Well Titans fans, the wait is over. Football is back....tonight! For the casual, and dare I say...cynical fan base, I completely understand your rationale in saying...
"Wake me up when the regular season starts."
After all, from what we've seen in the preseason so far, there will be little to no star power on the field for either team tonight. If you're ten minutes late you will miss Packers qb Aaron Rogers all together, if he even suits up. And that goes for the rest of the Green Bay stars.
But the Titans are in a unique situation this season. New head coach Ken Whisenhunt is completely overhauling the playbook on both sides of the ball....and with only 4 games to get it fully installed, expect to see starters play a little more than most teams. He also made a shrewd move in not publicly releasing an official depth chart so far in training camp.
But he will tonight...on the field.
With so much curiosity and intrigue, the Titans have enough story lines to keep you watching up until at least the 4th quarter. We'll highlight some of the bigger ones.
Team IQ:
The Titans have done the same thing for so long that we really don't know if this is a "smart" team. We'll get our first look at just how well they are picking up the new offense and defense. Casual fans should look for two things in that regard.
1. Cohesiveness on offense: Is the qb getting pummeled because the offensive line / running backs are missing their blocking assignments? Is the qb throwing the ball up the field when the receiver cut toward the sideline? Can the Titans get into an offensive rhythm? If you see a ton of punts, then the answer is no.
2. Blown assignments on defense: You can usually tell that happened when the opposing player is running free (with no Titans defenders around him) in the passing game. That is also the case when a rb runs for several yards before being contacted by a Titans defender.
The Titans were quietly the 11th best pass defense in the league last year...while playing the likes of Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck (twice), Rivers, Roethlisberger, Kaepernick, and Wilson. New defensive coordinator Ray Horton is top five in the league at his position. A very encouraging combination. Of course there will be some errors tonight (we have to reasonably allot for a learning curve), but the fewer the better.
By the way, you heard it here first, cornerback Jason McCourty will make the Bro Bowl this year.
But I digress.
Whitehurst vs Mettenberger:
When Jake Locker is your starting qb, then you must start at the back up qb position. The last two years, backup qbs played a ton of games for the Titans. If that's the case this year, then one of these two will be leading our offense. Whitehurst...aka..."Clipboard Jesus" was one of the first free agents brought on by coach Whiz. He hasn't played a meaningful NFL down since the last time I have, but at least he knows the new offense already.
Mettenberger, rookie qb out of LSU, was the first qb drafted by Whiz as the Titans coach. Both have a strong arm, and both will be given plenty of opportunities to knock each other off as starting qb in waiting this year....I mean...back up to Locker.
The new rb rotation:
For the last several years the Titans rb rotation was...CJ left...CJ right...CJ up the middle....then sprinkle in a VY or Locker qb scramble. This season will be the first running back by committee approach since Tennessee's smash and dash (White, CJ) combo in 2008.
Enter free agent rb Dexter McCluster and rookie rb Bishop Sankey. Both bring different things to the table, and both are said to be great receivers out of the backfield. Returning rb Shonn Greene is finally healthy and has received good feedback since returning. His style is more suited for short yardage and goal line situations.
But keep a close eye on returning bruiser Jackie Battle. He tore up opposing defenses in last year's preseason, and has been lighting up opposing Titans defenders all camp. He'll have the benefit of getting a ton of reps against third and fourth string competition, and can potentially make life miserable for Greene...who plays the exact same style...but with a much heftier salary.
Receiver Depth:
Do the Titans have any? They are certainly set with starters Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, and Justin Hunter.
After that? Hmm.....
In order for coach Whiz's passing game to be truly successful, he will need some role players to step up. And since we have no clue who's where on the depth chart behind the above listed three, we'll have to wait until the second half...another reason to keep watching.
"Welcome back football" ~ TitanNation
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