With the Seahawks’ offensive line banged up, quarterback Russell Wilson has been doing plenty of running.
The Titans want to keep that from happening on Sunday.
“When you get a guy that’s really good that can pass and run, most guys drop back and the rushers go past him, now you’re in trouble, now the coverage is going to break down,” defensive coordinator Jerry Gray said, via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. “So you’ve got to go to more zone, and really you don’t want to do those things. You’ve got to have some other guys that are kind of watching out for him.”
In other words, the Titans plan to spy Wilson. The top candidate is linebacker Zach Brown.
The Titans also plan to try to rush Wilson not necessarily to tackle him.
“Your rush may be a little bit different,” Gray said. “You may not try to pass rush to sack him. You can pass rush to keep him in the pocket.”
None of it may matter. Apart from his physical skills, Wilson has great poise.
“I think the Lord kind of blessed me with that, first of all,” Wilson said this week. “But I truly believe that it’s just through experience. . . . I don’t remember the last time I was ever flustered.”
In an given play, drive, quarter, or game, Wilson always remains calm, taking what the defense gives him and, at times, making something out of nothing.
While the Titans are a surprising 3-2, they’ll have their hands full chasing Wilson -- and their ears full of the noise that only the crowd at CenturyLink Field can generate.