Jet sweeps and zone option concepts don’t always work – you get down to your opponent’s one yard line and instead of bringing in the beef and banging DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry up the middle, you try the jet sweep with Delanie Walker. It didn’t work, and the Tennessee Titans shouldn’t have tried in that scenario.
Now, I criticized Terry Robiskie last week for not getting his playmakers involved enough. I guess he was trying to force feed Walker, and sure, it’s a bit hypocritical of me to call him on it. I’ll hold myself accountable for that. But, there’s situational football to consider. Why do you invest so much in the offensive line, bring in DeMarco Murray, and draft Derrick Henry if you can’t pick up that short yardage touchdown?
In fact, there were a couple of instances that put the Titans in 2nd/3rd and long situations on offense because plays took too long to develop or the Colts pass rush broke everything up immediately.
This coaching staff needs to stop trying to get too ‘exotic’ in Exotic Smashmouth. It just seems like they’re overthinking a bit, when the bread and butter of this team is the offensive line and those fast, dynamic bruising backs.
After that first touchdown drive, they proved the run game opens up the rest of that offense. The Colts defense had to respect the run a little more, and they started to wear down. The result was Taywan Taylor breaking one down the field and hauling in a 53-yard touchdown pass. The Colts were gassed by the end of the game. To the point where no one could bring down Henry when he sprinted for a 72-yard touchdown run. Eric Decker showed up in a big way, converting a few first downs and hauling in seven catches on eight targets. It was his best game yet as a Titan.
That’s when ‘exotic smashmouth’ works, and that’s what this staff should stick to. They must have realized that when they went to the locker room at half time. Then, they came out and just barreled over the Colts. That’s what I like to see, and it puts the Titans right back into the AFC South hunt.
Overall, I think you have to give the game ball to Marcus Mariota. That was a real gut check win and a gritty performance. He threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown (with one interception). But, seeing him go out there on an injured hamstring and sneak the ball to convert a fourth down is the type of thing that fires everyone up. Hell, I’m high on life and ready to run through a brick wall just thinking about it.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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