We all remember it well. The Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals are tied at 16 apiece. There’s roughly 30 seconds left in the game. The Titans are looking to get into field goal range to potentially win the game and the opportunity to host the AFC Championship. Ryan Tannehill drops back, surveys the field, and heaves a pass towards Nick Westbrook-Ikhine that ricochets off his hands and drops into the welcoming arms of Logan Wilson. Maybe Eli Apple just makes a hell of a play. Maybe he sat on the route because he knew NWI was going to break in because those Titans love their in-breaking routes. Maybe this is another example of the Titans passing attack being a little too predictable. Maybe Wilson is just in the right place at the right time. Maybe it’s just a little bit of everything. The very next play after that interception, Joe Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase to get the Bengals in field goal range, and the rest is history.
Tannehill has taken a bit of a beating from Titans fans this offseason because of that game, fair or foul. And, in the process, NWI has caught some strays. We’ve heard all the takes. “Why would you throw that ball to NWI?” “What did you trade for Julio Jones for?” I’m guilty of that, too. Don’t get me wrong – but listen….time heals all wounds. The thought occurred to me the other day that maybe there’s another angle to take on that play. We tend to focus on the negative because we’re bitter fans of a team that disappointed. But, there’s another side to it, and it’s an appreciation of the work that NWI put in to even get to that spot in that moment in the first place.
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine discusses his hero in life, Titans special teams and more. pic.twitter.com/QcDjciBlzQ
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 8, 2022
Everything about his story is something Titans fans should cling to. I don’t mean to take a shot here, but *ahem* this fan base seems to fall in love with some random undrafted rookie free agent every offseason, only to be disappointed when Jon Robinson inevitably cuts his ass. Well, why the fuck are you guys still doing that?!?! You’ve got your guy! NWI! He’s RIGHT HERE! Anyway, this man has scratched and clawed his way from an undrafted guy in 2020 to the presumptive WR3 (and don’t be surprised if he’s WR2, starting opposite Robert Woods come September). He’s the story you all want so badly.
The wide receiver room is a lot different this summer than it was last summer. Last summer, we were trying to shake things down between Marcus Johnson, Chester Rogers, and Josh Reynolds. None of those guys are with the team any longer. The top two at the position were Jones and AJ Brown. WELP. Now, NWI and *checks notes* Cody Hollister are the two wide receivers who have been with the Titans the longest. The Titans signed NWI to a one-year deal back in the spring, and for good reason.
He brings a lot to the table in terms of versatility, and he’s put in the work to earn the trust of his quarterback. We’ve heard coaches gush about how he’s willing to take on any position on the field. He’s capable of backing up any receiver that needs it. And, he is a notorious “dirty work” guy – willing to do whatever he has to to help the team – catch a pass, throw a block on special teams, field an onside kick, get out in front of Derrick Henry and put a First Team All-Pro safety in the dirt…
Congrats to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for adopting Jordan Poyer as his first child pic.twitter.com/TtRk0gIjlB
— Titan Up ️odcast (@TitanUpPod) October 19, 2021
He adds a lot of value on special teams, where he’s taken the craft seriously, and approached it with the right mindset, understanding how important it can be to the outcome of a game. His development from 2020 to 2021 is encouraging, and if he can keep that train rolling in 2022, he just might get a longer deal in the future. I said it on this week’s episode of The Unofficial Titans Podcast – NWI could be one of those guys who quietly posts a few hundred yards each season, and before we know it, we’ll look up a few seasons from now, and he’ll start cracking the top 10 or so in Titans-only (no Oilers) receiving metrics. If he keeps battling, and keeps developing at this rate, he’s on that sort of trajectory (is that a hot take?).
We can’t let his “dirty work” aura cloud the fact that he can just plain and simple make the big catch when needed. Before I get out of here, I want to tell y’all why I love this play so much. I think you can find the value NWI brings to the passing game and the spirit with which he plays the game in this single play. Tannehill surveys a couple of options before he finally lands on NWI, but when he does, he knows he’s a viable security blanket, so he immediately threads the ball in where only NWI can get it. NWI has done a great job of identifying some open space here in between four guys. With all that traffic around him, he still has the concentration ability to make that catch, though he ain’t done yet. With all these 49ers on his back, NWI keeps churning his legs and downright fights to pick up extra yardage. That’s not just a guy with potential. That’s a guy whose attitude and style you want rubbing off on your other receivers.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine picks up the slack on 3rd and 15 pic.twitter.com/uu0aeFQE13
— Titans Nation (@TitansNationCP) December 24, 2021
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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