playoff football. And we are already trying to get in form, because it gets tougher."

The Titans' Cinderella playoff run came to an end in the AFC Championship game, Tennessee missing out on a place in the Super Bowl with a 35-24 defeat at Arrowhead Stadium.

It was a game that marked the end of a 40-year coaching career for Pees, who won Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.

Mariota was selected second overall by the Titans in 2015 but has not been able to live up to the expectations that came with his lofty draft position.

He lost the starting quarterback job to Ryan Tannehill after a Week 6 defeat to the Denver Broncos and, though he did play two snaps in the postseason, he was left largely to watch from the sidelines as his replacement excelled.

Mariota is a free agent this offseason and appears destined for a change of scenery.

"The organisation took a chance on me, and I felt like I gave them everything I've got," Mariota told reporters as the Titans players cleaned out their lockers on exit day.

"Obviously, we're not sure what is going to happen. But I know when it is all said and done, I gave this organisation everything I could.

"It is never easy, but being around these guys, being around this coaching staff, they helped me along with it. I've built a lot of relationships with these guys, and it's been truly special.

"No matter what, this game will be done for all of us at some point, but the relationships will last. I am truly grateful for the time with these guys."

Brown, 24, is one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL, and plays at a premier position, but Robinson indicated the franchise was not willing to pay him the contract he desired.

Despite his immense talent, Brown had the least productive season of his career in 2021 as he was restricted to 13 games, while the Titans opted to buck the league trend of increasing pass attempts, instead running the ball at a high rate.

Tennessee's number one target finished the season with 869 yards and five touchdowns from 63 catches – a career-low in yards and touchdowns.

Speaking to Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt after the first round, Robinson said it was a tough decision, but that Brown's contract demands were too much.

"The decision we made on A.J. Brown was a tough one," he said. "We appreciate everything he did on the team and in the community.

"We got to a spot where it was going to be hard to get a deal done… the gap [in contract extension value] was too big."

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said it was painful to part ways with a player he cares deeply about.

"I love A.J. Brown personally," he said. "We went to the extreme to keep A.J. Brown here. 

"I was involved in the entire process. It was a difficult one to get through, and the gap was big."

Speaking about Treylon Burks, whom they acquired with the 18th overall pick received in exchange for Brown, Vrabel said: "We liked Treylon Burks even when A.J. was on our roster."

The Titans are staying with Joshua Dobbs at quarterback for Saturday's clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that will determine the winner of the AFC South.

Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel made the decision on Monday, four days after Dobbs made his first career start in a 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

“I think he’s ready for the opportunity and looking forward to it,” Vrabel said.

Thursday’s defeat to the Cowboys marked the sixth straight loss for the Titans, dropping them to 7-9 and just behind the 8-8 Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South. The winner of Saturday’s matchup in Jacksonville will secure the division title and fourth seed in the AFC.

Dobbs didn’t do much to impress against the Cowboys, completing 20-of-39 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and interception. However, he had just been signed off the Detroit Lions' practice squad eight days earlier, so the Titans considered it a good starting point.

"I think that there will be some things that we'll try to add or maybe things that we practiced last week that we didn't run,” Vrabel said. "I think it's just going to be good to have a full week and be able to have first and second down, third down, red zone emphasis — that's probably where him not having been here as much, I think we need to dive into his knowledge of the overall red zone and everything that's going on down there."

Dobbs, a fourth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, also showed more promise than rookie Malik Willis, who had taken over at quarterback after Ryan Tannehill was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Willis is 1-2 as a starter while throwing three interceptions without a TD pass. His 234 passing yards in his three starts are two more than Dobbs threw on Thursday.

Willis also had the luxury of playing alongside Derrick Henry in the backfield, while Dobbs played last Thursday without the two-time league rushing leader as he was inactive in Week 17 because of a hip injury.

Henry is slated to return for the winner-take-all matchup with the Jaguars.

Running back Henry was once again the star as the Titans returned to the postseason with an 11-5 record, their best since 2008 – also the last time they had won the AFC South.

But having come up short against eventual champions the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 AFC Championship Game, Tennessee fell at the first hurdle this time.

The Baltimore Ravens, still hurting from their shock defeat against Henry and Co the previous season, prevailed 20-13 in the Wild Card round.

So the Titans must regroup again ahead of the 2021 campaign, surely again looking to Henry to provide their spark while negotiating a challenging offseason.

The league's Offensive Player of the Year will certainly need some help, as our study with Stats Perform data shows.

Offense

It came as no surprise that the Titans ranked as high as second in rushing yards last season (168.1 per game) given Henry's incredible consistency.

There was not a rushing metric in which Henry did not lead the NFL, attempting 378 rushes, at 23.6 per game, for 2,027 yards (126.7 per game) and 17 touchdowns – league-high marks across the board.

Tennessee rushed on 50.5 per cent of plays – ranking third – and Henry carried the load almost single-handedly. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was next for total yardage with 266.

But the flaws in this approach were laid bare by the Ravens, who got to grips with Henry.

He was restricted to 18 attempts for just 40 yards. Only once in his NFL career – in a Week 17 win over Jacksonville in 2017 – had Henry previously averaged less than 2.2 yards with 18 rushes or more.

This reliance on Henry in their biggest games ultimately proved damaging, even as the rest of the offense also largely performed well.

Tannehill finished the year with a passer rating of 106.5 – fifth in the NFL – but he threw fewer passes (481) than any other QB to start 16 games, while the Titans were 23rd in net passing yards (228.3 per game).

Wide receivers A.J. Brown (70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 TDs) and Corey Davis (65 receptions for 984 yards and five TDs) each put up impressive career-best numbers, yet they ranked joint-32nd and joint-38th respectively for catches.

With the focus on Henry, their season stopped when he was slowed.

Defense

Even with Baltimore impressively handling Henry, a rare bad game might have been less of an issue had the defense been able to hold up.

Across the regular season, the Titans ranked 28th for opponent yards per game (398.3), including 277.4 net passing yards per game, 29th best in the league.

The franchise paid the price for some big free agency misses in the form of edge rushers Vic Beasley Jr. and Jadeveon Clowney, who signed one-year contracts worth a combined $22.2million and failed to contribute a single sack between them.

Clowney played eight games before he was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury, while Beasley showed up late to training camp and played just five times before he was released.

A defensive unit that shared a locker room with the best running back in the sport was at least slightly better at disrupting their opponents' ground game, but they still allowed 120.8 rushing yards per game (19th in the league).

As a result, too often Tennessee could not get their opponents off the field and put the ball in Henry's hands.

Opponents spent 31 minutes and 32 seconds in possession on average (27th in the league), while the Titans recorded only 19 sacks, ranking 30th.

Even on the rare occasions they did successfully put teams under pressure, the Titans were dead last in third-down stops. A massive 51.9 per cent of third downs against them were converted, including 42.6 per cent of attempts of six yards or more and 37.7 per cent of 10 yards or more.

Offseason

There is lots to do before the new season starts if the Titans are to be competitive again. Indeed, the scale of the task might well mean a Super Bowl run is beyond them in 2021, even with Henry a force once more.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's departure to Atlanta, where he will be the Falcons' head coach, prompted the promotion of Todd Downing to a role he has served in for only one year previously, with the Raiders in 2017.

And he will have his work cut out if the Titans are to come close to maintaining last season's standard.

The team declined Davis' fifth-year option prior to his career-best year, making him an unrestricted free agent, while tight ends Jonnu Smith (eight TDs in 2020) and Anthony Firkser are also leaving. Slot receiver Adam Humphries, injured and expensive last year, will be less of a miss.

It means Brown is the only remaining Titan to have posted more than 200 receiving yards for the team in 2020.

On defense, meanwhile, the short-lived failures of Clowney and Beasley mean there is again a gaping hole at the edge position.

Tennessee have just $10.6m of cap room to work with and, although they at least still have their draft picks, some tough weeks and months lie ahead.

The Titans sent a 2022 second-round draft pick as well as a 2023 fourth-round selection to the Atlanta Falcons to get Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick in return.

Jones had been connected with a number of NFL franchises after expressing his desire to leave the Falcons – who struggled to a 4-12 record in 2020 – after 10 successful seasons.

He will now team up with Pro Bowler Brown to catch passes from quarterback Tannehill on a Titans team that also contains Offensive Player of the Year running back Derrick Henry.

"I looked at my phone, and my daughter was laying next to me and I jumped out of bed, and said, 'Is this really real?' I kind of woke my daughter up," Brown – who has said Jones has inspired his journey to the NFL – said about the moment he found out a deal had been done.

"I had to calm down for a little bit. When I got the news, it was kind of crazy. My phone started blowing up. 

"I think this is really huge for Tennessee, not just for me, but this is huge for the city, our team. We are glad to have him.

"The city right now is electric, [fans] are pumped to get a guy like Julio Jones on the team. I think the team loves it, guys are reaching out. I think everyone is really pleased with it."

Jones has topped the NFL for receiving yards twice in his career (2015 and 2018), making the Pro Bowl on seven occasions.

While injuries limited him to nine games and 771 yards in 2020 and he turned 32 this year, the Titans hope Jones can still produce elite play that will help them launch a Super Bowl run.

"It is wild," said Tannehill. "I am excited, I am fired up. I didn't know if it was going to happen or not, and was kind of along for the ride like everybody else. My agent called me and said it was going to happen.

"I am excited. How could you not be excited to play for a guy with the calibre of talent Julio is and has been for his whole career? 

"I am excited to get to know him as a person and welcome him to the team."

Titans general manager Jon Robinson insists Jones will play the team game in pursuit of success despite his illustrious individual achievements.

"In my discussion with Julio, what's his number one goal, it wasn't about [receiving] targets, it wasn't about that, his goal is to win," he said.

"That's the mindset we're looking for, whether that's nine targets, whether that's two targets or no targets. Contribute to winning the football game – that's the mindset he has and that's the mindset we have as a football team.

"He's big, he's fast, he's tough, he's great with the ball in his hands, willing blocker. 

"A lot of the things we ask of our receivers, it's get open, catch and block. He certainly checks those boxes and has done it at a high level for a lot of years in the National Football League."

The Titans have had five straight winning seasons, reaching the AFC Championship game in 2019 before going 11-5 to win the AFC South last year, only to lose to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wildcard round.

With Jones joining Tannehill, Brown and Henry, hopes are high for a deep postseason run.

"We don't set expectations," added Robinson. "Everybody has a chance to go the distance and win the thing. 

"Ultimately, it's our job to try to put a team out there that's going to be competitive, that's going to play stylistically the way that we want to play and I'm excited about this team."

Three Titans players and five personnel officials returned positive COVID-19 tests, the NFL announced.

The Minnesota Vikings, whom the Titans defeated 31-30 on Sunday, have also put a halt to in-person activities.

"Out of the abundance of caution, the organisation has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the COVID-19 virus," the Titans said in a statement.

"Several tests have come back positive and [we] are working through the process of confirming them. We will have more information tomorrow [Wednesday]."

An NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) statement added: "On Tuesday morning, the Titans COVID testing results returned three new player positives and five new personnel positives. The Titans will suspend in-person club activities starting today. Likewise the Vikings, who played the Titans on Sunday, will also suspend in-person club activities.

"Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and NFLPA, including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments.

"All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available."

ESPN reported the Titans' facility will be shut down until Saturday, throwing their Week 4 clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday into doubt.

The Vikings are scheduled to face the Houston Texans on Sunday.

The deal is worth a total of $94million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Simmons was entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.

The No. 19 overall draft pick in 2019, Simmons has become a key member of the Titans' defense, being named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro Second Team in each of the last two seasons.

Simmons gave Tennessee fans a bit of a scare on social media earlier on Friday, posting an apparent goodbye to the organisation.

"Titans Nation, thank you for the last 4 years! I am so grateful for you guys…..," Simmons posted on Twitter.

Aware of the ongoing contract negotiations between the Titans and 'Big Jeff', Tennessee fans flocked to the comments looking for answers.

Simmons responded soon after with the other half of his message, seemingly announcing that he will be in Tennessee for the near future.

"But we are not done yet, dammit! LFG!!!! We have so much work to do!" he added in his subsequent post, allowing Titans fans a sigh of relief.

At 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, Simmons has emerged as one of the best interior pass-rushers in pro football, totalling 21 sacks over four seasons, including 8.5 in 2021.

Simmons, who will turn 26 before the start of the season, also has 188 total tackles and 46 quarterback hits in his four years with the Titans.

Vrabel saw his team crushed 35-10 at Lincoln Financial Field as the Eagles improved to 11-1 in an outstanding season.

Former Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown, traded to the Eagles on draft day this year, had eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns against his former team in a superb display.

For Tennessee, the blowout loss comes on the heels of a narrow loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, dropping them to 7-5.

The Titans are almost certainly going to win a poor AFC South division, but these back-to-back defeats raise substantial questions about Tennessee's ability to contend for postseason success.

"I think we are at a crossroads," Vrabel said. "I told the team I think we are at a crossroads at kind of how we want to continue down this season.

"We can't point fingers. We have to assume that each and every one of us didn't do a good enough job because we didn't.

"We have to come to work with greater energy and greater resolve to prepare to win a football game against a division opponent.

"It sucks losing, it sucks getting beat the way we did but we have to make a decision, how much are we willing to invest and trust in what the coaches are doing, trust in what each of the players are doing. I think it’s a critical time for us."

The Titans will be favoured to get back on track next week when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Tennessee's Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed until later in the NFL season after a number of players and team staff tested positive for COVID-19.

In-person club activities were suspended by the Titans last Tuesday after eight cases were announced. 

There were further positive outcomes during testing in the following days too, though Monday's reported update raises hopes they will be able to play in Week 5. 

Per NFL protocols amid the global health pandemic, Tennessee will need a second successive round of negative tests to be able to reopen their facilities. 

They are due to host the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium on Sunday, a clash between two teams with unbeaten records in the early stages of the 2020 campaign.

With Week 4 now serving as a bye week for both the Titans and Steelers, the NFL opted to move their game to Week 7. 

Pittsburgh will now visit Tennessee on October 25, with the Titans' scheduled Week 7 clash with the Baltimore Ravens on that date shifted to November 1. 

As a consequence of the schedule changes, Baltimore's bye week will move up from Week 8 to Week 7.

Vrabel told reporters via video conference that he woke up on Sunday with a sore throat and went to the team's facility for a coronavirus test, which came back positive. A second test also was positive.

The 46-year-old Vrabel has previously said he is vaccinated. 

"As of now, I’ll be in quarantine, following the protocols and trying to do my best to help the football team while I am [home]," he told reporters.

"I am very confident in our football team, our coaching staff, our organization, that no matter what the situation is, we’ll handle it."

The Titans spent several days last week in Tampa holding joint practices with the Buccaneers ahead of Saturday's pre-season game, which Tennessee won 34-3. 

ESPN reported the Buccaneers were waiting on contact tracing, along with the Titans. 

Vrabel told reporters he was not aware of any other positive tests among the Titans on Sunday. 

Tennessee was the first NFL team to experience a major COVID-19 outbreak last season, with 13 players and 11 staff members testing positive over several weeks. 

Those issues resulted in two games being rescheduled. 

The Titans' final pre-season game is set for Saturday at home against the Chicago Bears. 

They will host the Arizona Cardinals on September 12 to open the regular season. 

The Titans had until 16:00 ET to reach an agreement with the 2019 NFL rushing leader, who previously accepted his franchise tender and would have earned $10.3million this season without a new contract.

Henry's new deal with the Titans is reportedly a four-year, $50m contract.

The 26-year-old's contract is the fourth-largest active deal for a running back, behind only the Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott (six years, $90m), Carolina Panthers' Christian McCaffrey (four years, $64m) and the New York Jets' Le'Veon Bell (four years, $52.5m).

Henry – the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner – earned his big payday by leading the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards and tying for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns during a breakout 2019 regular season.

He then helped Tennessee advance to the AFC Championship game by rushing for a combined 377 yards in the Titans' upset playoff wins at the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.

Henry's rushing yardage total was the fourth-highest in a season in franchise history, and the most since Chris Johnson led the NFL with 2,006 in 2009.

A second-round pick by Tennessee in the 2016 draft, Henry is the second significant offensive player the team has locked up with a long-term deal this offseason. The Titans were able to re-sign starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a four-year, $118m contract in March.

The Tennessee Titans defensive end was placed on injured reserve last month but a return in time to feature in the playoffs was initially anticipated.

However, a report on Sunday revealed Clowney had a procedure this week to repair his left meniscus and faces "months of rehab".

The pass rusher will not play again this year, although he should be fit in time to enter free agency in March.

Clowney, the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, was paid $13million by the Titans for this season after leaving the Seattle Seahawks but played in just eight games.

The three-time Pro Bowler had 14 tackles (four for loss) and six quarterback hits, while forcing one fumble, but did not register a single sack for Tennessee.

Clowney has struggled to rediscover his form from across the 2017 and 2018 seasons when he put up a combined 18.5 sacks for 141.5 yards for the Houston Texans.

Outside linebacker Harold Landry III will miss the entire season after suffering a torn ACL in practice Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.  

Landry set career highs last year with 75 total tackles, 12 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.  

A second-round draft pick in 2018, Landry signed a contract extension with the Titans earlier this offseason worth up to $87.5million over five years.  

Landry has 31 career sacks, more than double any other Tennessee player since 2018.  

Landry’s loss will put more pressure on Bud Dupree to pressure opposing quarterbacks, although the former Pittsburgh Steeler had a disappointing first season in Tennessee in 2021, starting six games and managing just three sacks.  

Ola Adeniyi and Rashad Weaver are the other outside linebackers who made the Titans’ 53-man roster, but that pair has just 2.5 career sacks combined.  

Derrick Henry rushed for two touchdowns as the Titans dominated at LP Field in a clash that was postponed due to positive coronavirus tests.

Ryan Tannehill completed 21 of 28 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns, including twice connecting with Jonnu Smith, and the quarterback rushed for one of his own as the Titans scored six TDs.

Buffalo were level after the first quarter, with Isaiah McKenzie scoring after Tannehill and A.J. Brown had earlier connected on a 16-yard pass.

Henry rushed over to restore the Titans' lead in the second quarter and Tannehill's 10-yard run saw them into a 21-10 half-time lead.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who went 26 of 41 for 263 yards with two TDs, threw one of his two interceptions to Malcolm Butler in the third quarter and the Titans capitalised through a Smith TD.

Given plenty of time, Allen found T.J. Yeldon with a 22-yard pass into the end zone in the fourth quarter, but Henry and Smith ensured the Titans pulled away for a comprehensive victory.

The Titans are top of the AFC South, while the Bills (4-1) remain in first place in the AFC East.

News of Carthon's hire in Tennessee was reported by NFL Network on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old had been the San Francisco 49ers' director of player personnel, having previously held a similar role with the Los Angeles Rams.

He had also been a scout with the Atlanta Falcons.

Carthon is replacing Jon Robinson, who was fired in early December.

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement explaining that decision: "I am proud of what we have accomplished in my eight seasons of ownership, but I believe there is more to be done and higher aspirations to be met."

Robinson had been the GM since 2016, with the team reaching the playoffs in four of his seven seasons.

The defensive end had gone unsigned throughout the majority of the offseason after spending the 2019 season with the Seattle Seahawks, where he was traded to by the Houston Texans.

Seattle were keen on bringing him back, while the New Orleans Saints also made a push to add him to their defense.

However, Clowney, the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, played for Titans head coach Mike Vrabel when he was the defensive coordinator in Houston and the two have been reunited after the 27-year-old signed a one-year deal reportedly worth a maximum $15million.

He has 32 sacks through six seasons and has never reached double-digit sacks in a single campaign, with injuries a problem during his career.

However, at his best, Clowney is a disruptive presence off the edge who is excellent against the run.

The Titans, who reached the AFC Championship Game last season, begin their 2020 campaign against the Denver Broncos on September 14.

The decision to keep the 26-year-old is hardly a surprise after he led the NFL in rushing in 2019, finishing the regular season with 1,450 yards and 16 touchdowns as Tennessee made the playoffs.

Henry also played a pivotal role in their run to the AFC Championship Game, going for 182 and 195 yards respectively in upset road wins over the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens.

The Kansas City Chiefs ended their Super Bowl hopes, but the Titans have opted to retain the core of their offense.

They announced on Sunday that quarterback Ryan Tannehill has signed a four-year contract extension, a move that not only seemingly ends speculation linking them with Tom Brady but also cleared the way for them to use the tag on Henry.

While Henry is staying put, fellow running back Devonta Freeman is now a free agent after being released by the Atlanta Falcons.

Freeman recorded 1,000-yard seasons in 2015 and 2016 but has struggled since signing a five-year, $41.25million contract in 2017.

He played just two games in 2018 due to injury, while his final campaign with the Falcons saw him finish with a career-low average of 3.6 yards per carry as part of a rushing attack that struggled.

As well as Freeman, Atlanta are also cutting cornerback Desmond Trufant. The moves will save them just under $8.5m in cap space ahead of the 2020 season, which officially starts on Wednesday.

Jones has battled a hamstring injury this season, limiting his impact for the Titans, who acquired him in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons in June. 

The seven-time Pro Bowler, who was limited to nine games with the Falcons last year because of injury, has made 21 catches for 336 yards in six games for the Titans.

He will now have to miss at least three games before being allowed to return.

The Titans sit atop the AFC having compiled a 7-2 record through the first nine games.

Jones will miss this Sunday's clash with the New Orleans Saints as well as meetings with the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.

His absence places further pressure on quarterback Ryan Tannehill and leading receiver A.J. Brown to carry the offense, which had already lost star running back Derrick Henry to a fractured foot.