Sunday’s game in Miami was indeed a dark spot in the history of the Tennessee Titans. Practically anything that could go wrong did. Four hours worth of weather delays, poor officiating, and sloppy play marked a horrendous debut for rookie head coach Mike Vrabel. But, it was the injuries that hurt this team the most.
TE Delanie Walker is now likely done for the year after suffering a gruesome ankle injury. LT Taylor Lewan is questionable after taking a cheap shot from Andre Branch that put him in concussion protocol. QB Marcus Mariota was knocked out of the game because he couldn’t feel his hand anymore. He’s questionable. Those are three stalwarts on offense.
But, Week 2 provides an opportunity to reset, refocus, and knock an AFC South opponent to 0-2. The Houston Texans come to Nashville on Sunday for a date with the Titans at high Noon.
Both teams will be looking to put Week 1 losses behind them, but particularly for the Titans, Sunday can’t come soon enough. The further removed we are from Sunday’s debacle, the better. Right now, this game’s virtually a pick ’em.
In Week 1, the New England Patriots rattled sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson early. DE Trey Flowers had a good game, recording 1.5 sack, as the team recorded three sacks and seven tackles for loss as a whole. Sacks aside, Watson spent a lot of time on Sunday running for his life because his offensive line couldn’t protect him.
He finished the game 17/34 for 136 yards and one touchdown. But, he turned the ball over twice in the process. Probably not as bad as the game the Titans had, but I’m sure it’s a game he’d like to forget all the same.
Meanwhile, the Titans pass rush was virtually nonexistent against the Dolphins. They got to QB Ryan Tannehill just once, and for the most part, he had plenty of time to get comfortable in the pocket, complete passes, and make plays. And, that he did. At times, it looked like he was literally standing still, patiently waiting for someone to get open. And, if you have enough time, someone usually does get open. Kamalie Correa tallied the Titans’ only sack of the day.
Now, compounded by a wave of uncertainty on offense, the Titans defense will have to find a way to step up and take advantage of what should be a decent match-up for them. They surely don’t have an offense like the Patriots do. I don’t expect them to jump out to a 24-6 lead, but if they can at least manage the game, they’ll have a decent shot of winning. With Seantrel Henderson’s season-ending injury, the Texans are forced to change things up along the offensive line. That makes a weak unit even weaker, and Dean Pees ought to be smelling blood.
Harold Landry is questionable for Sunday’s game. Derrick Morgan (admittedly, still trying to get healthy, and playing a limited role) and Brian Orakpo were nowhere to be found on Sunday. There was virtually no push up the middle from the interior defensive line. That has to change because taking advantage of the weak Texans offensive line could be the key to the game.
Look back at Week 1, and once the game sort of slowed down, Watson and company made a run that pulled the final score to 27-20. You just can’t let the guy get comfortable or else he’ll eat you alive. Remember what happened the last time he played the Titans and felt comfortable running the offense? Five total touchdowns in a 57-14 blowout of the Titans.
If the Titans can keep that from happening, they’ll have a decent chance of improving to 1-1 on the season. But, capitalizing on the weak Texans offensive line and generating a strong pass rush is the catalyst for that happening.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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