Jim Wyatt

jwyatt@tennessean.com

At the season's halfway point, Jurrell Casey has been the Titans' most disruptive defensive player.

The defensive lineman leads the Titans in sacks (4), is second on the team in quarterback pressures (17) and ranks fourth in tackles (42).

The Titans have been pleased with his effort and performance.

Casey, however, isn't pleased with himself.

"For me to have eight games and only have four sacks, to me, personally, I don't think that's where I should be at. That's not good enough. I should have way more than that,'' Casey said. "I am a guy harping on breaking the sack record, and in order to do that, you have to get at least a sack every game and I haven't done that. I have to push myself to those standards.

"I haven't been as good as I need to be, and I have to play better."

Casey had 10.5 sacks last season, and before the start of this season was awarded a four-year, $36 million contract extension. He's started 53 of 55 games since the Titans picked him in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Before last season, Casey set a goal of 19 sacks, since former Titans defensive assistant/pass rush specialist Keith Millard holds the NFL record for sacks by a defensive tackle (18 with the Vikings in 1989). Hall of Famer Michael Strahan has the record for most sacks in a season (22.5 in 2001).

Casey wants to join that elite company. He estimates he's been double-teamed roughly 90 percent of the time this season, but he's not using that as an excuse. All of Casey's sacks have come in two games –- he had two sacks against the Cowboys and Jaguars. He's been held without a sack in the other six games, which gets under Casey's skin.

"Me personally, I think I've had a couple of good games, then I had a couple of games where I kind of went MIA (missing in action),'' Casey said. "I have to be consistent. I can't have those games where I'm showing up, and not showing up the next two weeks. I have to be consistent week in and week out.

"As far as double-teams, I work every day trying to split double-teams. At the end of the day, I have to make sure I do it in the games. Teams are going to account for me, and I have to go out there and make plays no matter the situation. No matter what the situation is, I still have to find a way to make that play."

One of the keys to beating the Ravens, Casey said, is to get a consistent pass rush on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, who has been sacked 13 times this season.

Casey hopes to start the second half of the season with a bang.

"I want a sack a game,'' he said. "If I can get a sack a game that would be 12 in the season, it would beat my last year's goal. I just have to go higher and higher."



