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The Titans will likely have their starters on the field for more than a half of football tonight, which will obviously be the most fans have seen from all preseason. They also will have actually gameplanned a little for what the Falcons defense is going to do. With that in mind, this is the closest the Titans have been to actual football since December 29th, so tonight's matchups will actually show what kind of shape the Titans players are in.
These are the three matchups that should tell Titans fans the most:
Chance Warmack vs the Atlanta DL
While I said the whole DL, what I really mean is Jonathan Babineaux. The Falcons DT is one of the most underrated penetrators in the NFL, and Chance Warmack has had his issues with players of his caliber in the past. Having said that, don't write off Warmack yet, because he looks like a completely different beast so far this preseason.
With a vastly improved punch and better understanding of what he is supposed to do from play-to-play, Warmack has a chance (no pun intended) to really show fans that he has grown into a high caliber RG.
Bishop Sankey vs the Atlanta front seven
Sankey will probably be on the bench for the first series, and may not even see the field until the second quarter or later, but he needs continue to show improvement. Ball issues have been a concern, but last week he showed why he was the first back taken in the 2014 NFL Draft with a nice display of speed and vision.
If Sankey can keep the ball secure, and continue to show improvement and versatility as balanced running back, then he could be the number two running back on this roster going into the regular season. If not, Dexter McCluster could be the dark horse candidate to be the second most used running back on the roster.
Taylor Thompson vs himself
The only person that can stop Thompson at this point is Thompson. If he shows that speed and catch radius that he displayed against the Saints, the Titans will have to seriously consider developing some more plays for him. If he is the drop-prone player that Titans fans have seen for years, then a bad game tonight could lead to a less explosive Titans offense.