Music City Miracles
The Tennessee Titans hope to get JC Latham back against the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend. That’s the current working expectation. If Latham indeed returns, he could face a difficult matchup versus superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
Latham injured his hip during the first half of Tennessee’s Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos. It was a recurring issue that initially occurred in training camp. The Titans didn’t put Latham on IR, but he’s already missed four consecutive contests. The Titans have been cautious with his timeline, but the sophomore blocker appears primed to play against the Raiders.
The Titans had been starting Oli Udoh and John Ojukwu in Latham’s absence. In recent weeks, Udoh claimed the full-time reserve role. He’s played reasonably well all things considered, but both options are an obvious level below Latham.
Udoh has allowed the second-most pressures on the Titans (13), according to Pro Football Focus. Ojukwu has allowed the third-most (10). That’s despite Udoh playing the fifth-most pass-blocking snaps among all linemen, and Ojukwu playing the sixth-most. They’ve obviously allowed more pressures per play than any other Titans lineman.
Crosby is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. His current pass-rush-win-rate (PRWR) is 20%, per ESPN Analytics. Crosby’s 20 individual wins as a pass rusher is third-most among all EDGEs, trailing just Nick Herbig (25) and Will Anderson Jr. (21), per the same tracking data source.
Assuming Latham returns, it’ll be interesting to monitor which Titans tackle Crosby spends most of his reps aligning across from. Left tackle Dan Moore has improved his performance in recent weeks, but he’s still allowed a team-high 15 pressures. Latham is the better blocker, but he’s also got a considerable amount of rust to shake off. Crosby will probably take turns before deciding which player is the weaker link.
