Tennessee Titans' Mike Vrabel on run defense in win over Jaguars: 'Not acceptable'

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that the team’s run defense in Sunday’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars was “not acceptable.”

"I think that's always something we have to work on when we get scheme runs or we get guys moving or flashing and pullers,” Vrabel said. “That's something that we'll continue to work on. It has to be better for everybody. In the run game, to play the way that we played (Sunday), that's not acceptable for any of us to play like that in the run game."

The Titans gave up a season-high 198 rushing yards to the Jaguars, including a career-high 149 to Jacksonville second-year tailback James Robinson. A 1,000-yard rusher last season as an undrafted rookie, Robinson averaged 8.3 yards per carry, and rattled off a 58-yard run in the first quarter that set up a Jaguars’ touchdown. Nine of his 18 carries went for at least eight yards. 

The Titans had entered the game eighth in run defense. 

"Robinson is a good back, but there were some things we have to do better and have to be better,” Vrabel said. 

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But what are those things? How does a team that was giving up 91.5 rushing yards per game when it arrived in Jacksonville give up 131 by halftime? 

The issues were across the board, Vrabel said – and fixing them starts with the basics. 

"We're either not in the right place or we can't get them on the ground,” Vrabel explained. “They run around the edge, we don't have anybody there. We do that, they can't make the tackle. 

“It's about fundamentals in the run game,” he continued. “It's about setting the edge, not having creases, not jumping off blocks, shedding, tackling.” 

Tennessee will need to fix its run defense and tackling woes fast. 

Its next matchup is on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 18 (7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN). The Bills lead the league in scoring (34.4 points/game)  and boast the league's No. 5 rushing offense (140.4 rushing yards/game). 

“Looks like they’re scoring at will,” Vrabel said of the Bills, who dominated the two-time reigning AFC champion Chiefs on Sunday. “The quarterback (Josh Allen) looks like a running back with an elite arm. It’s like it’s wildcat (formation) that throws for 350 yards per game.”

Ben Arthur covers the Tennessee Titans for The USA TODAY Network. Contact him at barthur@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @benyarthur.