Tag: Amani Hooker

Amani Hooker controversial interception sets up Titans touchdown

The Titans take advantage of a pick and tie the game with the Bengals

Did he or didn’t Amani Hooker make a clean interception of the Joe Burrow pass to Samaje Perine in the third quarter of the Bengals-Titans game on Saturday?

The ball wound up in the hands of Hooker and after a long review, the call on the field stood.

The Titans had the ball and a major break in the playoff game.

It didn’t take long after that for Ryan Tannehill to find A.J. Brown on a 33-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.

The game was tied at 16 after Mike Vrabel went one the PAT … this time.

It was an infrequent pick by Burrow to say the least.

Burrow’s pick was his first interception since Week 13. Prior to the interception, he had thrown 13 TD passes before his last pick.

Titans safeties among highest-graded in coverage through 8 games

Kevin Byard’s return to elite play has been a big boost for the Titans’ defense.

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The Tennessee Titans had several issues in the secondary during the 2020 season, leading to a massive overhaul of the group in 2021.

One part of that overhaul was promoting 2019 fourth-round pick and safety, Amani Hooker, to a starting role next to veteran safety Kevin Byard. So far, that tandem has done well, especially in coverage.

According to Pro Football Focus, both Byard and Hooker rank in the top five in coverage grade among safeties, with Byard at No. 2 with 90.0, and Hooker at No. 5 with an 80.2. Byard’s grade is third among all defensive backs.

Byard’s ranking carries a little more weight seeing as how he has played in every game and Hooker has missed five, but this is impressive nonetheless.

Byard is seeing a resurgence in his career after a down 2020, as not only has he been sensational in coverage with 10 passes defensed, but he has also nabbed five turnovers, including four interceptions and a fumble recovery that resulted in a defensive touchdown.

His four picks and 10 passes defensed are both tied for the second-most in the NFL.

Byard came up big for the Titans in the Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts. His overtime interception set the Titans up for a game-winning field goal.

It was redemption for Byard, whose pass interference helped push the game to overtime in the first place. Regardless, Byard is back to playing at an All-Pro level and it has provided a major boost to Tennessee’s defense.

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Titans’ Amani Hooker won’t play in Week 7 vs. Chiefs

The Titans will reportedly be without one of their starting safeties in Week 7.

After getting good news this morning about one of the Tennessee Titans’ starters on offense, we’re getting some bad news about one of the team’s starters on defense.

According to John Glennon of Sports Illustrated, the Titans will be without safety Amani Hooker, who was a late addition to the injury report during the week with a groin issue and was listed as questionable.

Hooker’s absence is yet another big blow to a Titans defense already without its starting cornerback, Kristian Fulton, and his backup, Caleb Farley. This will no doubt make an already tough matchup against an elite Kansas City Chiefs offense even harder.

After missing the previous four games with a stint on IR, Hooker returned in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills and shined, earning the top Pro Football Focus grade of any Titans player.

In his place, the Titans will likely deploy safety Dane Cruikshank, who had filled-in during Hooker’s four-game absence but struggled for the most part.

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Titans place Kristian Fulton on IR, activate Amani Hooker

Fulton will be out at least the next three games.

The Tennessee Titans made a pair of roster moves ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football,” both of which have to do with the secondary.

The team announced it has placed cornerback Kristian Fulton on Injured Reserve after he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In a separate move, safety Amani Hooker has been activated from the list and can suit up on Monday night against the Bills. Fullback Tory Carter has been elevated for Monday night’s contest as well.

This is obviously a disaster for Tennessee. An already struggling secondary will now be without its best cornerback for at least the next three games.

As far as who will replace him is concerned, chances are it’ll be 2021 first-round pick, Caleb Farley, who filled-in for Fulton when he exited last week’s game. Breon Borders figures to factor in as well.

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Titans designate Amani Hooker to return from IR among 4 moves

The Titans also confirmed the signing of LB Avery Williamson.

The Tennessee Titans are one step closer to getting their starting safety back, as the team announced it has designated Amani Hooker to return from Injured Reserve.

Hooker has been on the list since after the Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Now, the clock begins on his 21-day window to return to practice and be activated. He won’t count towards the active roster until that happens.

In other news, the Titans made official the signing of inside linebacker Avery Williamson off of the Denver Broncos’ practice squad.

Williamson, who was originally drafted by the Titans in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft and is from Milan, Tennessee, confirmed the move in a tweet on Tuesday night.

Tennessee also made a pair of signings to its practice squad, adding defensive lineman Kyle Peko and inside linebacker Dylan Cole. Peko was with the team during training camp and in the preseason before suffering an injury.

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One player Titans would steal from Seahawks based on need

Yes, the Titans would love to have Russell Wilson or DK Metcalf, but if we’re going based off need, it comes down to two different players.

The Seattle Seahawks have a slew of great players every team in the NFL would love to have, but if we’re choosing one for the Tennessee Titans to steal based on actual need, it comes down to two players.

Seahawks kicker Jason Myers had a sensational year in 2020. The 30-year-old made all 24 of his field goal attempts last season, and 49-of-53 extra points (92.5 percent).

Imagine having a kicker who can make actual kicks.

Compare that to the Titans the past two seasons, a team that has sported the worst combined field goal success rate in that span. Tennessee has made 28-of-46 kicks, or 60.9 percent.

Thanks to the Titans’ negligence at the position this offseason, they’re back in the same boat in 2021, making Myers a logical pick.

After a foot injury landed safety Amani Hooker on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, stealing safety Jamal Adams wouldn’t be a bad choice, either. Adams is among the best run-stopping safeties in the NFL and would be a good complement to fellow safety, Kevin Byard.

The only problem is that Adams wouldn’t do much to improve Tennessee’s defense in coverage, an area the team continues to struggle in. Adams’ Pro Football Focus coverage grade in 2020 (53.1) was worse than Hooker’s (70.8).

Adding to that, Hooker’s absence may only last three weeks. If that’s the case, give us the kicker, a position that stands to be an issue all season long in Tennessee. If Hooker’s injury is long term, we’d roll with Adams.

Of course, it’s easy to just pick studs like quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver DK Metcalf, but one thing the Titans don’t need is more offense after sporting an elite unit the past two seasons.

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Titans put Amani Hooker on IR, promote Randy Bullock to active roster

The Titans will give kicker Randy Bullock a try in Week 2.

The Tennessee Titans made a pair of roster and practice squad moves on Tuesday, one of which includes placing one of their starting safeties on Injured Reserve.

The Titans announced that safety Amani Hooker has been placed on IR, which means he’ll miss at least the next three games. Hooker came down with a foot injury during the Week 1 loss against the Arizona Cardinals.

It appears that kicker Randy Bullock is the next man up at the position, as he was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad.

Bullock takes the place of recently-released kicker Michael Badgley, who filled in for injured kicker Sam Ficken in Week 1 but lasted just one game after missing a field goal and extra point on Sunday.

Bullock is the latest kicker to try his luck in Nashville. The veteran spent the 2020 campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he converted on 21 of his 26 field goal attempts over 12 games.

The Titans added a pair of tight ends to the practice squad as well with the signings of Tommy Hudson and Austin Fort. Hudson was originally on the 53-man roster before being waived from it on Monday.

Fort played his college ball at Wyoming, where he transitioned from quarterback to tight end. The 6-foot-4, 244-pound tight end was an undrafted free agent signing of the Denver Broncos in 2019 but missed his first two seasons in the NFL due to injury.

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Tennessee Titans give sneak peek of 2021 Media Day photos

Caleb Farley and Taylor Lewan shared some of their 2021 Media Day photos.

The Tennessee Titans recently held their annual Media Day, but have yet to release the photos from it. However, some players are giving us a sneak peek at what’s to come on social media.

Players such as 2021 first-round pick and cornerback, Caleb Farley, left tackle Taylor Lewan, and safety Amani Hooker have all shared photos.

Tennessee’s official Twitter page also blessed us with one that includes wide receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown together.

Check out those photos and more below (note: hit the arrow on the side of the Instagram photos of Farley and Hooker for more).

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The Titans are currently in the midst of training camp, but things are about to pick up soon, with the team’s preseason schedule opening on Friday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tennessee will play a total of three preseason games in preparation for the 2021 campaign. Their regular-season opener will be on Sept. 12 when they host the Arizona Cardinals at Nissan Stadium.

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Titans’ Shane Bowen praises Amani Hooker, Jackrabbit Jenkins, Breon Borders

Bowen says Jackrabbit’s competitiveness is “contagious.”

The Tennessee Titans will have plenty of new starters on their defense in 2021, especially in the secondary where general manager Jon Robinson’s massive overhaul spared almost no one.

Two of those new starters are safety Amani Hooker and corner Jackrabbit Jenkins. Hooker will play alongside the only remaining member of Tennessee’s initial 2020 starting secondary, Kevin Byard.

When the Titans signed Jackrabbit, we heard all about his veteran leadership and competitiveness, and those are two things defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has seen from Jenkins early on in training camp.

According to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, Bowen says Jenkins’ desire to compete is “contagious” and he has already shown his leadership.

“Whenever you have a veteran like that who has done it a long time and has success, and you see the way he practices and competes and goes about it, I think it rubs off on everybody regardless of the position group,” Bowen said. “The wide receivers see it, that is contagious. The thing with him, he is constantly talking, constantly coaching guys up, constantly trying to turn the tide because every game there is going to be something. It is not always going to be perfect, we understand that, he understands that from playing so long and I think his leadership and being able to turn the tide and get our guys to respond can kind of change the mojo when it is not going our way.”

Jenkins has been busy showing that leadership in different ways, including his helping to bring along 2021 first-round pick, cornerback Caleb Farley.

Bowen heaped some praise on Hooker, who has caught his eye. He called the 2019 fourth-round pick “savvy” and “a smart football player.”

“Hooker showed up in a few different coverages making some plays. He has been savvy back there. He has always been a smart football player. I think he is starting to learn the ins and outs of playing the game a little bit, more so than just his job so to speak,” Bowen said.

The defensive coordinator is also impressed with cornerback Breon Borders, who has been among the biggest standouts in camp so far and will provide an insurance policy as a high-end depth piece.

“Breon has been good up to this point, again, just consistency day in and day out, play in and play out for him,” Bowen explained. “He showed a lot of improvement coming into camp versus where he was at in the spring even. I think he busted his butt in those five or six weeks away and he has come back ready to go.”

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Tennessee Titans 2021 training camp preview: Safety

The Titans will have a new starter alongside Kevin Byard in 2021.

The Tennessee Titans made several changes to their defense earlier this offseason, one of which included the release of veteran safety, Kenny Vaccaro.

Vaccaro, who was signed as an injury replacement for Johnathan Cyprien in 2018 and was a key contributor over his first two seasons with the team, struggled in 2020, much like the rest of the secondary and defense overall.

That, combined with the fact that the Titans needed cap space and had 2019 fourth-round pick Amani Hooker waiting in the wings made the release of the 30-year-old an expected move.

Not only are the Titans set to have a new starter alongside Kevin Byard, but they also have some new depth options beyond the top of the depth chart.

Let’s take a closer look at Byard, Hooker and the rest of the players at the position who will be vying for a roster spot in training camp, which begins on July 27.