Jerry Gray wants his defense to toughen up

Four weeks into the season, Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray has already seen too many receivers catching passes in the middle of his defense. He wants his players to do something about it – by delivering big hits, with no concern about an NFL fine being delivered as a result.

“If you are worrying about that, you are not going to go out and try and blow the guy up,” Gray said. “Great football players have to put that out of their mind. You have to say: This is my territory between the numbers, and if you throw the football you better bring the Gator truck. And that’s how you have to play. You can’t play timid in the NFL.”

Does Gray think his defense – ranked 31stin yards allowed and 32nd in points allowed – has been too soft?

“Has anyone caught the ball in the middle of the field?” asked Gray, already knowing the answer to his own question. The Titans are allowing 285 passing yards a game. “Have we blown anybody up? … Maybe we are playing too timid.”

In four games, the Titans have six sacks and one interception. Gray said he thinks his defense has been too flat-footed at the start of games. The Titans have been outscored 41-13 in the first quarter.

“We can’t give up touchdowns as soon as we get off the bus, and that is what we are doing. We didn’t do that last year,” he said. “You can’t give up touchdowns in the first quarter and expect to get sacks and expect to get turnovers. (Offenses say) if I have a lead, I don’t have to throw the ball.”

Gray, in his second year with the Titans, is hoping things change Sunday against the Vikings. He said he’s been “shocked” at how poorly the Titans have played so far this season, giving up an NFL-worst 151 points.

“I don’t coach a defense like this, and I don’t think they intend to play a defense like that,” he said. “But when it happens, what do you do to fix it? And that is our job. We have 12 weeks to fix it.”

Source: Titans Insider

When you run the same cover-two play every single time maybe you should toughen up?

The only thing fixing this defense is when Gray is not coaching it.

I just don't get what they're doing on defense. I really don't.

All off-season we heard about Keith Millard working with Ayers to improve his pass rush moves and I think he's blitzed twice in four games, one resulting in a sack. Gray has talked about about putting guys in position to succeed then has Wimbley and Morgan covering Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski man-to-man. What the hell is that about? Putting Griffin in at strong safety instead of free safety is not setting up a player for success.

I was excited when Gray was hired because he had some damn good defenses in Buffalo when he was Gregg Williams' DC, but this defense doesn't look anything like it.

Yeah, Gray, the players being sissies is the problem. Playing your safeties and dbs 20 yards off the LOS has nothing to do with it.

When you start a game in prevent defense you shouldn't be surprised at teams sustaining 80 yard drives and scoring some points on every possession.

I think all of you should text him your comments.

We could just text him a link to this thread

He has them playing that far back so they can get a good running start and build up momentum for those hard hits. He forgot to mention to them that they do have to actually hit someone for his plan to be effective.

I'm absolutely positive Griffin never got the word