Which Titans are trending upward after their Week 14 win?
The Tennessee Titans saw a great all-around effort during their 31-10 Week 14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, propelling Mike Vrabel’s squad to 9-4.
While Derrick Henry was certainly the biggest story coming out of the game, the Titans also got great performances from their defense, and the passing attack provided a perfect complement.
Even special teams got involved, as the Titans blocked a field goal and Stephen Gostkowski made all four of his extra points and a 53-yard field goal.
Of course, considering it was against the now 1-12 Jaguars, you can’t make too much of a big deal about many things that went down on Sunday, but Tennessee’s convincing win against a lesser opponent was a good sign nonetheless.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which players’ respective stocks are trending upward or downward after Week 14.
David Quessenberry had to overcome a lot to get to where he is today.
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In Week 12, Tennessee Titans offensive lineman David Quessenberry was called upon to step into the void at starting left tackle after Ty Sambrailo suffered an injury in Week 11.
And, in his first NFL start, Quessenberry shined, both in pass protection and run-blocking, which drew praise from his teammates and coaches.
The veteran offensive lineman has had to navigate a tough road to get here. Not only has the 30-year-old had to work hard to stick on NFL rosters, but he’s also a cancer survivor, having overcome non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014. His story is the definition of toughness and perseverance.
Shortly after the win over the Indianapolis Colts, fullback Khari Blasingame and left guard Rodger Saffold pointed to Quessenberry’s work ethic and preparedness, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.
“That dude, he comes to work every day,” Blasingame said. “He’s a hell of a dude.”
“When his number is called, he’s always ready to help us out,” said Saffold, who was lined up next to Quessenberry for his first start.
On Tuesday, Titans offensive line coach Keith Carter explained how much of an inspiration Quessenberry is and lauded him for his positive attitude.
“Quess is like the poster child for why you coach,” Carter said. “He’s been through so much, but his persistence and passion, it’s unmatched. As bad as your day is, you know when you get around Quess he is going to have a positive attitude and he is going to work his butt off. He is always that beacon of hope, and energy. Because his whole process, and the way he views life and attacks each day, is infectious.
“I am just so happy for him. It is just remarkable he has stuck with it as long as he has. … It was really neat to see him get his opportunity (on Sunday). … If David Quessenberry doesn’t inspire you and he is not a life lesson for you to be passionate about something and get knocked down and get back up … If you don’t see that and recognize that, you are not looking hard enough. He will go down in the history books of the great example of, ‘It doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish.'”
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said Quessenberry is “more than just a story” while appearing on his radio show on Tuesday night.
“David is more than just a story,” Vrabel said. “He lives and dies to be a great teammate, to be someone that supports his teammates, and he was prepared for this opportunity. He has earned the right to be in there. We’re lucky to have him. … His effort and his attitude and his toughness is something that we admire as a coaching staff, and as a team.”
Quessenberry has no doubt been through a lot to get here, but he never stopped believing in himself and is happy he could help his team out.
“You know, when you’re not a starter, you might be on practice squad, wherever you may be in this league – it’s a crazy league,” Quessenberry said. “I just held onto the belief that given the opportunity, I could step in and execute my job, do my assignment and, you know, help this team win and that opportunity came. I am just proud to be able to go out there and do my job.”
Quessenberry will look to build on his impressive starting debut when the Titans host the Cleveland Browns at noon CT in Week 13.
The biggest takeaways from the Titans’ 45-26 win over the Colts.
In a game that the Tennessee Titans absolutely needed, they laid the hammer on their division rival Indianapolis Colts in order to retake sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
All offseason, Mike Vrabel preached about the importance of being able to host some playoff games in the future. Going into the final month of the season, Tennessee’s 45-26 victory over the Colts helps it take a giant step towards making that vision into a reality.
The Titans are now an impressive 8-3 and in the driver’s seat for their first division title since the 2008 season.
With all that said, let’s take a deeper dive into the three biggest takeaways following Sunday’s dominant Titans victory.
More than ever in NFL history, the big guys are making it into the end zone! Here are all seven Fat Guy Touchdowns in the 2019 NFL season.
Most times, when an offensive lineman reports as eligible, opposing defenses don’t take it seriously. The 2019 NFL season is when that should change, or more defensive coordinators will be caught unaware. Because there has been a rash of Fat Guy Touchdowns scored this season — there had been six through the first 16 weeks of the season, and against the Buccaneers in Week 17, Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter dialed up this bit of magic — a 35-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo.
Would you like to see every Fat Guy Touchdown scored this season? Touchdown Wire has you covered there. Because, as John Madden said in The Replacements, “I love to see a fat guy score. Because first you get a fat guy spike, then you get the fat guy dance.”
Outside of Santa Claus, these five large dudes catching TD passes in the 2019 season have been the biggest win for jumbo guys in uniforms.
John Madden: I love to see a fat guy score.
Pat Summerall: Why?
John Madden: Because first you get a fat guy spike, then you get the fat guy dance.
That line from The Replacements has always held true. There are few things more extemporaneously joyful than when a huge dude in a football uniform scores a touchdown and gets, for a moment, the adulation usually reserved for the smaller skill-position guys. When the Bills scored a touchdown on a Josh Allen pass to 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive tackle with one second left in the first half of Buffalo’s Week 16 tussle with the Patriots, it set a mark that hasn’t been set in a long time.
At 320 pounds, @BuffaloBills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins became the 5th player weighing 300+ pounds to catch a receiving touchdown this season.
That is the most in a single-season since at least 1995.#BUFvsNE
Because we know what you need at Touchdown Wire, we’re presenting all five Fat Guy Touchdowns right here.
Week 1: Ravens FB/DL Patrick Ricard
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
With 7:54 left in their 59-10 thrashing of the Dolphins, the Ravens dialed up this one-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to the 6-foot-3, 311-pound Patrick Ricard. It was Jackson’s fifth passing touchdown on the day.
“It was my idea,” Harbaugh said. “My brother had his guy in San Francisco… I just thought that was a weapon, a dominant type guy, and he looked like a really good athlete. Then I asked him, he said he played it in high school, and the rest is history.”
Jim Harbaugh’s guy in San Francisco from 2011-2014 was Bruce Miller, a linebacker and defensive lineman at Central Florida who Harbaugh converted to a fullback after the 49ers took him in the seventh round of the 2011 draft. Ricard is no stranger to the end zone — the former Maine defensive lineman caught two touchdown passes in his rookie campaign of 2017, and he has eight receptions on 11 targets for 47 yards and that touchdown. Ricard has lined up all over the place for the Ravens in 2019 — 152 snaps in the backfield, 69 snaps inline, 47 in the slot, 20 as a wideout, and 134 on the defensive line.
So, if you see this play when the Ravens get their postseason going, don’t be surprised.
