TITANS VS STEELERS
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020
# # #
TEAM NOTES
• The Titans-Steelers game was the sixth contest in the Super Bowl era—and the eighth overall game in NFL history—matching undefeated teams in Week 7 or later. The most recent instance prior to Sunday occurred in 2015 between the 6-0 Broncos and 6-0 Packers.
• The game was the Titans' first contest of 2020 without any players on their COVID-19 reserve list.
• The Titans were successful scoring touchdowns on both of the offense's red zone possessions. In 2020, they have scored touchdowns on 80.0 percent of their trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line (20 of 25).
• The Titans totaled a season-high three interceptions—one each by linebacker Jayon Brown and defensive backs Dane Cruikshank and Amani Hooker. The Titans' three interceptions were the most by the team in a game since they had three interceptions at Cleveland on Sept. 8, 2019.
• The three interceptions in the game were the most by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger since Nov. 18, 2018 at Jacksonville.
• The Titans registered multiple interceptions for the fourth time in six games in 2020.
• The Titans improved their season turnover margin to plus-nine, which leads the NFL (through early afternoon games of Oct. 25).
OLB VIC BEASLEY JR.
• Credited with a forced fumble in the first quarter (recovered by the Steelers) to give him his first forced fumble in 2020 and the 12th of his career.
LS BEAU BRINKLEY
• Tied Gregg Bingham for eighth place on the franchise's all-time consecutive games played list with his 134th consecutive game.
WR A.J. BROWN
• Led the team and tied his career high with 153 receiving yards. He matched the 153 yards he posted at Oakland on Dec. 8, 2019. His six receptions tied for the team lead against the Steelers and tied for the sixth best total of Brown's career.
• Recorded a 74-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. It was the second-longest reception of his career behind a 91-yard score at Oakland on Dec. 8, 2019. The play gave him four touchdown receptions in 2020 and 12 career touchdown catches.
• Joined Robby Anderson (two) as the only NFL players with multiple touchdown receptions of at least 70 yards since the start of the 2019 season (through early afternoon games of Oct. 25).
• Joined Kenny Britt (two) and Nate Washington (two) as the only players in the franchise's "Titans era" (since 1999) with multiple career touchdown receptions of at least 73 yards.
• Registered his third consecutive game with at least one touchdown catch. He is the first Titans player with such a streak since Rishard Matthews accomplished the feat in 2016.
• His 153 receiving yards tied for the 10th-highest total by a player in the franchise's "Titans era" (since 1999).
• Recorded his sixth career game with at least 100 receiving yards (first of 2020). He went over the 100-yard mark on a 20-yard grab in the fourth quarter.
ILB JAYON BROWN
• Intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the third quarter for his first interception of 2020 on a pass that was deflected by Jeffery Simmons. The play gave Brown three career interceptions.
• Helped cause an interception in the fourth quarter when he defended a pass from Ben Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster that was then picked off by Amani Hooker.
• Credited with a team-high and career-high four passes defensed and tied for the team lead with eight tackles.
CB MALCOLM BUTLER
• Shared the team lead with eight total tackles in the game.
OLB JADEVEON CLOWNEY
• Credited with a forced fumble in the second quarter (recovered by the Steelers) to give him his first forced fumble of 2020 and the 10th forced fumble of his career. He generated four total tackles in the contest.
DB DANE CRUIKSHANK
• Returned from injured reserve to play in his first game of the season.
• Recorded his first career interception, picking off a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the end zone on the final play of the first half.
WR COREY DAVIS
• Tied for the team lead with six receptions. He totaled 35 receiving yards with a touchdown.
• Recorded a five-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. It was his second touchdown reception of 2020 and his eighth career touchdown catch.
K STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI
• Made one of two field goal attempts, including a successful field goal from 51 yards. He also made all three extra point attempts.
RB DERRICK HENRY
• Totaled 20 rushing attempts for 75 yards and one touchdown. He scored on a one-yard plunge in the fourth quarter, reaching the end zone for the seventh time in 2020. He now has 45 career rushing touchdowns, ranking fourth in franchise history.
• Tallied his fourth consecutive game with at least one rushing touchdown.
• Reached 75 rushing yards for the fifth time in 2020 and for the 13th time in his last 15 games.
S AMANI HOOKER
• Registered his second interception of 2020 and his second career interception, picking off a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
WR ADAM HUMPHRIES
• Recorded a 19-yard reception during a second-quarter scoring drive.
P BRETT KERN
• Established a new franchise record and a career high with a gross punting average of 60.5 yards (minimum requirement of four punts). His four punts went, in order, for 63 yards, 59 yards, 61 yards and 59 yards. He eclipsed the old franchise record of 59.2 yards set by Greg Montgomery against Buffalo on Dec. 27, 1992. Kern's net average against Pittsburgh was 39.8 yards with one punt inside the 20.
• His 60.5-yard gross average ranked third in the NFL since 1970, trailing only Andy Lee's 63.0-yard average for Carolina at Denver on Sept. 8, 2016 and Kansas City's Tommy Townsend against New England on Oct. 5, 2020.
T TY SAMBRAILO
• Recorded his first start in a Titans uniform at left tackle, replacing Taylor Lewan, who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week. Sambrailo notched his first start since 2018 as a member of the Atlanta Falcons and his first start at left tackle since he was a rookie with the Denver Broncos in 2015.
DT JEFFERY SIMMONS
• Deflected a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the third quarter that was subsequently intercepted by linebacker Jayon Brown. It was the second time in 2020 that Simmons tipped a pass that was then intercepted (Sept. 20 vs. Jacksonville). He added three total tackles against the Steelers.
CB TYE SMITH
• Recorded his first start of 2020 and his fifth career start.
QB RYAN TANNEHILL
• Completed 18 of 30 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 104.9. His passer rating reached 100 for the fourth time in six games in 2020 and for the 12th time in 16 starts with the Titans.
• His two touchdown passes included a five-yarder to Corey Davis in the second quarter and a 74-yarder to A.J. Brown in the third quarter. The latter tied for his fourth-longest career pass and his second-longest pass in a Titans uniform.
• Registered his 53rd career regular season game with multiple touchdown passes. It was his third consecutive game with multiple touchdown passes and his fifth such outing in six contests in 2020.
• Made his 16th regular season start with the Titans since first appearing in the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 20, 2019. In that span of time, his is 327-of-473 passing (69.1 percent) for 4,188 yards, 37 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a NFL-best passer rating of 116.5 (through afternoon games of Oct. 25). His 116.5 passer rating is the best in NFL history by a player in his first 16 starts with a team (starts only), topping the 111.8 passer rating by Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes in his first 16 starts from 2017-18.
• Reached 160 career touchdown passes.
