MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Center Ben Jones had plenty to celebrate in his corner of the locker room on Sunday.
He was part of a Titans offensive line that didn't allow a sack on a day when the team piled up 235 yards on the ground. It was a dominating performance up front.
Yet Jones, dressed in only a towel, made his way over to where members of the team's defense were dressing.
"Sack City," Jones said with a smile. "Sack City. What's happening over here in Sack City?"
Yes, there was plenty to celebrate after the team's 30-17 win over the Dolphins. While the offense turned in a complete performance, the Titans also left a mark on defense.
Again and again and again.
The Titans sacked Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill six times, and also intercepted him twice.
"This is the goal,'' said linebacker Brian Orakpo, who had two sacks, and now has six on the season. "I've been saying, 'Just continue with the pressure. Don't worry about the sacks, sacks will come in bunches.' We have guys who can get after the quarterback, and you saw that today.
"It was fun. We had a lead, got them one-dimensional, and we got after it."
Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan also had two sacks, and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey added two himself.
The Titans swarmed Tannehill throughout, and made life difficult on the Dolphins.
Miami managed just 200 yards of total offense in the game, and only eight first downs. The Dolphins scored on a short touchdown run after the Titans allowed a 58-yard completion on what should have been a short gain. Blame some sloppy tackling for that big gainer. But it helped produce Miami's only offensive touchdown on the day – they also scored on a 74-yard punt return.
Cornerback Jason McCourty recorded his second interception in as many weeks, and safety Daimion Stafford also had an interception.
"I think it was a whole team effort,'' Morgan said. "We had great coverage. The quarterback was holding the ball. When he holds the ball like that, that allows us to get after the quarterback and get back there and be effective. So, it goes hand and hand – pass rush and coverage. Shout out to those guys back there in the back end."
Just as the secondary shut down Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins a week ago, the defense took Miami's Jarvis Landry out of this one. Landry had just three catches for 28 yards. He entered the game tied for second in the NFL with 31 catches for 375 yards.
The Dolphins managed just 51 yards on the ground vs. the Titans.
"We're just trying to work together and be able to make plays,'' McCourty said. "This week Brice really handled the challenge. He played out here in Miami last year so he knew Jarvis. I'm sure they had quite the battles in practice. Him being more of a slot receiver, Brice really stepped up, did a really good job on him today. Just overall as a secondary, we try to know who can hurt us and what type of situation. We try to go just out there and make plays.
"(The defensive line), they were getting after him, coming up with sacks. As a quarterback, that play is in your mind. When you know those guys are coming hard off the edges, coming up the middle, you know you have to get rid of the ball quick and that you can't hold onto it. (It was) a total team effort on defense, especially."
