Tag: Jeremy McNichols

Titans’ Jeremy McNichols ready for ‘whatever it’s going to take to win’

“I’m going to be here, step up, and just handle my business,” McNichols said.

To this point, Jeremy McNichols has carved out a nice role for himself with the Tennessee Titans in 2021 as a third-down running back.

Derrick Henry dominated carries out of the backfield, but the team will be without him for approximately six to 10 weeks following successful surgery on his foot.

The Titans’ “next man up” mentality will be tested at arguably their most important position.

Henry had accounted for 37 percent of the team’s offensive production through the first eight weeks of the season. Now, the Titans need to move forward without him while aiming to maintain the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

McNichols is a guy that will certainly see an increased workload. According to the 25-year-old, he’s perfectly fine with that and ready for whatever is asked of him.

“Whatever it’s going to take to win — running the ball, catching the ball, blocking, whatever it’s going to be — I’m going to be here, step up, and just handle my business,” McNichols said before practice on Wednesday.

I prepare every week like I’m going to have to step in or do whatever it takes to help win,” he added. “Not just on third [down], but I’m studying all downs, all the distances, whatever we need, whatever the team may need in all situations.”

McNichols has just seven carries for 38 yards this season. Last year, he totaled 204 rushing yards on 47 attempts.

The Titans signed running back Adrian Peterson on Tuesday. Peterson spent last season with the Detroit Lions, rushing for just over 600 yards on 156 carries with seven touchdowns.

On Wednesday, the 36-year-old, who brings a wealth of experience to the team’s running back group, participated in practice for the first time with his new team, and he’s already had an impact on the young McNichols.

“Very helpful,” McNichols said of his first impression of Peterson. “He’s an older guy and just wants to help the younger guys out, help me out. He told me that whatever I need from him, he’s there if I got any questions for him, he’ll be happy to help.”

What Peterson’s workload will look like remains unknown for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, so McNichols might be expected to handle more carries through the tackles, something he hasn’t had to do much of through his first four-plus seasons in the NFL.

But McNichols was a workhorse during his time at Boise State, rushing for 1,709 yards on 314 carries, to go along with 23 touchdowns on the ground in his junior season. That same year, he also hauled in 37 receptions for 474 yards.

The Long Beach, California native indicated that he feels comfortable running through the tackles at this level when he’s called upon.

“I feel like I could do it, I’ve done it before,” he said. “The preseason reps, the reps that I get done here and last year, whatever is asked of me, I’ll be able to do.”

The Titans will face the Rams on “Sunday Night Football,” with kickoff set for 7:20 pm CT.

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Titans unsure how much Adrian Peterson will play in Week 9

Titans RBs coach Tony Dews wasn’t ready to say how much Adrian Peterson will see the field in Week 9.

The Tennessee Titans have signed running back Adrian Peterson to their practice squad in the wake of the injury to Derrick Henry, but it still isn’t clear how much he will play in Week 9 versus the Los Angeles Rams.

The expectation is for Peterson to be the primary ball-carrier at some point, with Jeremy McNichols mixing in and dominating passing-down work like he has done all season. The team also added D’Onta Foreman to its practice squad, and has Dontrell Hilliard on it as well.

Titans running backs coach Tony Dews wasn’t ready to say how much Peterson will play on Sunday night, even going as far as to say he’s not sure Peterson will play at all.

While Dews is taking the safe approach here, it’s hard to fathom Peterson not seeing at least some work against the Rams. We fully expect him to be out there and getting carries.

As far as the distribution of touches and carries at the position are concerned, Dews isn’t sure how that will pan out, either, but he does believe McNichols is ready for an expanded role.

Tennessee and Los Angeles will meet at SoFi Stadium in Week 9 on “Sunday Night Football,” with kickoff set for 7:20 p.m. CT.

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Titans’ Mike Vrabel on losing Derrick Henry: ‘We’re going to have to be creative’

It will take a group effort to even come close to filling the void left by Derrick Henry’s injury.

The Tennessee Titans have more or less come out of the toughest part of their schedule with three straight wins over formidable opponents, but the victories came with a heavy price in losing running back Derrick Henry.

The NFL’s reigning rushing leader in back-to-back seasons broke a bone in his foot during Sunday’s 34-31 overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts, and he will reportedly miss anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Titans (6-2) signed Adrian Peterson to the practice squad on Monday, and he is expected to be elevated to the active roster. Peterson, 36, played in all 16 games for the Detroit Lions last year, rushing for 604 yards on 156 carries.

Nobody will be able to replace Henry on the field or in the locker room. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel knows the team has to find a way to keep on chugging along without its star back, though.

“We’re going to have to be creative and we’re going to have to figure out answers and a way to move the football, and continue to run our offense,” coach Mike Vrabel said.

For now, Peterson is expected to be the feature back. Behind him lies Jeremy McNichols, and Dontrell Hilliard and Mekhi Sargent are both on the practice squad.

McNichols has just seven carries for 38 yards on the season, but he has been a valuable asset in the passing game, hauling in 21 receptions for 203 yards and a score. His receiving yards are third-most on the team.

Last season, the Boise State standout had 47 carries for 204 yards (4.3 yards per attempt). He’ll likely see an uptick in his workload on the ground.

“Jeremy, since he’s been here, has always done whatever the team needed him to do – special teams, running the football, [and] protect,” Vrabel said on Monday. “He’s got a certain level of toughness that we respect. He’s done a nice job in protection, he’s done a nice job in the screen game.”

Hilliard was added to the Titans’ practice squad last week after spending time with the Browns and Texans in seven games last year. With the Browns in 2019, the Tulane product rushed for 49 yards on 13 attempts and crossed the goal line twice.

Sargent was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Iowa after the 2021 NFL Draft and was a standout during the preseason. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry in college, but he lacks experience in the NFL, with only two carries for four yards this year.

“Dontrell [Hilliard] probably spent more time in our building for a new player last week as much as anyone that I can remember,” Vrabel added. “I would see him late in the special teams’ office with Auk [Chris Aukerman]. He came in ready to go, you could see that he clearly wanted to come in a try to play. Sarg [Mekhi Sargent] has shown a toughness and willingness to be available and be with us through training camp.”

The Titans may not be done adding to their backfield before Sunday. The team worked out Dont’a Foreman last week. He spent the 2020 season with Tennessee, so there is some familiarity with the player and the system.

Regardless, it’s likely to be a running back by committee until Henry returns. No one should expect his yardage to be replaced, but the Titans have enough weapons and a comfortable division lead that they can survive without him until he makes a potential late-season return.

In the passing game, getting a healthy Julio Jones to complement a red-hot A.J. Brown would go a long way toward a balanced offense that will try to keep pace with the NFL’s second-best passing attack in the Rams’.

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Who is Derrick Henry’s handcuff in fantasy football?

For now, Jeremy McNichols is the Titans running back to own in the wake of Derrick Henry’s injury.

The Tennessee Titans and fantasy owners alike both lost a huge piece of their teams for the foreseeable future, as superstar running back Derrick Henry has reportedly suffered a foot injury that could end his season.

While we’ve seen varying takes on how long Henry will be out (some as long as the entire season, some as short as eight weeks), The King’s injury leaves a gaping hole that will likely last the rest of the fantasy football season.

So, this begs the question: who is the back fantasy managers should be targeting in the wake of his injury?

For right now, that’s Jeremy McNichols, who has been the Titans’ No. 2 back when healthy this season. McNichols has served predominantly as a passing-game back behind Henry, where he has thrived, reeling in 21 passes for 203 yards and one score. In fact, he’s third on the team in receiving yards.

He hasn’t been used much in the ground game, though, amassing just seven carries for 38 yards, but that figures to change now that Henry is out.

However, don’t get too worked up and blow your FAAB budget or top waiver spot on McNichols.

That’s because he is unlikely to gobble up all of the work Henry has taken on. Not only is he human, but McNichols is smaller in stature and is better suited to be a part-time back in a committee.

Adding to that, the Titans are already exploring their options outside the team, as Tennessee is reportedly set to work out Adrian Peterson, and we expect multiple backs to be brought in, and at least two to be added.

While you’ll have to wait for waivers in order to grab McNichols, who will be a better option in PPR formats, Peterson should be available right now.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to try and get a jump on him, although know the risk that he might not even sign, and even if he does he could be embroiled in a committee. DO NOT give up a player with any semblance of value for him.

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How Snoop Dogg put Titans’ Jeremy McNichols on path to NFL

Titans RB Jeremy McNichols credits Snoop Dogg for changing his life.

In his second stint with the Tennessee Titans organization, running back Jeremy McNichols has carved out a role as Derrick Henry’s backup.

The latter, of course, led the National Football League in rushing the past two seasons, but McNichols has become a valuable asset on third downs and in the passing game.

In Week 4 against the New York Jets, the 25-year-old hauled in a career-best eight catches for 74 yards and picked up two critical first downs via screen passes.

The Long Beach, California native was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft but was released in September of that year.

Since then he has spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and Jacksonville Jaguars, but his best fit has come as a member of the Titans.

“I think the role that I do play on third downs, getting to mix in there on first and second down, and playing special teams — I think that’s a great role,” McNichols told Buck Reising on 104.5 The Zone on Thursday. “It’s a great role. I’m just trying to continue to help us win and continue to do the best I can, whatever the coaches ask, whatever the staff asks me, and whatever we need on this team.”

In 16 games with the Titans during the 2020 season, McNichols racked up 204 rushing yards on 47 attempts, while hauling in 12 receptions for 55 yards. His versatility has brought a much-needed element to the Titans’ offense while Henry takes a breather on the sideline.

Going way back, though, McNichols credits rapper Snoop Dogg for giving him the opportunity to play football.

Snoop Dogg started a Pop Warner League in 2005 with the objective to “provide youth, regardless of race, color, creed, or economic background, the chance to learn the values of character, integrity, discipline, and teamwork through football” for kids in the greater Los Angeles area.

McNichols played alongside future NFL players in the youth football league, including wide receiver John Ross, eventually paving the way to continue playing in high school and at the collegiate level.

“Yeah, I grew up in Long Beach, California and Snoop [Dogg] always had a Pop Warner League when I was growing up,” McNichols said. “I still have friends and coaches that I still talk to that are going to be lifelong friends…He was able to get a lot of those kids out of South Central LA, Long Beach and out of those situations and help them get to college that they may have never dreamed about. I think that really helped change my life and changed my career.”

While he played a couple of positions in high school, McNichols shined at running back, earning the nickname “McWeapon” from the coaching staff. He committed to play at Boise State and averaged 9.4 yards per carry as a freshman.

As the feature back in his junior season, McNichols rushed for 1,709 yards on 314 attempts, while crossing the goal line 23 times. He also collected 474 receiving yards out of the backfield.

And while he has just six rushing attempts for 29 yards in four games this season, McNichols has proved to be a valuable weapon out of the backfield, averaging just under nine yards per reception, with one touchdown.

Had he not been fortunate enough to play in Snoop Dogg’s youth football league, McNichols noted that he probably wouldn’t have been able to play.

“It gave me hope. A lot of times, kids can’t really afford to play football. Him even giving me that opportunity to allow you to have pads and a helmet and maybe not pay as much and be able to play with your peers, that changed my life,” the Titans running back concluded.

McNichols and the Titans will face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Six points with David Dorey

Friday’s quick look at six fantasy items to know

Bloody Week 4 is in the books and the Panthers, Raiders, and Broncos all lost their first game, and now the Cardinals are the only unbeaten team left in the NFL.  The Giants, Colts,  and Jets also won for their first times, leaving only the Jaguars and Lions as winless teams.

One month into the season, I’ll say it again – the good teams  are not that good, and the bad teams are not that bad. Divisions are still bunched up in standings after only one month, but more separation will happen.  If there is any positive adding an additional game, it is that when the season is over, there are only winning and losing records – no .500 teams with 17 games.

We have a London game that goes off at 9:30 AM (EST), and that’s 6:30 AM on a Sunday morning on the West Coast. Those games rarely happen as expected, and one team plays much worse than usual. The Falcons have no starting wide receivers, so that  won’t help. But for Week 5 in the NFL, here are six items I’m watching on Sunday.

1.) WR Randall Cobb (GB) – The Packers need a receiver other than Davante Adams, and last year, that was mostly Robert Tonyan. But the tight end hasn’t been a factor in three of four games with minimal yardage and no scores. Cobb scored twice last week on his five receptions for 69 yards in the win over the Steelers. That likely has him scraped off nearly every waiver wire out there, but one game doesn’t mean much, considering he only had four catches for 58 yards from the previous three games combined.

What was encouraging is that he received a season-high six targets. Only Marquez Valdez Scantling fielded more than six targets in any game, and he is on injured reserve. The Packers play the next two weeks on the road at the Bengals and Bears. I want to see if the Packers’ receivers will do anything in the wake of losing Valdes-Scantling and never using any other receivers. Even Aaron Jones is only catching two or three passes.

2.) RB Kenneth Gainwell (PHI) – The Eagles change coaches and coordinators but still rely on a committee backfield. So there may never be any major fantasy points from an Eagles’ running back. But through four games, Miles Sanders has seen a declining role while the rookie is doing more. That is partially a function of the game situation, and Gainwell has taken more of a third-down role. But – he’s scored the only two rushing touchdowns and last week caught six passes for 58 yards in the loss to the Chiefs.

Gainwell only started one season in Memphis but ran for 1,459 yards and caught 51 passes for 610 yards and 16 total touchdowns. Then he opted out of 2020 due to COVID concerns. These next two weeks are interesting since he was used extensively as a receiver, and the Eagles will play at the Panthers and the Buccaneers. Both have great run defenses that should hold the Eagles to minimal rushing yards. So Gainwell’s role as a receiver will be needed. If he can outplay Sanders these next two weeks, his role as a rusher may end up increasing as well – all at the expense of Sanders.

3. RB Khalil Herbert (CHI) – David Montgomery was lost for four to five weeks with a hyperextended knee, leaving Williams as the primary runner. With Justin Fields being named as the starting quarterback ongoing, the offense needs help to keep the sticks moving. Williams stepped in last week with eight runs for 55 yards and a score on the Lions and their lowly ranked run defense. He’s a journeyman running back on his  third NFL team but without more than 111 carries in a year at any stop – he’s always been the No. 2 guy.

Herbert ran just three times for seven yards last week for his first action. He was the Bears’ sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech. Williams was banged up but had a full practice, so he should be the starter against the Raiders this week. But Montgomery is out for the next month or more, and Herbert should see at least incrementally more work.

4. WR Jon Ross, Kadarius Toney (NYG) – Both Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were out last week with hamstring injuries and haven’t practiced this week as of Thursday. Both Ross and Toney should see more playing time since they both did so well in Week 4. There’s a growing expectation that they may replace those injured players permanently. Ross (3-77, TD) and Toney (6-78) both contributed to the first win of the season in New Orleans.

Ross is the speed merchant who debuted with a 57-yard touchdown to open the game. Hut his four years at the Bengals were mostly disappointing even though he was a former first-round pick. Toney is the one to watch the most  since he was targeted a team-high nine times to only four for Ross. This week in Dallas should give the duo an excellent chance to repeat their fine performance from Week 4.

5. RB Jeremy McNichol, RB Darrynton Evans (TEN) – Evans was recalled from injured reserve on Wednesday, and his role on Sunday in Jacksonville is worth noting (if he even plays). Jeremy McNichols filled in for Evans but had been limited to no more than three catches as a third-down back. But in Week 4, McNichols led the Titans with eight catches for 74 yards and was thrown 12 targets. The Titans were without their two starting wideouts, so it’s likely just a surprising aberration from a one-game situation.

But it also draws attention to how the Titans drafted Evans in the third round last year for both his rushing and receiving skills. Last year, the Titans threw a total of 34 passes to running backs over 16 games. This year, they’ve already thrown 36 passes to the position over four games. McNichols helped last week, but he just played the role that Evans was drafted to play. Worth watching if Evans is active.

6. TE Kyle Pitts (ATL) – “Generational” is such a big word. But the rookie that was usually the fourth or fifth tight end drafted this summer has hardly delivered on expectations. Pitts had a season-high five catches for 73 yards in Week 2 versus the Buccaneers.  He’s never been better than 50 yards in any other game and still has not logged an NFL touchdown.

He plays in London this week, which could mean anything. But Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage are out, and by now, opponents are figuring out that Cordarrelle Patterson is worth covering. The Falcons need him to step against the Jets, who are likely even more interesting in stopping Patterson since they gave up eight catches for 74 yards to Jeremy McNichol last week. This is Pitts’ chance to be featured. We just have to get up early to watch.

Titans’ Jeremy McNichols reacts to career day in loss vs. Jets

McNichols paced all Titans pass-catchers in receiving yards in Week 4.

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Tennessee Titans running back Jeremy McNichols played a significant role in the Titans’ passing game in Sunday’s 27-24 overtime loss against the New York Jets.

McNichols, 25, hauled in a career-high eight catches for 74 yards, including an impressive catch and run on third-and-21 in the first quarter. He also converted another first down on second-and-13 in the third quarter.

Both plays were the Titans’ longest of the day.

“When those opportunities come, you have to make them,” the Titans running back said. “I’m all about winning. Whatever it takes to win at the end of the day, that’s my job, and that’s why I’m here.”

With wide receiver A.J. Brown and Julio Jones sidelined, the Titans needed others to step up in their place, and McNichols did his part, pacing all Tennessee pass-catchers in receiving yards.

And it’s not just McNichols — the Titans are getting both of their running backs more involved in the passing game this year. Henry has 14 receptions for 125 yards and is only five catches shy of matching his single-season career-high. He had two catches for 20 yards on Sunday.

Still, it wasn’t enough, as the Titans failed to convert in the red zone, and the defense allowed big plays downfield.

“Losing always hurts, no matter what,” McNichols added. “We just have to execute, not just in overtime, but the whole game. When we get the opportunities, we have to capitalize and obviously just finish the game.”

McNichols hasn’t played a significant role in the Titans’ rushing attack, notching just one carry for 11 yards against the Jets. The former fifth-round pick of the Buccaneers has six carries for 29 yards on the season.

Even when Brown and Jones return to the lineup, the Titans need to keep McNichols involved in the passing game — especially in short-yardage situations — to keep the chains moving.

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Mike Vrabel lists Titans’ 3 keys to victory vs. Jets in Week 4

On “The Mike Vrabel Show,” the Titans head coach listed his three keys to victory versus the Jets.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t one to mince words, and despite topping the Indianapolis Colts 25-16 last Sunday, he was visibly frustrated with his team’s performance in the postgame press conference.

With a 2-1 record, and with the team sitting atop the AFC South division, the Titans turn to their Week 4 matchup with the winless New York Jets, which marks the first of back-to-back road games, both of which Tennessee should be favored to win.

But the Titans still have to go out and execute their plays against the Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars if they want to head back home with a 4-1 record for a “Monday Night Football” primetime game with the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

There’s been a mix of good and bad through the first three weeks, and Vrabel identified three areas that the team will need to emphasize to secure a win against the Jets on Sunday.

Titans activate Ryan Tannehill, Jeremy McNichols off COVID-19 list

The Titans now have five players remaining on the COVID-19 list.

The Tennessee Titans announced the activations of quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Jeremy McNichols off the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, leaving just five players on the list.

Tannehill and McNichols will be added to the 53-man roster and can resume practicing with the team.

Remaining on the list are tight end Geoff Swaim, right guard Nate Davis, center Ben Jones, linebacker Justin March-Lillard and offensive lineman Cole Banwart.

Titans place Dzubnar, McNichols on COVID-19 list among 3 roster moves

The Titans now have three players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

On the same day the Tennessee Titans needed to trim their roster down to a maximum of 80 players, the team announced a trio of roster moves.

Among them was the placement of linebacker Nick Dzubnar and running back Jeremy McNichols on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. In addition, Tennessee also waived defensive back Kevin Peterson.

Dzubnar was added to the roster just last week after going unsigned and made his preseason debut on Saturday night versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent the 2020 campaign with the Titans.

The Titans now have three players on the COVID-19 list. Defensive lineman Anthony Rush was added to it on Monday, one day after head coach Mike Vrabel revealed he had tested positive for the virus on Sunday.

The Titans have one more preseason contest coming up against the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night. The following Tuesday will be the final roster cutdown day.

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