We are just t-minus one day from the 2022 preseason kicking off with a contest between the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens. Personally, I can feel it all the way down in my plums – gettin’ all swollen with a light blue hue to ’em, fresh and ready for the pickin’. Anyway, with the season set to kick off in earnest in about a month, I took some time on this week’s episode of The Unofficial Titans Podcast to talk expectations for 2022 and look at an area for improvement in each phase of the team.
Areas of Improvement for 2022
Offense: explosives – I know the offense was hampered by an historical rash of injuries, but it never really felt all that explosive and dynamic in 2021 the way it did in 2020, for whatever reason. The Titans hired Tim Kelly to serve as passing game coordinator, and given the creativity with which he called plays for the Houston Texans, I think it’s reasonable to expect that this issue with big plays has been identified and should be better this season.
Defense: development – I’m going to nitpick here because I do think the defense will be the strength of the team, but it’s also counting on some young guys stepping up. Jeffery Simmons is well on his way to becoming one of the best defensive players in the game, and if Aaron Donald would’ve retired, I wouldn’t have batted an eye at ya if you called him the best defensive lineman in the game. But, the Titans also seem to have a knack for supplying young UDFA talent around him on that defensive line. Whether it’s Teair Tart, Naquan Jones, Jayden Peevy, or Haskell Garrett, the group needs to continue getting stronger around Simmons and Denico Autry. The secondary is relying upon more consistency from Kristian Fulton, further development from Elijah Molden, immediate impact from Roger McCreary, and a massive leap from Caleb Farley. Not to mention the depth at linebacker – given how those positions rotated in 2021, the Titans could stand to get the most they can out of a guy like Dylan Cole or Chance Campbell. It’s not so much that they haven’t done a good job of developing talent and need to improve. It’s more so that they just need to continue getting better at it for “insurance purposes,” if you will. There’s not a whole lot of weakness on this side of the ball to improve upon to begin with. They just need to keep leaning into developing their guys.
Special teams: consistency – Can we please just have a regular ol’ football season without dramatically keeping our eyes glued to the kicking game? How about NO drama at all at kicker? Randy Bullock has been lights out in camp so far…let’s keep it that way, and not have to worry about making a clutch kick in a clutch moment.
If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Unofficial Titans Podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts! Or, you can simply smash that play button on the embed below to listen to my rant on expectations for 2022 on our most recent episode:
Listen to “Ep. 110: The Start of Training Camp, Expectations for 2022” on Spreaker.If you haven’t already, introduce yourself to 440 Sports – Nashville’s independent, on demand, and uncensored audio network. With shows covering the Tennessee Titans, SEC football, and much more, subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss a beat! And, be sure to check out our friends at Trouble Spirits – form your own Rat Pack with Trouble’s small-batch rye whiskey, hand-crafted gin, and premium vodka.
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
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
