In 2015, the Tennessee Titans finished 25th in rushing yards per game. In 2014, they ranked 26th in the league. They had been desperately searching for some semblance of a ground attack for years. Bishop Sankey turned out a bust. They had struggled to find answers at both right and left tackle. Byron Bell continued to be Byron Bell. Jeremiah Poutasi, drafted in the 3rd round in 2015 to play right tackle, ended up being a guard. Taylor Lewan, who they drafted 11th overall, started 6 games at left tackle but was hardly satisfied with his performance. Tennessee’s ground game languished and required Marcus Mariota to be the driving engine of the running attack.

While Tennessee searched for answers, the Panthers ran all over teams in 2015. Carolina ranked 2nd in the league in rushing. The following year, however, the Titans catapulted to 3rd in the league in rushing. In Carolina, the Panthers dropped to 10th, averaging 113 yds per game. Every one of those yards came at a cost too. Jonathan Stewart scratched and clawed for every inch and Cam Newton, like Mariota the year before, was the team’s second-;eading rusher. It wasn’t pretty. The offensive line struggled with injury and suckiness. The weren’t any running lanes, which resulted in any positive yards coming from the sheer will of rusher.

How did the Titans turn around their running attack, something that escaped them for so long? Can Carolina learn any lessons from their neighbor to the west?