Category: Latest News

Titans CB Tye Smith has shown improvement as he prepares for larger role

The Tennessee Titans have overcome many obstacles throughout the 2019 season, but one of those that continues to loom over is the injury bug.

The Tennessee Titans have overcome many obstacles throughout the 2019 season, but one of those that continues to loom over is the injury bug.

Tennessee’s secondary has been hit hard with injuries to cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and LeShaun Sims.

Butler has been placed on Injured Reserve, and LeShaun Sims, who came in as his replacement, has missed two consecutive days of practice with an ankle injury.

With this, Tye Smith is the next man up. Head coach Mike Vrabel is confident the cornerback is up to the task, and has seen him progressively get better this season.

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“He’s got good length. I think that he’s been a good special teams player for us. There’s been some versatility,” Vrabel said. “I think the thing I would like to say about Tye (Smith) is, I feel like he’s improved as one of those players on the show team that’s gone out there and worked against A.J. (Brown), Humph (Adam Humphries, Corey (Davis), Tajaé (Sharpe), Kalif (Raymond) and all of them, and really improved. That’s what excites me is that a player that’s gotten better without a lot of game-rep opportunities throughout the course of the season to be ready for this opportunity.”

Smith has played in four games for the Titans this season, and has two combined tackles.

The Titans and Colts are set to kick off at noon CT on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Andy Dalton sees some Troy Polamalu in Jets’ Jamal Adams

Andy Dalton will see a version of Troy Polamalu over the weekend.

Andy Dalton’s first start during his second stint in the role this year won’t be an easy one.

Thank New York Jets budding star Jamal Adams.

For the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, Adams reminds him a bit of a guy named Troy Polamalu, as he told the media:

“With Troy, he was so smart and understood exactly what they were doing on defense and how offenses were trying to attack. Jamal is similar. He can start down (toward the line of scrimmage) and run out to the half (of the field he’s covering), and he can do all the different things that Troy did.”

Polamalu, of course, tormented the Bengals from 2003-2014 with the Steelers.

Adams, just 24, is clearly on his way to such heights. Over 11 games this year, he’s put up 63 total tackles, 6.5 sacks and 15 pressures and allowed just 15 completions on 27 targets.

As Dalton tries to go to work without A.J. Green again, he’ll have to hope a struggling offensive line can counter Adams’ creative pressures and otherwise always find him when he drops back to cover.

Like with Polamalu, easier said than done.

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Injury report: two Titans miss Thursday practice

Here’s a look at the complete injury report for both teams.

The Tennessee Titans have won two games in a row, and will look to extend that winning streak to three games as they take on the division rival Indianapolis Colts this week.

But the team was without a few of its usual players on Thursday.

Tight end Delanie Walker (ankle) is on injured reserve, while linebacker Reggie Gilbert (knee) and cornerback LeShaun Sims (ankle) both missed practice.

Running back Derrick Henry (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant.

Safety Dane Cruikshank (ankle), cornerback Adoree Jackson (calf), defensive lineman DaQuan Jones (ribs), defensive back Joshua Kalu (ankle), wide receiver Tajae Sharpe (hamstring) and offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile (knee) were all listed as limited participants.

Here’s a look at the complete injury report for both teams.

The Titans and Colts are set to face off at noon CT on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Titans will not face Colts WR T.Y. Hilton on Sunday

The duo of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton gave the Tennessee Titans the absolute blues for years.

The duo of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton gave the Tennessee Titans the absolute blues for years.

But the team will face neither of those players on Sunday, given Luck’s retirement ahead of the season and Hilton being ruled out for the Sunday matchup.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported on Thursday morning that Hilton had “suffered a setback with his calf injury” and will be out.

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Hilton reeled in four receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown to finish as the team’s leading receiver in the Colts’ 19-17 win over the Titans in Nissan Stadium earlier this season.

In 2019, Hilton has accounted for 35 of Indianapolis’ catches for 378 yards and five touchdowns over seven games.

The Colts’ passing game is always impacted without a healthy Hilton, and it will be interesting to see how well they’re able to compensate for it against a much-improved Titans team.

The Titans and Colts are set to kick off at noon CT on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Former Bengals LB Preston Brown sends message to Cincinnati, fans

The former Bengals linebacker sent a letter to the city of Cincinnati.

Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Preston Brown penned a letter to the city of Cincinnati this week.

As seen in the tweet above from Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Brown took a moment to thank the team, city and fans and noted his work in the community won’t stop.

Brown was a feel-good story when he arrived via free agency before the 2018 season. The Cincinnati native looked like a possible long-term answer at linebacker before things fell apart this season.

While the team-player fit didn’t work out over the long run, it’s clear it will always be a special part of Brown’s career as he now gets started with the Oakland Raiders.

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Former Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck praises Ryan Tannehill

And Tannehill is drawing the attention of former NFL quarterbacks — including those who saw time for the two-toned blue in their careers.

The Tennessee Titans offense has found a new sense of life since Ryan Tannehill took over in Marcus Mariota’s place during Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos.

Tannehill has posted a 4-1 overall record as a Titans starter, and has looked more decisive and comfortable at the helm than Mariota did at the start of the season.

And Tannehill is drawing the attention of former NFL quarterbacks — including those who saw time for the two-toned blue in their careers.

One of those names is Matt Hasselbeck, who played for the Titans in 2011 and 2012.

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Hasselbeck completed 457-of-739 passes for 4,938 yards and 25 touchdowns with 19 interceptions in his two years with the Titans.

Tannehill is making a case for himself to be the Titans’ long-term starter as he’s completed 97-of-136 passes for 1,161 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions in 2019.

It will be interesting to see if the Titans ultimately give Tannehill a contract extension after the season, or move on and select a promising signal-caller from a talented 2020 NFL Draft class that includes names like Heisman candidate Joe Burrow.

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The Titans will face the Indianapolis Colts at noon CT on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Bengals take next franchise passer, retool offensive line in new 4-round mock

A new four-round mock draft sends Joe Burrow and others to the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals are the star of any 2020 mock draft right now.

Favorites to land the first pick by a large margin, those Bengals don’t go the unexpected route in mocks right now — it’s all about LSU passer Joe Burrow.

Burrow, the fast-rising quarterback and Athens, Ohio native, is the pick by the Bengals in a new four-round mock from Luke Easterling of Draft Wire:

“For the longest time now, it’s seemed Tua Tagovailoa was written into this spot with permanent marker. But Burrow’s performance so far this season has launched him into the No. 1 overall conversation, while a hip injury has ended Tagovailoa’s season. Burrow looks like the real deal in every way.”

After Burrow, the Bengals grab some offensive line help with Alex Leatherwood from Alabama at No. 33 in the second round. They then follow up with another tackle in the third round at No. 65, this one Darryl Williams out of Mississippi State. In the fourth, things switch to the defensive side of the ball where they grab Michigan linebacker Khaleke Hudson at No. 97.

As far as a top-100 goes, it’s hard to complain here at the end of November. Adding two linemen to pair with the returning Jonah Williams and Trey Hopkins at center could fully turn the unit around in time.

But the real treasure of the class here is obviously Burrow, the man who so far has completed 78.9 of his passes for 4,000-plus yards with 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions. In the wake of the Tua Tagovailoa injury he’s the top choice, so fans would be wise to start getting to know him now.

As far as mocks go, it’s hard to complain about hitting on the team’s biggest needs at what early in the process here seems to be good value.

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Ray Lewis named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team

Ray Lewis is the first of 12 linebackers to be named to the NFL All-Time Team.

As part of the ongoing celebration surrounding the 100th season of the NFL, an All-Time Team is in the process of being named. This team of 100 players will contain the very best of the best to have played the game in the last century. On Monday night the identity of the first linebacker to make the team was revealed and it was one of the greatest Ravens of all, Ray Lewis.

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Lewis spent his entire 17-year career with Baltimore after he became their second-ever draft pick in 1996. He won two Super Bowls, the first following the 2000 season and the second in his last game in the NFL after the 2012 campaign. He took home the Super Bowl MVP in 2000.

Lewis is arguably the best linebacker to ever play the game, even before this list came out. He won Defensive Player of the Year award twice during his career and led the league in tackles three times. Since the NFL began counting combined tackles as a stat, no player has amassed more than Lewis. His 2,055 are 24 more than the next closest player on the list.

In addition to his tackles, Lewis finished his regular-season career with 99 tackles for loss, 41.5 sacks, 96 passes defended (a stat only recorded since 1999) and 31 interceptions. Oh and don’t forget 19 forced fumbles.

Lewis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. His being named to the All-Time Team is just another honor for one of the greatest players to wear the Ravens uniform.

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Here’s what Bengals fans should be thankful for this holiday season

There are some things Bengals fans should be thankful for — even at 0-11.

It might be easy to scoff at the idea of being thankful for anything when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals this year.

Fair — the team is 0-11 and counting and well into the worst start in franchise history.

But it isn’t all bad. In honor of the holiday spirit, here is everything Bengals fans should be thankful for this year.

Andy Dalton: Forget football for a moment. Here’s Dalton in his first presser after returning from getting benched: “When it first happened, I wanted to be bitter. I didn’t know why it was happening. I knew that God has a plan for me and has a plan for my family and has a plan for my life. I had to trust and believe in that…Why choose to live in bitterness if you don’t have to? Why choose to be negative when you don’t have to?” Other than simply being a great person, the Bengals have had droves of success under Dalton and he’s a franchise leader in plenty of areas. One more touchdown pass and he passes Ken Anderson.

A.J. Green: The injury and absence stink. So does the fact Green doesn’t have an extension in hand. But look around the league. As far as wideouts go, Green is the furthest thing from a diva and it sure sounds like he doesn’t want to leave. Oh, and don’t forget the talent.

Joe Mixon: An enthusiastic vocal leader helping the locker room surge through these tough times? At the age of 23? And he’s talented enough to lead a conference in rushing? Fans might not realize how lucky they are.

Carlos Dunlap: The star end is talented. But his reach goes well beyond swatting passes at the line of scrimmage and always has:

Geno Atkins: Atkins is a rare talent inside 31 other teams would love to roster. Simple enough, right?

The young core: It hasn’t all come together yet, clearly. But it’s hard not to like a foundation consisting of Jonah Williams, Carl Lawson, Sam Hubbard, Jessie Bates, William Jackson and John Ross. It might not look like it right now, but there are worse ways to start a rebuild.

Change: Things are bad record-wise. But be realistic about it — change has happened. There’s a new head coach. Last season, the front office went against its normal behavior and fired a coordinator midseason. This year, it cut a starter just a few months into a three-year extension. For better or worse, Zac Taylor has had complete control of his staff and roster. These are slow, small things, but the gradual change hinting at modernization as an NFL franchise continues.

The draft: With the way things have unfolded on the field, fans are at least set for one incredibly exciting offseason. As of this writing, the franchise has a big lead on the first overall pick. It’s not fun to slog through the season leading to such a scenario, but the slotting could mean a franchise-altering player arrives in just a few months, leading a new rookie class to the team.

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Andy Dalton comments on chance his return could impact 2020 draft

Andy Dalton talked about his possible impact on the 2020 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals want to win some games, spurring the change back to Andy Dalton under center.

A byproduct of potentially winning games? The chance at spoiling the team’s draft position next offseason.

Wednesday, in his first public comments since becoming the starter again, this topic naturally came up. Asked about any potential backlash for getting wins and spoiling the team’s chances at the first overall pick, Dalton kept it simple, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby:

“If this city isn’t happy for wins then I don’t know what to tell them.”

Fair play by Dalton, whose team hasn’t won a game since December 16 of last season and is now off to the worst start in franchise history.

On the subject of the benching itself, Dalton was humble in looking back on the ordeal:

For now, talk about spoiling draft slotting seems premature. There are no one-win teams left in the NFL right now and the first challenge for Dalton’s second chance comes against a strong New York Jets defense.

If the Bengals win Sunday, then we’ll really get into the meaningful draft questions and considerations.

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