Jake Locker: 5 Things to Watch in His 1st Career Start for Tennessee Titans

Mike Munchak announced on Monday that Jake Locker would make his first career start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday (Titans" target="_blank">h/t The Tennessean).

Though this is just a preseason game, the fact that Locker will be asked to lead the first-team offense throughout much of the first half will give fans, the coaching staff and the media their first chances to see the Titans enter a game with a prepared game plan put together for Locker.

Though it is unlikely that Locker will be able to win the starting job solely based on the merits of his play against Tampa, a strong performance will give yet another advantage to the younger and more explosive quarterback while he continues his competition with Matt Hasselbeck.

As we get closer to Friday, here are the five things to pay attention to when the first-team offense is out on the field. 

1. Locker's Ability to Sustain Drives and Convert 3rd Downs

Judging by type of team into which the Titans are looking to develop, it will be important for them to put together lengthy drives and make smart decisions on third downs.

Though no quarterback will ever be perfect in this category, flashing intelligence and accuracy on crucial downs will only help to earn the confidence of the coaching staff.

After Matt Hasselbeck struggled to lead the first team to first downs and turned the ball over against the Seahawks, Locker can demonstrate that he is just as capable as the veteran when it comes to using the passing game to set up the running game as well as setting up defenses with a lead or quality field position. 

2. Formations and Play-Calling Compared to When Matt Hasselbeck is on the Field

When Hasselbeck was on the field on Saturday, fans saw many of the same formations and play calls that they have come to associate with former head coach Jeff Fisher.

From lining up in the I-formation to trying to run the ball first to set up the pass, the lack of creativity came as a bit of a surprise after an offseason of preaching the integration of some run-and-shoot principles into the offensive system.

With Locker playing with the first team, it will be interesting to see if the coaching staff allows him to use the same five-wide-receiver sets that enabled him to lead an 11-play drive late in the first half against the Seahawks.

One sign that the coaching staff may be preparing to have Locker start from Week 1 would be the continued use of the new system when he gets the start, as Munchak and Palmer have made it clear that they are looking to spread things out and give the quarterbacks and wide receivers opportunities to make plays.

3. Locker's Accuracy and Ability to Locate the Open Man

When Locker entered the draft, his issues with accuracy were pretty well documented and were considered by most experts to be the biggest weakness in his game. Though he showed a pretty impressive ability to progress through his reads in limited playing time last year as well as against the Seahawks last week, his passes can occasionally still be a little erratic.

If Locker is able to hit his receivers in stride and allow them to make plays after the catch, it would go even further in convincing the coaching staff that he is the right fit in the new offensive scheme.

It's not fair to expect perfection on every pass, but if he is moving to his second and third reads and making the right passes, it will continue to show the improvement that has allowed him to become the leader in the quarterback competition.

4. Red-Zone Decision-Making

Of course, this one is assuming that the Locker-led offense reaches the red zone at least once in the first half, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that is likely to be the case.

One perceived edge that Hasselbeck has over Locker in the quarterback battle is his veteran ability to take what he is given when he reaches scoring territory. After his mistake at the end of the Saints game last season, there has been some question as to how Locker responds when pressured in the red zone.

This game will be his opportunity to show that he is able to make plays and the correct reads when the field gets shorter. 

5. How Locker Leads the Offense and Meshes with the 1st-Team Receivers and Line

This is probably the most obvious one but also the one that will require the most attention.

While making sure Locker is putting the ball on his receivers is generally pretty easy to do, keeping an eye on how he's leading the team up to the line and making checks are some of the smaller things that can affect how a quarterback is able to handle the pressure of being a starter.

Locker will need to be able to step into the pocket and guide his receivers to the open field if he wants to show the coaching staff that he is capable of putting points on the board.

While he has flashed great ability when coming in after Hasselbeck both last year and against Seattle, entering a game in which the starters have prepared for you can make every pass and every read more difficult.

Conclusion

Overall, Locker's performance in this game can go a long way to securing his spot as the starting quarterback this season and for the foreseeable future of the Tennessee Titans.

He still has a lot he needs to show, but if Locker continues moving the football and controlling the pace of the game more effectively than Hasselbeck, Munchak and company will need to see what Locker is able to do at the helm of the offense in the regular season.