The Tennessee Titans were less than two minutes away from securing their first victory of the season when a seemingly routine special teams decision gave the Philadelphia Eagles an opportunity they wouldn’t waste.
Head coach Robert Saleh is now facing questions about his team’s kickoff strategy after former NFL analytics coach Ryan Paganetti highlighted a significant statistical discrepancy. The numbers suggest Tennessee has been approaching kickoffs considerably differently from the rest of the league.
“Titans chose to kickoff into the end zone and give the Eagles a free start at the 35 yard line with 1:56 left and no timeouts,” Paganetti said. “Of course, every yard and second ended up being extremely valuable as they scored a TD with very little time remaining.”
The Titans took a 20-17 lead over Philadelphia following Joey Slye’s field goal with 1:56 remaining Sunday. Rather than attempting to force a return, Slye kicked the ball into the end zone, giving Jalen Hurts and the Eagles possession at their own 35-yard line without running any time off the clock. Philadelphia subsequently marched 65 yards and scored the winning touchdown with nine seconds remaining.
Paganetti believes Tennessee’s decision deserves considerably more attention, especially considering how frequently the Titans have employed that approach.
Robert Saleh’s Titans Have an Alarming Kickoff Trend
Paganetti, who previously worked in game management and analytics for the Eagles, Jaguars and Raiders, highlighted Tennessee’s unusual kickoff tendencies in a Sept. 22 social media post.
According to his research, the Titans have kicked into the end zone on three of their six non-onside kickoffs through the opening two weeks. That gives Tennessee a 50% rate, compared with a league average of just 13.3%.
No other NFL team has exceeded 33.3% during that stretch, according to Paganetti’s figures. The difference becomes particularly interesting when examining the alternatives available to Tennessee in the closing minutes against Philadelphia. Paganetti reported that kickoffs landing between the 1- and 5-yard lines produce an average starting field position of the 29.5-yard line.
He also found that the median return takes six seconds off the game clock, while 28.7% of those kickoffs leave opponents starting at their own 25-yard line or worse.
“These are the little details that can be the difference in the outcome of a game,” Paganetti wrote.
Titans’ Late-Game Decision Raises Questions After Eagles Collapse
The potential advantage of forcing Philadelphia to return the kickoff was straightforward. Based on Paganetti’s research, Tennessee could have gained approximately 5.5 yards in expected field position while potentially taking valuable seconds off the clock. Neither outcome was guaranteed, but both would have been welcome against an Eagles offense operating without any remaining timeouts.
Instead, Hurts began at the 35-yard line and completed a nine-play touchdown drive that lasted 1:47. He connected with Dontayvion Wicks for a crucial 20-yard gain before finding DeVonta Smith for 19 yards on another third down. Hurts ultimately delivered the winning three-yard touchdown pass to Darius Cooper, handing Tennessee a crushing 24-20 defeat.
A shorter kickoff would not necessarily have prevented that outcome. Philadelphia could have produced a longer return, and the Titans’ defense still had multiple opportunities to stop Hurts on the final possession. However, Paganetti’s findings raise a legitimate question about whether Tennessee is maximizing every available advantage.
For a team sitting at 0-2 despite an encouraging performance from Cam Ward against Philadelphia, those details deserve attention. Saleh’s Titans are searching for their first victory, and Sunday’s narrow defeat demonstrated how little room for error they can afford.
Sometimes the difference between celebrating a victory and explaining another loss comes down to decisions that barely register when they happen. The little things matter. Especially in a league as hyper-competitive as the NFL.
Titans’ Robert Saleh Faces Alarming Kickoff Stat After Last-Second Eagles Loss