Titans Tracker

Some observations as the 2010 preseason comes to a close:

Offense

The first team offense, minus Chris Johnson, seemed to regain a sense of rhythm. Javon Ringer continues to excel in the preseason. I wonder how good he would be if he was the Titans starting running back.

Kenny Britt is young. Is this the biggest factor in his lapses in concentration? So far, I’m disappointed in what I’ve seen from Britt this season.

I had not seen enough of Marc Mariani to realize just how good he is. Mariani has shown the type of determination and ball skills you would hope to see from Britt. The rookie from Montana has earned a roster spot.

I can’t wait to see what Tennessee decides to do with Samkon Gado. The veteran played ahead of LeGarrette Blount again and had a nice 31-yard run in the second quarter. Even so, there’s no way the Titans release Blount, who has undeniable talent and potential.

Troy Kropog had an embarrassing evening at backup left tackle. I wasn’t very familiar with Fernando Velasco, but I definitely should have predicted that he would make the Titans 53-man roster.

Defense

The progress of the defensive line gives me hope that the Titans can win double-digit games. Jason Jones can be a superstar in this league… and you know the one condition: he has to stay healthy. The D-line is deep and much-improved.

Gerald McRath is a stud and will be missed at the beginning of the season.

I am a Alterraun Verner fan. The kid can flat out play. Ryan Mouton? Fourth string. I don’t feel very good about the Titans depth at safety.

Special Teams

Having two punts blocked, even in a preseason game, is cause for alarm. Coach Fisher needs to do whatever it takes to fix this before the team plays the Raiders.

Go Titans!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post

There will be an occasion or two when I don’t watch a Titans game (gasp!). Usually it’s because I’m engaged with my family… and as I’ve said many times, there are many, many more important things in life than football.

I could pretend that I watched the game for the sake of appearances, but I’d prefer not to do this. There are hundreds of things that demand your time each day, and I won’t waste your time by having you read a half-baked article cobbled together by my observation of videos and other writers’ articles.

Of course, more often than not, I will watch the game and write a post-game recap as soon as possible.

If you’re interested in a good recap of the Titans-Panthers game, visit my friends at Total Titans. And keep reading Titans Tracker. Thanks.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post

It was only 2 seasons ago that Vince Young had one of his worst preseason performances. On August 15, 2008, Young was outplayed by JaMarcus Russell (click the link and read an early declaration by NFL.com saying “Russell is for real”) as Tennessee managed an ugly one-point win over the Oakland Raiders. Young looked like a quarterback who was regressing.

Fast forward to 2010. Young looks confident and accurate. If his strong commitment to the offseason program and his passing performance against the Cardinals means anything, watch out. Vince Young may be on the cusp of becoming one of the league’s best quarterbacks.

Leapin’ Lavelle Hawkins made the play of the night on a 22-yard reverse run. I’m happy for him. Seems like a nice kid who’s gaining confidence and preparing to contribute to the offense in his third season.

Off the street free agent Samkon Gado took the field before LeGarrette Blount got a chance to play. Gado responded by scoring two rushing touchdowns. Was coach Jeff Fisher sending Blount a message?

I fully expect Fisher to keep his guy Blount on the roster. Perhaps a running-back needy team will give Gado another chance.

The offensive line looked fantastic.

Last month, I predicted that Jason Babin would not make the team. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if Babin starts ahead of ailing rookie Derrick Morgan.

I also won’t be surprised if rookie Alterraun Verner overtakes Jason McCourty for the second cornerback spot. The game in Carolina will reveal a lot about this team’s starting lineup and regular season prospects.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post