Self-critical A.J. Brown working to conquer fourth-quarter fatigue

By John Glennon

In compiling one of the best rookie seasons in Titans history last year, A.J. Brown topped 1,000 receiving yards, led the league in average yards after catch and finished third in the voting for NFL's rookie of the year.

Who would dare criticize that performance, especially considering how long the Titans franchise has searched for an elite-level pass-catcher?

It turns out Brown was the man who turned the super-critical eye on himself as he readied for his second season, believing he was not always at his best late in games in 2019 – the result of not being in as good a shape as he wanted to be.

“I'd say it was just fatigue in the fourth quarter,” Brown said. “The fourth quarter is big and looking back at some film, I left some plays out there because I was tired or something like that.”

Really? Fatigue wasn't the first word that came to mind when I thought of Brown's stellar season last year, even when it came to fourth quarters. So I decided to take a look at the numbers, to see if they backed Brown's tough-love theory about slowing down late in games.

Here are some things I learned:

  • Brown posted 18 of his 52 catches in the fourth quarter in 2019, which was noticeably more than he totaled . . .

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    Author: John GlennonMulti-media journalist with extensive expertise covering the NFL, NHL, professional soccer and more, including the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators for The Tennessean with articles, videos and podcasts. Strengths include the ability to write quick, concise and thorough analysis, as well as the ability to uncover unique human-interest stories. In working as a reporter, John developed skills that extend beyond the sports journalism world. An efficient and effective communicator, John is confident, calm and productive under deadline pressure and knows the power of the written word. John brings to Broadway Sports a work ethic second to none, an intellectual hunger, and an ability to inform and entertain readers, viewers and listeners. Reach out directly to John at: