Heading into Monday night, the Tennessee Titans knew they would need a big effort up front to stop the high-powered Miami offense from playing without star DT Jeffery Simmons. That is exactly what they got from DT T’Vondre Sweat and his running mates in the 31-12 victory.
Sweat was dominant and announced his presence to the NFL in primetime. The mammoth rookie was a rock in the middle of the defense. He recorded six tackles (three solo) and two for a loss in his best game as a pro.
When asked about the loss of Simmons and the loss of his impact on stopping the run, he seemed unfazed when asked about the comments that “no one runs on the Titans.”
.@Titans DL @TvondreSweat in the locker room. pic.twitter.com/gsDH0F2ocP
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) October 1, 2024
“We set standards in our room, yeah, Jeff said that, but we set standards in our room, and that’s the standard.”
That is what Sweat and linemate Sebastian Joseph-Day did, holding dynamic RB Devon Achane to 15 yards on 10 carries. They stifled the Dolphins’ rushing attack with Simmons on the sideline with an elbow injury and forced them to rely on newly signed QB Tyler Huntley to beat them—something Huntley could not do.
The Titans have an outstanding defense and played a tremendous game against the Dolphins without multiple starters. Led by players like Sweat, they will only get better as the year moves forward.