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 quarterback Drew Brees leads the league with a passer rating of 115.3, while Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill 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 quarterbacks with a passer rating of 114.0 or greater. Previously, the latest week into the season it happened was Week 15 of 2018, when Kansas City Chiefs signal caller Patrick Mahomes (115.2) went up against the Los Angeles Chargers and Philip Rivers (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. Lamar Jackson 245 370 66.2 2,889 7.8 33 6 112.8 4. Kirk Cousins 291 413 70.5 3,481 8.4 25 5 111.1 5. Russell Wilson 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. Matthew Stafford 187 291 64.3 2,499 8.6 19 5 106.0 8. Jimmy Garoppolo 295 427 69.1 3,445 8.1 26 11 102.8 9. Deshaun Watson 314 463 67.8 3,668 7.9 26 11 100.4 Aaron Rodgers 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 New Orleans Saints 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 Miami Dolphins, 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, Brett Favre’s 107.2 passer rating with the Minnesota Vikings 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 Tennessee Miami 114.6 2. Brett Favre 2009 Minnesota N.Y. Jets 107.2 3. Peyton Manning 2012 Denver Indianapolis 105.8 4. Vinny Testaverde 1998 N.Y. Jets Baltimore 101.6 5. Kirk Cousins 2018 Minnesota Washington 99.7 6. Tyrod Taylor 2015 Buffalo Baltimore 99.4 7. Sam Bradford 2016 Minnesota Philadelphia 99.3 8. Len Dawson 1962 Dallas Texans Cleveland 98.3 Case Keenum 2017 Minnesota L.A. Rams 98.3 10. Brian Griese 2004 Tampa Bay Miami 97.5 11. Chad Pennington 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 Houston Texans, Titans rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown totaled a career-high eight receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown. 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 Ernest Givins (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 New York Giants in 2014. Cooper, Keenan Allen (2013), T.Y. Hilton (2012), Julio Jones (2011) and Anquan Boldin (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 Indianapolis Colts 5 Julio Jones 2011 Atlanta Falcons 5 Anquan Boldin 2003 Arizona Cardinals 5 7. A.J. Brown 2019 Tennessee Titans 4 Two games remaining Sammy Watkins 2014 Buffalo Bills 4 A.J. Green 2011 Cincinnati Bengals 4 Marques Colston 2006 New Orleans Saints 4 Randy Moss 1998 Minnesota Vikings 4 Hart Lee Dykes 1989 New England Patriots 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 running back Derrick Henry produced 86 rushing yards on 21 carries, bringing his season totals to 1,329 yards and 13 touchdowns on 271 rushing attempts. On Tuesday he was honored with his first career Pro Bowl 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 Baltimore Ravens 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 Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’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 Cleveland Browns 37 4. Ezekiel Elliott Dallas Cowboys 31 5. Leonard Fournette Jacksonville Jaguars 30 Chris Carson Seattle Seahawks 30 7. Christian McCaffrey Carolina Panthers 29 8. Dalvin Cook 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. Eddie George 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. Lorenzo White 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 punter Brett Kern 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.