The Titans Defense Has Been Dominant of Late

The Titans defense has made the biggest turnaround of any unit in one season I can remember watching ever. They were on pace to set the NFL record for points allowed after the first five games of the season but have been nothing short of dominant in the last six weeks. Check out these stats from Teresa Walker of the AP (via PFT):

The Titans are fourth in scoring defense since then allowing just 17.6 points per game. They are also third in total defense (286 yards per game), first in sacks per game (3.4), second in interceptions (10) and second in opponent’s passer rating (60.7).

The PFT article mentions the move to the booth by Jerry Gray as a turning point. That probably helped some, but the bigger factor has been Gray's change in philosophy. He has been much more aggressive in those games than he was early in the season.

He has also very much changed the way he uses some guys- most notable Akeem Ayers and Zach Brown. Those two guys have been really good and their new roles and look like guys this team can build around.

Sunday is a big test for Jerry Gray. The Packers pose a much bigger challenge to his defense than anyone they have played over the last six weeks. It sure looks like Gray has done enough to save his job at this point, but if I were Mike Munchak, I would wait to see what happens in this one before making the final decision.

If the defense is as good at Lambeau as it has been over the last six weeks, then there is no doubt Gray deserves another year. If they look like the unit from the beginning of the season it shouldn't be a sure thing that he is back.