Ridley's Season Over Affects the Tennessee Titans' Playbook

In the NFL, a team’s playbook is a living document—shaped by the strengths of its players, the weaknesses of opponents, and the rhythm of the season. For the Tennessee Titans, the season-ending injury to Calvin Ridley hasn’t just removed a top receiver from the lineup; it’s forced a complete overhaul of the playbook they spent months crafting. Ridley, acquired via trade in the offseason, was the centerpiece of the Titans’ passing attack, with dozens of plays designed specifically to leverage his speed, route-running precision, and ability to win contested catches. His absence means offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and head coach Mike Vrabel must scrap or rewrite key sections of their playbook, 仓促 ly adapting to a roster that no longer has the dynamic weapon they built around. Ridley's Season Over Affects the Tennessee Titans' Playbook explores the specific 战术 (tactical) shifts, lost opportunities, and forced innovations that now define the Titans’ offense.

Ridley's Season Over Affects the Tennessee Titans' Playbook begins with the loss of vertical passing plays— a staple of the Titans’ offense that relied on Ridley’s ability to beat defenders deep. Entering the season, Kelly designed over 20 unique deep passing concepts for Ridley, including “go routes” from the slot, “post-corner” combinations with other receivers, and “fade routes” in the red zone. These plays weren’t just for show; they accounted for 38% of the Titans’ passing yards and 42% of their passing touchdowns through 10 games. Ridley’s speed (he runs a 4.43 40-yard dash) forced defenses to play “off coverage,” creating space for other receivers and running back Derrick Henry to operate underneath. Without him, those deep plays are nearly unworkable: backup receivers Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Treylon Burks lack Ridley’s top-end speed, and defenses can now play “press coverage” to jam shorter routes without fear of a deep ball. “We can’t just plug someone else into those deep routes,” Kelly admitted in a recent press conference. “Calvin had a unique ability to accelerate past corners and adjust to off-target throws. Without that, we have to rethink how we stretch the field.”

A second critical impact is the end of “motion packages” that used Ridley to create mismatches— a strategic tool the Titans relied on to confuse defenses. Kelly frequently put Ridley in motion before the snap, shifting him from the outside to the slot or even into the backfield to force defenses to adjust their assignments. This motion often pulled a top cornerback out of position, opening up lanes for Henry or short passes to tight ends. For example, a popular package called “Ridley Shift” had him line up as a running back before the snap, then motion to the outside, drawing the defense’s strong safety with him and creating a hole for Henry up the middle. This play alone accounted for 12 first downs and two touchdowns this season. Without Ridley, the Titans have struggled to replicate this mismatch magic: Westbrook-Ikhine lacks the versatility to line up in multiple spots, and Burks hasn’t shown the awareness to read defensive adjustments during motion. “Motion was about creating chaos for defenses,” Kelly said. “With Calvin, we knew he could handle any alignment and make the defense pay for miscommunication. Now, we’re limited to simpler motions that don’t carry the same threat.”

Ridley's Season Over Affects the Tennessee Titans' Playbook also includes the shift to a “short-pass heavy” offense— a necessity for the Tennessee Titans that limits their scoring potential. With deep plays off the table, the Titans have turned to quick, high-percentage passes: slants, drag routes, screen passes to Henry, and check-downs to tight ends. Through two games without Ridley, these short passes account for 76% of the Titans’ passing attempts, up from 54% when he was active. While this approach has kept turnovers low (Ryan Tannehill has thrown zero interceptions in those two games), it’s also reduced the offense’s explosive potential: the Titans have gone from averaging 6.8 yards per pass attempt to 4.9, and they’ve scored just three passing touchdowns in those two contests. “We’re playing not to lose right now, instead of playing to win,” one anonymous Titans player told local reporters. “The short passes keep the chains moving, but they don’t scare defenses. Teams know we’re not going to hit them deep, so they stack the box to stop Derrick and crowd the short routes.” For the Tennessee Titans, this shift is a double-edged sword: it minimizes mistakes but also makes it harder to mount come-from-behind wins or score quickly when trailing.

Another key change to the playbook is the increased role of tight ends— a position the Tennessee Titans are now leaning on to replace Ridley’s production, albeit in a different way. Tight ends Chigoziem Okonkwo and Josh Whyle have seen their snap counts jump from 52% and 28% (when Ridley was active) to 78% and 55% respectively. Kelly has designed new “tight end screens,” “seam routes,” and “red-zone fade routes” for Okonkwo, who has the size (6-foot-4) to win in the end zone but lacks Ridley’s speed. In the Titans’ first game without Ridley, Okonkwo caught five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown—career highs—on eight targets. “Okonkwo is a different weapon than Calvin, but he’s a weapon nonetheless,” Kelly said. “We’re finding ways to get him the ball in space and let him use his size to make plays. It’s not the same as having Calvin, but it’s a start.” For the Tennessee Titans, this reliance on tight ends is a pragmatic move, but it also makes the offense more predictable: defenses can now focus on covering Okonkwo and Whyle, knowing the Titans won’t threaten deep with their receivers.

Finally, Ridley's Season Over Affects the Tennessee Titans' Playbook wraps up with the long-term implications for the Titans’ playbook— a forced evolution that could shape their offense beyond 2023 for the Tennessee Titans. If the Titans miss the playoffs (they currently sit at 5-7, two games back in the AFC South), the offseason will likely bring a rethink of their offensive identity. Kelly and Vrabel will have to decide whether to rebuild the playbook around a new top receiver (via free agency or the draft) or double down on the run-heavy, tight end-focused attack they’ve adopted since Ridley’s injury. This decision will also impact the team’s quarterback plans: if they stick with short passes and tight ends, they may not need a quarterback with elite deep-ball accuracy; if they want to return to a vertical passing game, they could target a new signal-caller. “This injury has forced us to ask hard questions about what kind of offense we want to be,” Vrabel said in a recent interview. “Do we build around Derrick and the run, or do we find another receiver to bring back the vertical game? Those answers will shape our playbook for years.” For the Tennessee Titans, Ridley’s season-ending injury isn’t just a temporary setback for their 2023 playbook—it’s a crossroads that will define their offensive direction for the foreseeable future. Ridley's Season Over Affects the Tennessee Titans' Playbook ultimately shows that in the NFL, a single player’s absence can rewrite a team’s tactical identity, forcing coaches to adapt, players to learn new roles, and franchises to rethink their long-term strategy.