Tennessee Titans: Whose Stock Is Rising and Falling Entering Bye Week
An extremely early bye week has the Tennessee Titans with a bad taste in their mouth following two straight losses. With their bye week falling in Week 4, they will play 13 consecutive weeks to round out the regular season.
A stingy Buffalo Bills defense will come to Nissan Stadium following the bye week, followed by a Miami Dolphins team that is also formidable on defense.
The silver lining to this early bye week is that a couple of key players should be able to get fully healthy with this extra week off.
This is a current stock report on some key players entering the bye week.
Stock Rising: Dorial Green-Beckham
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A big question coming out of the offseason was how quickly Dorial Green-Beckham would be able to adjust to life in the NFL. He was perceived as a risky draft pick due to his issues off the field. He was also removed from organized football for nearly a year prior to being drafted by the Titans.
However, his raw talent can't be denied. It's still very early in his career, but he seems to be going down the right path. The Titans have to put all of their resources into keeping Green-Beckham on that right path because his talent is bound to make him a touchdown machine as he grows more comfortable on the NFL level.
Green-Beckham already has two touchdowns this season, and he's gradually becoming the red-zone favorite. He still needs to be better utilized outside of the red zone.
He's also getting praise from his fellow rookie, Marcus Mariota, per the Titans twitter page:
"#Titans QB Marcus Mariota: "He's (Dorial Green-Beckham) a great player, somebody that's going to continue to make plays for us."
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 27, 2015"
Assuming he stays out of trouble, Green-Beckham could very likely end up being the best pick from this past draft, outside of Mariota.
Stock Falling: Terrance West
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Terrance West is currently buried on the Titans depth chart, and it will take a few injuries to see him climb back up.
His lone opportunity was blown against the Browns when he fumbled early in the game, which killed momentum on a promising drive.
West essentially got replaced by Antonio Andrews in the Colts game and was designated as a healthy inactive, per Music City Miracles:
"Antonio Andrews In; Terrance West Out http://t.co/wvajBonlyU pic.twitter.com/7vEbGhF5Ot
— TitansMCM (@TitansMCM) September 27, 2015"
Now that Andrews has returned from injury, it's not likely that West sees the field again. Even Bishop Sankey's time is dwindling somewhat, and he was widely perceived as the lead back coming into the regular season.
It once again proves that in the NFL, you have to make the most of the few opportunities you receive. Luckily the Titans didn't give up much to get him.
Stock Rising: Antonio Andrews
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It says a lot about how much confidence your coach has in you when he gives you the bulk of the rushing attempts in your season debut in a pivotal division game. Not to mention that Andrews really hasn't proven anything yet on the NFL level.
The coaching staff clearly has a lot of faith in what Andrews can bring to the table, which is versatility. He does a lot of things really well, and his skill set could lead him to be a valuable weapon catching balls out of the backfield.
Andrews led the team in carries against the Colts with 12 attempts, while Bishop Sankey only had five carries. That was a surprising turn of events. He made the most of his limited opportunities with his first career touchdown and more than 4 yards per carry.
For all of you fantasy football nuts, you may want to consider snagging Andrews before Week 5, per ESPN Fantasy Sports:
"He may be overlooked due to his bye week, but @karabellespn names a RB to pick up sooner than later: http://t.co/63VSeqxpB4
— ESPN Fantasy Sports (@ESPNFantasy) September 30, 2015"
The Titans rushing attack is going to be a fluid situation until someone decides to break out and put together some sustained success. As of now, it seems to be that Andrews has the best opportunity to eventually become the feature back.
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Stock Falling: Justin Hunter
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Patience is beginning to wear thin for Justin Hunter. This is his make-or-break year in a Titans uniform, and he's done nothing to lead us to believe he's on the right track through three games.
Things aren't heading in the right direction when you get excited by a single catch that Hunter makes. He did make a nice grab against the Colts' Vontae Davis, but one nice catch isn't going to be enough.
That reception brought Hunter's season total to four, for just 74 yards. He's also only received six targets, leading me to believe that he's not running the correct routes to get open.
Hunter is the fourth-best option on a roster that has just four wide receivers. He's been virtually invisible on the field this season.
There's still time for him to validate being drafted so high at 34th overall, but that time is quickly running out. Managing the occasional spectacular catch will not get it done.
Stock Rising: Jurrell Casey
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As he begins his fifth season, Jurrell Casey isn't appearing to hit any sort of plateau in his still-young NFL career. He continues to be the anchor on the Titans defensive line, and he sometimes gets overlooked for how important he is to this team's success.
It's easy to overlook a good player when he consistently shows up every week and makes a positive impact. That's what Casey is bringing to the table this season, but he is still ascending into the conversation for one of the best in the NFL.
Casey rated as the top interior defensive lineman from Week 3, according to Pro Football Focus. He beat out Ndamukong Suh for top honors.
If Casey doesn't get the sack, he always seems to be rushing the passer into a hurried throw. His motor has him on the right path to get Pro Bowl honors.
Stock Falling: Marqueston Huff
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A glaring trend that's emerging among this Titans defense is its inability to defend the long ball. It essentially got Tennessee beat against the Browns in Week 2 and also aided in the comeback attempt by the Colts.
If the Titans showed more discipline in defending those deep throws, then it's very likely that they're sitting at 3-0 during their bye week.
It's been a combination of blame among Titans' defensive backs, but Marqueston Huff has the most to lose by poor play. This is his first year where he has gotten consistent playing time, and he hasn't capitalized on those opportunities so far.
Ken Whisenhunt commented on the play that Huff got beat on against the Colts, per FOX Sports:
""(Huff) does have help on that play deep,” Whisenhunt said. “But I mean (Huff) has to play it better, too. It was a combination, a multiple fail there, which obviously, hurts.”
"
Coaches usually don't put the blame squarely on one player for public consumption. From what I've seen, Huff has left a lot of plays on the table that were there to be made.
The good news is that this is something that can be quickly corrected. Guys are in the right places to make plays, and now they just have to execute. Huff simply needs to turn it around and make some big plays after the bye week.
Stock Rising: Marcus Mariota
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If you didn't already buy stock in Marcus Mariota early in the season, then you probably already missed your opportunity to win big. His stock is soaring despite losing his last two starts.
Mariota has come back down to reality and shown that he's not a robot. However, the two losses can't be put on the shoulders of Mariota. He's done his job by putting his team in good position to win.
Another impressive achievement for Mariota comes in the form of Offensive Rookie of the Month, per the NFL Network:
"Congrats to Marcus Mariota, named Offensive Rookie of the Month! 61/97, 277.7 pass YPG, 8 TD, 2 INT, 109.2 Pass RTG pic.twitter.com/QmaGR0gAv1
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) October 1, 2015"
Wins need to start following these impressive stats, but you still can't help but be optimistic about what Mariota is accomplishing over his first three career games.
The Titans offense has made a complete turnaround from last season. It is currently ninth in total offense and fourth in points per game, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com:
".@Titans are ranked 9th in NFL in total offense (10th rush, 15th pass) through Sunday. Team is ranked 4th in points per game
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 28, 2015"
Mariota has clearly made the players around him better, and his preparation has really paid off. His next test comes against a formidable Buffalo Bills defense after the bye week. His stock will be off the charts if he puts together another solid game while, most importantly, getting the win.
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