Tag: Jeremy McNichols

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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Titans activate Caleb Farley off NFI, Sambrailo and McNichols off PUP

All three players are now eligible to practice.

Some huge news from the Tennessee Titans on Monday morning, as the team announced it has activated 2021 first-round pick and cornerback, Caleb Farley, off the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list.

Also, offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo and running back Jeremy McNichols have been activated off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

All three players have passed their respective physicals and are eligible to return to practice. We’ll see if the trio will make their debuts on Monday, when practice begins at 9:30 a.m. CT.

Farley was placed on the NFI list at the start of training camp, as he needed more time to recover from his March back surgery. The hope is that now he can begin competing for, and eventually win, a starting role.

Sambrailo is one of three players who figures to have a shot at the starting right tackle spot. The veteran suffered an undisclosed injury while filling in for left tackle Taylor Lewan last season that ended his campaign early.

McNichols has an uphill climb in making the roster. We project three locks at running back in Derrick Henry, Darrynton Evans and Khari Blasingame (fullback), with Brian Hill being the No. 4 if the Titans carry that many.

With McNichols, Sambrailo and Farley back, the Titans now have 2020 standout reserve offensive lineman Aaron Brewer on NFI, and outside linebacker Bud Dupree on the PUP.

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Tennessee Titans 2021 training camp preview: Running backs

How will things shake out behind Derrick Henry for the Titans in 2021?

As far as the Tennessee Titans’ running back situation is concerned, you can pretty much start and end the conversation with Derrick Henry, who has been the team’s workhorse back since the end of the 2018 season.

Henry has won back-to-back rushing titles, rushed for 2,000 yards, and won an AP Offensive Player of the Year award while owning the vast majority of snaps out of Tennessee’s backfield.

His dominance on the ground the past two years is unmatched in this era, and as a result experts have been forced to rank him as the best running back in the NFL despite a lack of production in the passing game.

The other backs on Tennessee’s roster will be fighting for scraps behind Henry, but exactly which ones will get those scraps? And who will be the team’s insurance policy in the event that Henry gets hurt?

We’ll try to answer those questions and more as we preview the Titans’ situation at running back going into training camp.

Titans place Senorise Perry on IR, promote Jeremy McNichols

Jeremy McNichols will take the spot of Senorise Perry, who was placed on IR.

The Tennessee Titans have placed running back Senorise Perry on Injured Reserve and will promote fellow running back Jeremy McNichols from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced on Wednesday.

We first got word that McNichols was being added to the 53-man roster by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, although it wasn’t clear whose spot he was going to take.

We initially thought this might be bad news for rookie Darrynton Evans, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury and has yet to make his NFL debut.

Perry has been active for both games for the Titans this season, but has played mostly on special teams. He did get a pair of carries in Week 2, turning them into nine yards.

McNichols has been protected on Titans’ practice squad for each of the first games, but has been activated on game day for both with Evans out. He carried the ball twice for seven yards in Week 2.

Until Evans makes his debut, which could come this week, McNichols will get the scraps behind starter Derrick Henry, who has dominated the touches as expected through the first two weeks.

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Titans adding Jeremy McNichols to active roster, choose 4 protected PS players

Could Jeremy McNichols’ promotion to the 53-man roster be a bad sign for Darrynton Evans?

The Tennessee Titans have chosen the four players they will protect on the practice squad ahead of the Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

For this week, the Titans are switching it up after protecting the same four players in the previous two weeks. Wide receiver Cameron Batson, inside linebacker Daren Bates, kicker Tucker McCann and quarterback Trevor Siemian will be protected.

While Siemian and McCann have been protected before, both Bates and Batson have not. Of the four, only Batson has seen game action this season.

Batson, who was one of two players elevated from the practice squad on Sunday, made his 2020 debut in Week 2 and made the most of his opportunity.

The 24-year-old hauled in two catches for 26 yards and added one run for 11 yards. He also moved the chains twice on his three touches.

One of the Titans’ protected players from the last two weeks, running back Jeremy McNichols, is being added to the active roster this week, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

McNichols has been elevated from the practice squad on game day in each of the first two weeks. In Week 2, he totaled two carries for seven yards.

The move to elevate McNichols could mean bad news is coming for rookie running back Darrynton Evans, who has missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury, although nothing has been confirmed yet.

There is still no word on who McNichols will be replacing on the roster. We’ll likely get an official update from the team on Wednesday.