Tennessee Titans Silver Linings: Preseason Game 3

The Tennessee Titans pretty much laid a stinker in their third preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. If you want to hear about or dwell on any of those issues, then turn around, you won’t find them here.

Brett Kern

Wow. His first two punts were daggers that pinned the Bears inside the 5 yard line up against their own goal. This is where LeBeau will hopefully be able to make the defense shine during the regular season. Having a punter able to do that goes hand in hand with the field position battle Mularkey is happy to play.

Adoree Jackson

That’s right. I said Adoree Jackson. He may have been picked on a bit and gave up some throws. But he never looked shaken, which could easily happen when having a game like that. On defense he settled in eventually and ended up with 5 tackles on the day. He never shied away from contact and he didn’t start playing scared.

On punt returns he made an abysmal mistake of fielding a ball on the 3 and getting tackled. He responded well however, and on the next punt made a great jump move after fielding the ball on the 10 and made it a quick 10 yards up the sideline before being knocked out.

Overall, he’s a fast and gifted player that is handling the adjustment to the NFL well. Corner is one of the slowest positions to develop so let’s give him some time.

Taywan Taylor

Corey Davis may have been the Titans first overall pick and still may be their best receiver in time, but Taylor is legit. Out wide, on the inside, backfield, up field, you name it, it’s obvious the Titans are trying to find ways to get the ball in his hands. He has all the attributes you want in a receiver and a play maker. He ran crisp routes caught the ball well and created positive yards on plays where they were hard to find. 3rd and 31? No problem, just get Taylor up the seam. At this point I would be surprised if he isn’t steadily in the line up even when Davis and Decker are healthy.

Rishard Mathews

All the new receivers on the Titans may have let some sleep on Mathews. After watching yesterday’s game, I fully expect him to remain the Titans top receiver. He obviously has a rapport with Mariota and some of the QB’s best throws were to him. He ended the day with 3 catches for 54 yards.

Other Quick Mentions

• Mariota may have issues throwing the ball, but his legs looked strong and he still has amazing speed defenses will have to account for.
• Kevin Byard continues to look like a strong leader in the backfield.
• Jayon Brown keeps showing up around the ball and even made some good stops in the run game, which is something he isn’t exactly known for.
• Wesley Woodyard made some great plays in the first half. He ended up with a sack, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 QB hits. Everyone is high on Williamson and the outside backers, but Woodyard showed he still has it and can be a great fit for Lebeau’s system.

That’s it for this week as I would have to get in super detective mode to find anything else good to say. Let’s just hope the team stays healthy next week and can get fired up for the season opener.