NFL Preseason: 10 Things We Learned From The Tennessee Titans Game
The first preseason game is in the books, and the Tennessee Titans received the ugly L. However, preseason is one of the only places in sports where "moral victories" are relevant.
The Titans' first drive was executed to perfection by Vince Young. The Titans went down the field with zero incomplete passes and zero loss of yard situations. There were no penalties. Everything was absolutely flawless.
The defense then followed that up by getting the Seahawks to punt after only one first down.
The rest of the game was not as well played by either team. There are still three more preseason games left, but here is what I've learned so far.
1.) Everyone On The Field Swarms to 28...Which Is a Good Thing
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While this may prevent CJ2K from having another 2000 yard season, the Titans offense seems to benefit greatly from it. I loved the play action screen pass to the fullback, Ahmad Hall.
We also learned that if you get Hall in the open field he is a wrecking ball to bring down. He knocked down first round draft pick Earl Thomas like a rag doll.
If the Titans have more plays up their sleeves like this one, we could have one of the most unstoppable offenses in the game this year.
2.) Vince Young Has Matured a Lot
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On Vince Young's first drive of the game he went 4-for-4 for 70 yards passing. He also ran for a first down. Unfortunately, on his next drive he threw an ugly interception.
What was mature about it is that he manned up and took responsibility at the end of the game, calling the interception completely his fault, and saying he should have ran for the first down.
In his defense, I'm glad he didn't run. Every time Young takes off with the ball I just see an injury waiting to happen. However, I would have much rather seen him throw the ball away in that situation.
3. Stephen Tulloch Is Emerging As The New Leader On Defense
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With Keith Bullock gone to the Giants, the Titans need someone to step up on defense as the new leader. Stephen Tulloch seems to be that guy.
Tulloch was all over the field last night making tackles in the running game and batting down passes he has no business being able to reach.
I was extremely impressed by the play of Tulloch and I can't wait to see what his stats look like after a full game.
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4.) Ryan Mouton Is Not a Starting Cornerback
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To be honest, I really like Ryan Mouton. He shows flashes here and there and made a couple of great plays last night. However, he got burned twice on huge plays. The worst part was that these were backup wide receivers that burned him.
There is no way Mouton could start, although I could see him getting some playing time at nickelback.
5.) Alterraun Verner Is Going To Be Good
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Alterraun Verner looked poised, calm, and maybe even a little bit over confident last night as he made his case to become a starter.
Numerous times Verner was in the backfield taking on the running back, which is very impressive for a cornerback. Then in pass coverage, I didn't see him get beat at all last night.
Verner is going to challenge Jason McCourty for the starting spot, but with one more year in the system McCourty will probably win the starting job.
6.) Marc Mariani Has a Good Shot To Make This Team
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When Marc Mariani was taken in the seventh round, everyone believed Jeff Fisher was picking him because he played with Brandon Fisher, Jeff Fisher's son.
Now we have seen that Mariani brings a lot to the table. Outside of his great route running, Mariani is a special teams king.
His kick returns all went out past the 25, which is what you ask for out of your returner. He then had a good 15-yard punt return to help Rusty Smith try for a two minute drill.
He even plays on special teams coverage, which he did a really good job beating his man down field on every punt. I'd like to see Mariani playing special teams for us in Week One.
7.) The Titans Offensive Line Is Not Nearly As Good This Year
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This one really isn't a surprise as losing Kevin Mawae at center will always lead to a drop off of your offensive line. The weird thing was Michael Roos gave up a sack last night.
It took Chris Johnson three tries to get into the end zone last night, mostly because the offensive line couldn't get the push they needed.
Hopefully these kinks are worked out come regular season, otherwise it will be a long one.
8.) Rusty Smith Should Beat Out Chris Simms For the Roster Spot
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Rusty Smith played great last night and made Chris Simms look like a chump. Yes, Smith threw that terrible interception to end the game, but when the defense knows you are going to pass, it makes it very difficult to be successful.
Heimerdinger knew what he was doing when he drafted this kid. Hopefully we will get to see him some in the second-team offense to see what he really can do.
9.) The Titans Have a Lot Of Depth at Defensive Line
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Both defensive end starters were out and yet the Titans managed to get get pressure on the QB every pass play. This was very impressive and the additions of Jason Babin and Raheem Brock in the offseason seem to be good ones.
Derrick Morgan should be back by the third preseason game, and William Hayes should be back for the start of the regular season, but if they are not back, its safe to say we still have a pretty good line.
10.) The Titans Have a Fantastic Rookie Class
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I was very impressed when the rookies alone put up eight points on the board. Alterraun Verner started it off with a diving interception. LeGarrette Blount then broke through the defense to score a touchdown.
Rusty Smith then followed that by throwing a two point conversion pass to Marc Mariani. Here is a breakdown of the rookies and how they did.
Round One—Derrick Morgan did not play.
Round Three—Damian Williams did not play.
Round Three—Rennie Curran played a lot, but wasn't very involved. He made a key play on special teams, but that was about it.
Round Four—Alterraun Verner may be the most impressive rookie so far. His diving interception made a great start to his career.
Round Five—Robert Johnson was on the field an made some key tackles. He is a very solid tackler from the looks of it.
Round Six—Rusty Smith has a very accurate arm and was able to squeeze the ball into tight spaces. His decision making was also very good.
Round Six—Myron Rolle played a lot in the second team defense. He was a very solid tackler, not missing any that I saw.
Round Seven—Marc Mariani showed up. He played well on special teams and as a wide receiver. I hope to see more of this kid.
Round Seven—David Howard didn't get a lot of playing time and only made one tackle.
UDFA—Stafon Johnson played excellent but was injured in the 3rd quarter and may not be back for a while.
UDFA—LeGarrette Blount played pretty well. He was able to score a touchdown.
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