Tennessee vs. Minnesota: Titans Preseason Week 4 Game Preview
By the time the fourth preseason game rolls around, things have usually been sorted out. Coaches have a pretty good idea of who is starting, where their strengths are and where they'll be lacking. The fourth game often ends up being a way to sort out who makes the team, who gets on the practice squad and who gets cut.
For the Titans, there are still a lot of positions up for grabs. They have already trimmed their roster, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, but by Saturday, they'll have to make another difficult 22 cuts to get the roster down to 53.
The game against Minnesota will help them figure out which 22 guys will be cut. Chances are only one of Travis Coons and Maikon Bonani will make it, and there are tough decisions to make at receiver and defensive line too.
Then, of course, you never know. Victor Cruz came out of nowhere in the preseason and ended up a stud receiver.
Here's a preview of the Titans-Vikings matchup.
Tennessee Titans Week 3 Recap
1 of 5
Things could have looked better for the Titans against the Falcons, especially on defense. The Titans won 24-17, but wins in the preseason can come against clearly superior teams.
The Titans defensive line, one of their strengths in 2013, was unable to get consistent penetration. Jurrell Casey, one of the top defensive tackles in the league in 2013, left with a single sack, which he earned against second-stringers.
There were also a couple of plays where Coty Sensabaugh was burned badly by Julio Jones, and a very ugly pass to a completely uncovered Devin Hester.
On offense, things were a little better, but the Titans struggled to run the ball effectively, and the offensive line, which should be one of the NFL's top units, had some trouble, not just in run blocking, but in pass protection as well: Jake Locker took two sacks.
Still, Locker looked crisp, the stable of running backs is deep and the receiving corps looked like it has the potential to be deadly, with Justin Hunter playing well alongside Nate Washington and Kendall Wright.
News and Notes
2 of 5
The cuts the Titans made are unsurprising so far, but the first round of cuts is the easiest by far. Of course, anything could happen with the final roster, but the Titans are almost certainly cutting one of their kickers, if not both.
Players like Michael Preston, Karl Klug, Lavar Edwards and last year's starter Moise Fokou could all be on the chopping block this go around.
The Titans also added one player: quarterback and former Atlanta Falcon Dominique Davis, per Titans Online's Joe Fann. Davis has had impressive performances in the past, but with Locker the clear starter, Charlie Whitehurst having familiarity with Ken Whisenhunt's system and Zach Mettenberger leading the NFL in preseason passing yards, I wouldn't call Davis anything other than insurance.
Defensive coordinator Ray Horton expects the defense to take about eight games to jell into its new system, including the four preseason games, per ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky.
Many of the mistakes from last week's performance against Atlanta did appear to be a result of missed assignments and poorly made adjustments, but with early games against the likes of Jamaal Charles, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green and Andrew Luck, the defense better work most of the kinks out earlier than that.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Position | Status |
| Jackie Battle | RB/FB | Questionable |
| Ropati Pitoitua | DL | Questionable |
| Chris Spencer | OL | Probable |
| Charlie Whitehurst | QB | Questionable |
Two starters could sit out due to injury: Ropati Pitoitua and Jackie Battle. I wouldn't expect either to play against Minnesota, as both are clear-cut starters when healthy.
Chris Spencer is a veteran interior lineman and will almost certainly make the roster; ditto with Charlie Whitehurst. Coaches may elect to sit them as well.
In the case of Whitehurst, the signing of Davis almost assures that "Clipboard Jesus" will live up to his nickname this week on the sideline.
*All injuries taken from ESPN's injury report.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Travis Coons and Maikon Bonani vs. Waiver Wire
Neither Coons nor Bonani have been terrible in the preseason, but with veteran kickers already on the open market and ready to be signed, these two aren't just competing with one another anymore.
One of them, at least, will need to impress to earn a starting job.
Zach Mettenberger vs. Teddy Bridgewater
Two of the most hailed quarterback prospects of the 2014 class will probably see a lot of playing time on Thursday. Mettenberger fell to the sixth round, while Bridgewater was snagged in the first round, but both will have chips on their shoulders in this game.
Bridgewater was not picked to be Minnesota's starter, per USA Today, and Mettenberger is leading the NFL in preseason passing yards, so expect these two quarterbacks to try and outplay one another.
Titans' X-Factor of the Week: Bishop Sankey
Bishop Sankey has yet to take a snap with the starters this preseason. Since he's likely to be spending a lot of time playing with them, it'd be nice to see some of what he can do with a starting offensive line blocking for him and a starter-quality defense trying to stop him.
This will be our last chance to see what the second-round pick can do before the regular season starts, so hopefully he gets brought out quickly.
Prediction
5 of 5
While guessing the outcome of a game where almost all starters will either sit or only play a few snaps would be an exercise in futility, there are still a few things you can expect to see from the Titans:
The starting defense playing longer than the offense: The offense is clicking, but the defense is still struggling, and getting them more reps in the new 3-4 system wouldn't be a bad idea.
They're still not likely to play more than a quarter, but I'd bet they'll be on the field longer than the offense is.
More injuries than usual: An unfortunate side effect of players playing for their jobs is likely to be an increase in risky plays and overall intensity, so expect injuries on both sides.
At least one depth player will impress: Every year, at least one player on each team blows up during the preseason. Usually, little or nothing comes of it, but every so often, teams find a superstar buried in their depth chart. My pick is tight end Chase Coffman.
Prediction: Titans 31, Vikings 28
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
