Tag: Dontrell Hilliard

Titans sign RB Dontrell Hilliard to active roster

Hilliard is getting promoted to the active roster after an impressive Week 11 performance.

The Tennessee Titans are adding another running back to their 53-man roster, as the agent of rusher Dontrell Hilliard has announced he is being promoted from the practice squad.

Hilliard has appeared in two games for the Titans this season, but he got his first action on offense in Week 11, where he gathered 15 touches for 82 yards, both tops among all Titans running backs.

Not only did he out-perform Adrian Peterson and D’Onta Foreman overall, Hilliard also out-snapped them by a wide margin, seeing 36 more than his backfield mates.

Thanks to his impressive performance, Hilliard has at least earned the right to stay involved, and he has the potential to grab a stranglehold on the backfield should he continue to play at the level we saw on Sunday.

It’ll be interesting to see how things shake out once Jeremy McNichols returns and inevitably pushes one of the current backs out, but for now Hilliard looks to be secure in Nashville.

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Titans’ Mike Vrabel encouraged by rushing attack after Week 11

“There were some good clips in the run game, and some good production,” Vrabel said.

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The Tennessee Titans found some success moving the football on the ground in Week 11 against the Houston Texans, which was also the third game Tennessee didn’t have the services of Derrick Henry.

In the first two games, both of which came against top 10 run defenses in the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, the Titans averaged just 2.7 and 2.3 yards per carry, while also failing to surpass 70 yards in either contest.

The Titans averaged 4.1 yards per carry and crossed the century mark versus a Texans defense that ranked as the second-worst against the run going into the game.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was encouraged by what he saw in the run game.

“There were some good clips in the run game, and some good production,” Vrabel said, per John Glennon of Sports Illustrated. “Then with the way the game was going, it pretty much dictated, unfortunately, that you couldn’t stick with it. (But) I thought the run game was headed in the right direction.”

Going into the game, we expected D’Onta Foreman to lead the way in carries because he had been Tennessee’s best back the past two games, but that turned out not to be the case.

Instead, Adrian Peterson led in carries with nine, and had a team-high 40 rushing yards. Dontrell Hilliard had the most touches, seeing seven carries and a team-high eight receptions en route to finishing with 82 total yards.

Whether it was his work in the passing game or on the ground, Hilliard, who averaged a team-high 5.0 yards per carry as well, was Tennessee’s best back on Sunday.

Foreman, on the other hand, had less rushing yards (25) and yards per carry  (3.6) than both Peterson and Hilliard. He was the Titans’ least-effective back.

Despite the overall success running the football, Vrabel says there are some things that need improvement.

“There are always going to be cuts we can (improve) and talk about split-second decisions that could have been better,” Vrabel admitted. “I really believe that it was on the right track and the game dictated that we couldn’t really run it more than we did.”

Jeremy McNichols, who sat out in Week 11 with a concussion, might make his return in Week 12. It’ll be interesting to see how the Titans handle that.

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Tunnel Vision of Week 11

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Aaron Rodgers 385 – 21 4
 Jalen Hurts 147 – 69 3
 Trevor Siemian 214 – 16 4
 Kirk Cousins 341 – (-4) 3
 Justin Herbert 382 – 90 3
Running Backs Yards TD
Jonathan Taylor 32-185 rush
3-19 catch		 5
Christian McCaffrey 10-59 rush
7-60 catch		 1
Joe Mixon 30-123 rush 2
D’Andre Swift 14-136 rush
3-0 catch		 1
Austin Ekeler 11-50 rush
6-65 catch		 4
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Justin Jefferson 8-169 2
Davante Adams 7-115 2
Elijah Moore 8-141 1
Darnell Mooney 5-121 1
M. Valdes-Scantling 4-123 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Zach Ertz 8-88 2
Travis Kelce 5-74 1
Darren Waller 7-116 0
Adam Trautman 5-58 1
Mark Andrews 8-73 0
Placekickers XP FG
Jake Elliott 4 4
Evan McPherson 2 4
Nick Folk 1 4
Chris Boswell 4 3
Mike Badgley 5 2
Defense Sack – TO TD
Patriots 4 – 4 1
Texans 2 – 5 0
Chiefs 5 – 3 0
Eagles 0 – 3 1
49ers 3 – 2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Justin Fields – Ribs
RB Michael Carter – Ankle
RB Jordan Howard – Knee
RB Jerick McKinnon – Hamstring
RB Najee Harris – Head
WR Jamal Agnew – Hip
WR Jarvis Landry – Knee
WR A.J. Brown – Chest
WR CeeDee Lamb – Head

Chasing Ambulances

QB Justin Fields (CHI) – Left the game with what was called a rib injury, but there is concern that Fields may have injured his spleen as well. Head coach Matt Nagy had no update  after the game. Initial tests did not reveal any broken ribs but he’ll undergo further tests on Monday. Should he miss any time, Andy Dalton will be the starter this week in Detroit for a very advantageous situation.

RB Michael Carter (NYJ) – Injured his ankle and did not return to the loss to the Dolphins. Carter’s a central figure in the offense and emerged as the primary rusher. He’ll undergo more tests on Monday, but if he misses time, the Jets will add La’Mical Perrine to the rotation of Ty Johnson and Tevin Coleman. None of those three backs will likely offer much fantasy value even if Carter misses this week in Houston.

RB Jordan Howard (PHI) – Suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of the win over the Saints. His status will be determined Monday, but Miles Sanders had a big performance in his first game back, and the Eagles already add in  Boston Scott as well.  Howard was already due to a decrease in workload anyway.

RB Najee Harris (PIT) – A hard hit to his helmet rocked the rookie head back and he left the game with a suspected concussion. He returned later after being cleared by doctors.

WR Jamal Agnew (JAC) – The Jaguars’ wideout had his leg trapped awkwardly beneath him and suffered a gruesome-looking twisting of his leg that is described as a hip injury. Head coach Urban Meyer described the injury as “devastating,” and there is speculation that he’s lost for the season. He’ll be tested further on Monday but good results are not expected.  Tavon Austin is his backup, but Agnew was the rising star of the receivers. His slot role could be cobbled together from several other receivers.

WR Jarvis Landry (CLE) – Left the win over the Lions with a knee injury  but re-entered the game with minimal impact. He was held to only four catches for 26 yards and the Browns were already without Donovan Peoples-Jones. Barring surprising news, Landry appears to have missed any serious injury.

WR CeeDee Lamb (DAL) – Suffered a concussion in the loss to the Chiefs and did not return. This injury could be a problem since the Cowboys play again in four days on Thanksgiving. Cedrick Wilson would likely see an increase but Amari Cooper was also out and Dalton Schultz and Michael Gallup were the  leading receivers.

WR A.J. Brown (TEN) – He left the game with a hand injury and was listed as questionable to return. But he did return and then left for a second time with a chest injury. He ended with just one catch, and for the second non-Henry game, he was a nonfactor when he played. Julio Jones was out as well, and Brown gets intense coverage. His status will be clear later in the week, but the Titans play at the Patriots this week and Brown already has a tough matchup even if he is healthy.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

Patriots Backfield – While it seems to be constant change, the Week 11 rotation in the win over the Falcons is probably what most weeks will see. Damien Harris was the primary rusher and ended with ten carries for 56 yards, while Rhamondre Stevenson gained 69 yards on 12 carries and had a larger role in the second half of the already decided game.  Stevenson also had a 36-yard run called back on a penalty. Brandon Bolden is the odd man out, with only one carry for one yard and two receptions for 15 yards. Both Harris and Stevenson also had a catch.

RB Qadree Ollison (ATL) –  The Falcons depth player was a surprise lead back in the loss to the Patriots and it probably means little. Cordarrelle Patterson missed the game, and  Wayne Gallman ran for 55 yards on 15 carries in Week 10 but was only allowed one rush last Thursday night.  Ollison ran a team-high nine times for 34 yards, and Keith Smith was given a season-high three carries. The takeaway is that Mike Davis is done, there’s no rhyme or reason for the rotation outside of Patterson who carries the only fantasy value in the backfield.

QB Cam Newton (CAR) – His re-debut as a Panther didn’t get the win, but he already looked like an upgrade to Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker.  Christian McCaffrey may lose rushing scores to him, but still totaled 119 yards and a score in his first game with Newton.  He passed for 189 yards and two scores that included one to DJ Moore (5-50, TD) and he even connected with Robby Anderson (5-30) for a season-high five receptions.  Newton ran for 46 yards with a 24-yard touchdown as a rusher.

RB Latavius Murray (BAL) – Saw his first action since Week 6 and only gained 32 yards on ten carries while Devonta Freeman (16-49, TD) remained the primary back and even added six catches for 31 yards.  Murray had been the No. 1 rusher before injury, but the Ravens appear comfortable with Freeman as the main guy.

QB Andy Dalton (CHI) – Sure, they lost and HC Matt Nagy’s hot seat just was turned up to 11. But Dalton came into the loss to the Ravens midway in the third quarter and nearly pulled off a comeback when he threw for 201 yards and two scores.  Darnell Mooney (5-121, TD) and Marquise Goodwin (4-104, TD) both turned in their best production of the year. In just one and a half quarters with Dalton. If Justin Fields remains out, the Bears play in Detroit on Thanksgiving.

QB Tim Boyle (DET) – Replaced Jared Goff in the loss to the Browns and threw for a whopping 77 yards and two interceptions. So, maybe Jared Goff will be back.

49ers backfield – With Elijah Mitchell out, the 49ers went with Jeff Wilson (19-50) and Trey Sermon (10-32) in the blowout win over the Jaguars. Of course, Deebo Samuel (8-79, TD) was the most productive rusher even if he only caught one pass.

WR Elijah Moore (NYJ) – The rookie never caught a touchdown from Zach Wilson, but he’s scored four times in the four games since he left. After spinning through Josh Johnson and Mike White as starting quarterbacks, the first game with Joe Flacco produced a season-best eight catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. The seventh wideout drafted this year, Moore looks like a star just waiting for a good quarterback that can last more than one week.

RB Mark Ingram (NO) – The Saints fell to the Eagles, but Ingram looked sharp when he replaced Alvin Kamara and ran for 88 yards on 16 rushes, and added six catches for 25 yards.

RB Miles Sanders (PHI) – His first game back since leaving in Week 7, and Sanders ran for 94 yards on 16 carries. Jordan Howard (10-63) was also involved but left injured, and Boston Scott (6-16) also pitched in. The committee is not only still alive, but Jalen Hurts ran in all three offensive touchdowns.

RB Dontrell Hilliard (TEN)  –  The team that once had the biggest workhorse in the NFL now uses three different running backs and  changes their rotation each week. Adrian Peterson (9-40) took the top spot, and D’Onta Foreman (7-25) flopped just when you thought you scraped a starting running back from the waiver wire. And now Dontrell Hilliard (7-35) had his first action with the Titans after three very quiet seasons between the Browns and Texans. He added a team-high eight catches for 47 yards. He was a practice-squad call-up that replaced Jeremy McNichols who had a concussion.  Hilliard should see another chance to play based on his success, but this is a committee that may not be afforded a lot of touches in future games.

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC) – He landed on injured reserve with a nasty knee injury in Week 5. Edwards-Helaire came back for the win over the Cowboys and looked none the worse. He ran for 63 yards on 12 carries with one touchdown and caught two short passes. Damien Williams was ineffective on his five rushes for 15 yards.

Huddle player of the week

RB Jonathan Taylor (IND)  –   Set a franchise record with five touchdowns against the No. 1 defense in points allowed and the No. 1 defense against fantasy running backs (that rank will drop).  He was even on the road. Taylor took over the game with 32 carries for 185 yards and four touchdowns, plus caught three passes for 19 yards and the fifth score. He scored 53.4 fantasy points. In the Huddle Expert League with 12 teams, I just lost with the second highest score, 169.10 – 156.86 thanks to playing against him. Plenty of  leagues probably had a guy like me. Ouch.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Trevor Siemian 240 4 QB Russell Wilson 207 0
RB Devonta Freeman 80 1 RB Ezekiel Elliott 68 0
RB Dontrell Hilliard 82 0 RB Josh Jacobs 61 0
WR M. Valdes-Scantling 123 1 WR Brandin Cooks 18 0
WR N. Westbrook-Ikhine 107 1 WR CeeDee Lamb 14 0
WR Marquise Goodwin 104 1 WR DK Metcalf 31 0
TE Zach Ertz 88 2 TE Kyle Pitts 29 0
PK Jake Elliott  4  XP   4 FG PK Younghoe Koo  nil
Huddle Fantasy Points = 145 Huddle Fantasy Points = 29

Now get back to work…

Tennessee Titans’ Week 11 Player of the Game: WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

NWI was one of the few bright spots for the Titans in Week 11.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was one of the few bright spots during the team’s 22-13 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 11.

Westbrook-Ikhine had a career day in a game that saw fellow wideout A.J. Brown leave early. NWI posted career-highs in catches (seven) and yards (107), and his 46-yard reception was also a career-best.

Unfortunately, Westbrook-Ikhine’s career game came on quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s worst performance as a Titan and it simply wasn’t enough to overcome Tennessee’s mistake-filled showing.

Honorable mentions

WR Dez Fitzpatrick: The rookie reeled in career-highs in catches (three), yards (35) and found pay dirt for the first time in his career. He also had a few grabs that moved the chains for Tennessee. After a rough start to his career, Fitzpatrick appears to be moving in the right direction.

CB Elijah Molden: Molden was responsible for the only QB Hit the Titans tallied on Sunday. On top of that, he had one pass break-up and one of his tackles was a great play that prevented the Texans from moving the chains.

RB Dontrell Hilliard: The running back did have a fumble into the end zone, but thankfully it was recovered for a score by tight end Anthony Firkser. In all, Hilliard looked like the Titans’ best back with 5.0 yards per carry, and he led all Titans backs in touches (15) and total yards (82). The running back also added three kick returns at 21.7 yards per.

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Titans’ practice squad protections for Week 11 vs. Texans

Breon Borders is among the Titans’ practice squad protections for Week 11 after getting waived and brought back last week.

The Tennessee Titans have protected four players on their practice squad ahead of the Week 11 game against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.

The four protected players are defensive backs Breon Borders and Briean Boddy-Calhoun, running back Dontrell Hilliard, and quarterback Kevin Hogan.

Borders was released by the team last week and was brought back on the practice squad a few days later.

Despite several injuries to the secondary, Borders hasn’t played much, seeing zero defensive snaps in three of his last five games. He had his roster spot taken by fellow cornerback, Chris Jones, who jumped Borders in the cornerback pecking order after out-performing him.

Hogan, who is serving as the Titans’ emergency quarterback, was signed by the team last week after the Carolina Panthers poached signal-caller Matt Barkley off Tennessee’s practice squad.

We’ll see if any of these players gets elevated ahead of Sunday’s game, which is scheduled for noon CT.

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Analyzing Titans’ practice squad protections for Week 10

For the first time this season, the Titans are protecting WR Dez Fitzpatrick on the practice squad.

The Tennessee Titans are protecting four players on their practice squad this week, including wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick, linebacker Dylan Cole, cornerback Chris Jones and running back Dontrell Hilliard.

For Fitzpatrick, this is the first we’ve heard about him since he missed the cut on the 53-man roster and was re-signed to the practice squad. He had yet to be protected once before this week.

The move to protect Fitzpatrick this week comes on the heels of the team releasing wide receiver Josh Reynolds on Tuesday.

His protection, along with the fact that he’s getting the nod over fellow wideout Mason Kinsey, who has been protected and elevated instead of Fitzpatrick on multiple occasions this season, could signify the rookie is making strides en route to being the next man up if the Titans need help.

The other notable protection is that of Cole, who was elevated and active in Week 10 with linebacker Rashaan Evans being ruled out. Cole ended up seeing zero defensive and 12 special teams snaps.

This could mean that Evans is set to miss another game, but we also have to consider this as possible bad news for linebacker David Long, who was shaken up during the win over the Rams.

Here’s to hoping we’re wrong in both instances.

Jones saw his most significant playing time of the 2021 season in Week 9 when he logged 28 snaps and surprisingly got playing time over fellow backup, Breon Borders, who has since been released.

Jones made the most of his opportunity, finishing with a top-five Pro Football Focus mark in overall and coverage grades.

Perhaps a promotion to the active roster is in order, but the hope is that the release of Borders means Tennessee’s No. 1 corner, Kristian Fulton, is about to be activated of IR in time for the game against the New Orleans Saints.

Ahead of Week 10, the Titans have a few spots to fill on their practice squad after quarterback Matt Barkley was poached by the Carolina Panthers and defensive back Nate Brooks was cut.

Expect more action on the roster and practice squad this week.

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Titans trying out WR/KR Pharoh Cooper among 3 players

The Titans are taking a look at a pair of receivers and a running back with return experience.

With injuries at the wide receiver, returner and running back positions, the Tennessee Titans are exploring adding players at those spots.

According to the transaction wire, Tennessee is giving wide receivers Pharoh Cooper and Brandon Powell a look, as well as running back Dontrell Hilliard.

Tennessee was dealt several injury blows during their Week 6 win over the Buffalo Bills. In regard to receiver and running back, Jeremy McNichols re-injured his ankle after one series, forcing him to leave early, and Cameron Batson, who also served as a return man, tore his ACL, ending his season.

Both Powell and Cooper have return experience. The former is averaging 8.4 yards per return on punts and 20.3 yards per on kickoffs, while the latter is averaging 8.9 and 24.3 per punt and kickoff return, respectively.

Cooper has one career kick-return touchdown, which came in 2017 when he was voted to the Pro Bowl and named a First-Team All-Pro at returner.

Hilliard also has some return experience, posting 7.1 and 23.1 yards per punt and kickoff return, respectively. He has played predominantly on special teams during his career.

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Browns camp battle preview: D’Ernest Johnson vs. Demetric Felton

The Browns have a camp battle brewing for the No. 3 RB spot between D’Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton

The running back depth chart for the Cleveland Browns is simple at the top. Nick Chubb is one of the NFL’s best, and Kareem Hunt is almost inarguably the best “backup” RB in the league.

After the top twosome, coach Kevin Stefanski has himself a camp battle to watch for the No. 3 spot. With apologies to John Kelly and Tre Harbison, who are each on the Cleveland roster at RB, it’s a two-man battle between D’Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton.

Johnson is the incumbent. Entering his third season, the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder has toted the rock 37 times for 187 yards in his two years in Cleveland. Over half those regular-season yards (95) came in one game, the romp over the Cowboys last fall. Johnson has also caught nine passes (on 11 targets) for 85 yards.

Felton is the challenger. A sixth-round rookie from UCLA, Felton is a little smaller (5-foot-9/189) but a more accomplished receiver out of the backfield. He played wide receiver for the Bruins early in his career and it shows in his ability in the passing game.

Felton is faster, but not necessarily more athletic from their respective draft prep testing (RAS courtesy Kent Platte):

Even though they’re competing for the same spot in the backfield, their battle will likely be decided on special teams. Along with wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones and perhaps rookie WR Anthony Schwartz, Felton and Johnson are the primary combatants for the return specialist gig.

Johnson has had some success for Cleveland as a returner. He averages 25.3 yards on 19 kickoff returns and has added five punt returns for 22 yards. Felton averaged 23.6 yards on 26 career kick returns at UCLA, scoring one touchdown.

The Browns did keep four running backs in 2020, with Dontrell Hilliard (now with the Texans) as the No. 4. He fluctuated between being a gameday inactive and an occasional special teams player when the three above him were all healthy. That role is not expected to change in 2021 for the player who doesn’t win this brewing camp battle for the No. 3 RB spot.

Texans re-sign RB Dontrell Hillard

The Houston Texans are bringing back running back Dontrell Hilliard.

The Houston Texans are slowly making moves to retain players on expiring contracts.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are re-signing former Cleveland Browns running back Dontrell Hilliard, who played in two games for Houston in the 2020 season.

Hilliard did not take a single carry nor was he targeted in the passing game. However, the 5-11, 202-pound running back returned five kicks for 104 yards, a 20.8 yards per kickoff return average.

On Dec. 16, 2020, then-interim coach Romeo Crennel explained why the team signed Hilliard.

“Basically, a third-down back who’s been a returner,” Crennel said. “Has some quickness, change of direction. Has an opportunity to be more productive maybe in the kickoff return area and then in the third down area as a third-down back out of the backfield.”

Hilliard also provides depth at the position as the Texans continue to tinker with their roster in preparation for the 2021 campaign.

Texans to use RB Dontrell Hilliard in third down role, as returner

Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel gave a brief scouting report on what RB Dontrell Hilliard can bring to the team.

The Houston Texans claimed running back Dontrell Hiillard off waivers from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday.

The 2018 undrafted free agent from Tulane played 30 games for the Browns, catching 22 passes for 199 yards and carrying 22 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

Where Hilliard also had utility for Cleveland was as a kickoff returner, where he returned 30 kicks for a 23.5 yards per return after. Hilliard also returned 15 punts for 7.1 yards.

Interim coach Romeo Crennel gave a brief scouting report on Hilliard and what he can bring to the Texans’ offense and special teams.

“Basically, a third-down back who’s been a returner,” Crennel said. “Has some quickness, change of direction. Has an opportunity to be more productive maybe in the kickoff return area and then in the third down area as a third-down back out of the backfield.”

The Texans waived DeAndre Carter, their primary returner, on Nov. 17. Receiver Keke Coutee had been fulfilling that role since Carter’s departure.

Starting running back David Johnson missed Week 14’s 36-7 loss to the Chicago Bears due to being placed on the COVID-19 reserve after being in close contact with a positive case. Duke Johnson and Buddy Howell replaced Johnson in the loss.