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Home , Anquan Boldin, Brett Kern, Chad Pennington, Drew Hill, Eddie George, Johnny Hekker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 19, 2019 TITANS-SAINTS SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES

TITANS-SAINTS FEATURES NFL’S TOP TWO PASSERS: This Sunday’s contest between the Titans and Saints features the NFL’s top- ranked passers in 2019. Saints leads the league with a of 115.3, while Titans quarterback is second with a 114.6 passer rating.

Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, this is the first Week 16 or Week 17 matchup featuring two starting with a passer rating of 114.0 or greater. Previously, the latest week into the season it happened was Week 15 of 2018, when signal caller (115.2) went up against the Los Angeles Chargers and (114.5).

Brees and Tannehill are putting together two of the best passer ratings in NFL history for a single season. If they ended the year with their current numbers, Brees’ 115.3 passer rating would finish seventh all-time, while Tannehill’s 114.6 would be ninth.

Brees (75.8) and Tannehill (71.5) are also ranked first and second, respectively, in completion percentage in 2019. In yards per attempt, Tannehill’s 9.5-yard average leads the league, while Brees’ 7.9-yard average is tied for 10th place.

NFL’s leading passers in 2019 (passer rating):

Player Comp Att Pct Yards Yards/Att TD Int Rating 1. Drew Brees 235 310 75.8 2,447 7.9 21 4 115.3 2. Ryan Tannehill 171 239 71.5 2,272 9.5 17 6 114.6 3. 245 370 66.2 2,889 7.8 33 6 112.8 4. 291 413 70.5 3,481 8.4 25 5 111.1 5. 300 445 67.4 3,708 8.3 28 5 109.3 6. Patrick Mahomes 280 426 65.7 3,606 8.5 23 4 106.2 7. 187 291 64.3 2,499 8.6 19 5 106.0 8. 295 427 69.1 3,445 8.1 26 11 102.8 9. 314 463 67.8 3,668 7.9 26 11 100.4 300 474 63.3 3,463 7.3 24 2 100.4

TANNEHILL SETTING NEW STANDARDS FOR VETERAN PASSERS ON NEW TEAMS: In 2006, Drew Brees signed with the as a free agent after spending the first five years of his career with the San Diego Chargers. During his first campaign in New Orleans, he had a 96.2 passer rating. At the time, it was the fourth-highest season passer rating in NFL history by a veteran quarterback in his first year with a new team.

Thirteen years later, Ryan Tannehill is setting a new standard for veteran signal callers in a new environment. Tannehill, who was acquired in a trade after seven years with the , has a passer rating of 114.6. No quarterback has ever finished with a passer rating that high in his first season with a new team after playing at least one year with another team.

In 2009, ’s 107.2 passer rating with the became the best figure in league annals by a veteran in his first campaign with a new club.

(continued on next page) Highest passer rating in a veteran’s first season with a new team:

Player Season New Team Former Team Passer Rating 1. Ryan Tannehill 2019 Miami 114.6 2. Brett Favre 2009 Minnesota N.Y. Jets 107.2 3. 2012 Denver Indianapolis 105.8 4. 1998 N.Y. Jets Baltimore 101.6 5. Kirk Cousins 2018 Minnesota Washington 99.7 6. 2015 Buffalo Baltimore 99.4 7. 2016 Minnesota 99.3 8. 1962 Dallas Texans Cleveland 98.3 Case Keenum 2017 Minnesota L.A. Rams 98.3 10. 2004 Tampa Bay Miami 97.5 11. 2008 Miami N.Y. Jets 97.4 12. Drew Brees 2006 New Orleans San Diego 96.2

BROWN GOING FOR FIFTH 100-YARD GAME: In last week’s game against the , Titans rookie A.J. Brown totaled a career-high eight receptions for 114 yards and one .

Brown became the first Titans player with consecutive 100-yard receiving games since wide receiverNate Washington accomplished the feat in 2013, and he recorded his fourth total 100-yard game of 2019. The last rookie for the franchise to have four or more 100-yard receiving games was (four) in 1986.

With one more 100-yard receiving game, Brown will become the franchise’s second all-time rookie with five 100-yard efforts. Bill Groman had nine such performances in 1960, the inaugural season for the Oilers.

Among all players—rookies and veterans—Brown is in line to join six other players for the franchise who have had at least five 100-yard receiving games in a season. The last Titan to accomplish the feat was Drew Bennett in 2004. The others were Groman (1960, 1961), Charlie Hennigan (1961, 1963, 1964), Charley Frazier (1966), Tim Smith (1984) and Drew Hill (1987).

Most 100-yard receiving games in a rookie season, franchise history:

Rookie Year 100-Yard Games 1. Bill Groman 1960 9 2. A.J. Brown 2019 4 Two Games Remaining Ernest Givins 1986 4 Jerry LeVias 1969 4 5. (six tied) 2

Additionally, Brown can become the first NFL rookie with five 100-yard receiving games since Amari Cooper with the Oakland Raiders in 2015.

From the 1970 AFL-NFL merger through 2018, only six rookie pass catchers were able to reach the mark. Odell Beckham Jr. registered a record seven 100-yard receiving performances as a rookie with the in 2014. Cooper, (2013), T.Y. Hilton (2012), (2011) and (2003) all had five.

Most 100-yard receiving games by a rookie, 1970–present:

Player Year Team 100-Yard Games 1. Odell Beckham Jr. 2014 New York Giants 7 2. Amari Cooper 2015 Oakland Raiders 5 Keenan Allen 2013 San Diego Chargers 5 T.Y. Hilton 2012 5 Julio Jones 2011 5 Anquan Boldin 2003 5 7. A.J. Brown 2019 4 Two games remaining 2014 4 A.J. Green 2011 4 Marques Colston 2006 New Orleans Saints 4 1998 Minnesota Vikings 4 Hart Lee Dykes 1989 4 Ernest Givins 1986 Houston Oilers 4 Alfred Jenkins 1975 Atlanta Falcons 4 HENRY LEADS RUNNING BACKS IN 10-YARD RUNS: Last week against the Texans, Titans produced 86 rushing yards on 21 carries, bringing his season totals to 1,329 yards and 13 on 271 rushing attempts. On Tuesday he was honored with his first career selection.

Henry ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards and first in rushing attempts. He is tied for eighth in rushing average (4.9), tied for third in rushing touchdowns, and ranks third in total touchdowns (15).

Henry also leads all running backs with 38 rushing attempts of at least 10 yards in 2019. Only quarterback Lamar Jackson (43) has more, and Henry has at least one run of 10 or more yards in 13 of his 14 games this season.

Since the beginning of the 2018 campaign, Henry’s 68 total rushing attempts of 10-plus yards rank second behind running back ’s 72 such carries.

Most rushing attempts of at least 10 yards in 2019:

Player Team 10+ Yard Runs 1. Lamar Jackson (QB) Baltimore Ravens 43 2. Derrick Henry Tennessee Titans 38 3. Nick Chubb 37 4. Ezekiel Elliott Dallas Cowboys 31 5. Leonard Fournette 30 Chris Carson 30 7. Christian McCaffrey 29 8. Minnesota Vikings 25 Joe Mixon Cincinnati Bengals 25 Josh Jacobs Oakland Raiders 25

In the last 29 seasons (1991–present) for the Titans organization, Henry’s 38 carries of at least 10 yards are tied for the second-highest single-season total. also totaled 38 in 1998, surpassed only by Chris Johnson’s 49 runs of 10-plus yards during his 2,006-yard rushing season of 2009.

Most rushing attempts of at least 10 yards in a season by a Titans/Oilers player, 1991–present:

Player Season 10+ Yard Runs 1. Chris Johnson 2009 49 2. Derrick Henry 2019 38 Two games remaining Eddie George 1998 38 4. Chris Johnson 2010 37 5. Eddie George 2000 36 Chris Johnson 2008 36 7. 1992 35 8. Eddie George 1999 33 9. Chris Brown 2004 32 DeMarco Murray 2016 32

KERN MAKING HIS MARK IN THIRD PRO BOWL SEASON: Titans was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl this week. He currently leads the NFL in punts placed inside the 20 (34), while he also is tied for second place in net punting average (43.6) and ranks fourth in the NFL (first in the AFC) in gross punting average (47.5). Kern is the NFL’s only punter in the top five of all three categories.

With his current numbers, Kern’s 47.5-yard gross average in 2019 would rank third all-time for the franchise. His 43.6-yard net average would rank second for the franchise and tie for the 10th-best figure in NFL history.

Kern has a chance to finish the season as the NFL’s third punter since 1991 to own a net punting average of at least 43.0, a gross punting average of at least 47.0, and have at least 50.0 percent of his punts placed inside the 20. The only previous two punters to do so were Johnny Hekker of the in 2016 and Andy Lee of the in 2012.

Seasons since 1991 with a net punting average of at least 43.0, a gross punting average of at least 47.0, and at least 50.0 percent of punts placed inside the 20:

Player Team Season Net Avg Gross Avg Inside 20 Pct. Johnny Hekker Los Angeles Rams 2016 98 46.0 47.8 52.0 Andy Lee San Francisco 49ers 2012 67 43.2 48.1 53.7 Brett Kern Tennessee Titans 2019 67 43.6 47.5 50.8

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