Tag: Jonnu Smith

WATCH: Jonnu Smith makes spectacular TD grab for Titans

Jonnu Smith made a great catch off a pass from Ryan Tannehill to give the Titans and early lead in an AFC Divisional round game.

The Tennessee Titans moved to a 7-0 lead on the Baltimore Ravens when Ryan Tannehill found tight end Jonnu Smith, who made a spectacular catch for the touchdown.

Check this out:

The first quarter was favorable to the underdogs as Marcus Peters made an interception of Lamar Jackson off a deflected pass.

How were 8 tight ends drafted before George Kittle in 2017?

George Kittle was drafted in the fifth round out of Iowa by the 49ers in 2017. He was the ninth tight end selected.

George Kittle has proven to be one of the great draft steals in many years. The San Francisco 49ers selected the tight end from Iowa in the fifth round, 146th overall, in 2017. Eight TEs were chosen before Kittle. How did that work out?

O.J. Howard (first, 19 overall)

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

O.J. Howard came out of Alabama to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a big rep and high hopes for the NFC South team. It has not materialized. Howard does have 12 TD catches — the same number as Kittle — but he has far less receptions, 94 for 1,456 yards.

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Can the Ravens’ defense stop the Titans’ offense?

A look at how the Tennessee Titans offense will match up against the Baltimore Ravens in this weekend’s NFL divisional-round playoff game.

The Tennessee Titans finished the 2019 regular season as one of the hottest offenses in the NFL. They managed to pile up the yards and the points despite an old-school offensive mentality. First-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has done a tremendous job featuring Derrick Henry while also getting production out of rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Keeping the Titans quiet will not be an easy task for Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale and his players this weekend. Let’s break down the Titans’ passing and rushing attacks against the Ravens’ defense to see who has the edge in this game.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Titans’ rushing offense vs. Ravens’ rushing defense:

Like the Ravens, the foundation of the Titans’ offense is the running game. They have the league’s leading rusher in Derrick Henry, who finished the regular season with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns on his 303 rushing attempts. To put an exclamation point on the regular season Henry gained 182 rushing yards on the New England Patriots in the wild-card round to propel Tennessee to victory. Thanks to Henry’s deeds, the Titans averaged 138.9 yards on the ground per game which trailed only the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers in 2019.

At first glance, one would assume that this is a matchup that the Ravens have well in hand despite Henry’s dominance. The Ravens allowed the 5th-fewest rushing yards per game this season. However when we look closer we discover that the Ravens saw the second-fewest running back rush attempts in the regular season (296), thanks no doubt to their opponents being forced to abandon the run and play catchup. Opposing rushers averaged a not too shabby 4.4 yards per attempt against Baltimore, the 12th highest average in the regular season.

Rushing edge: Titans

If the Titans are able to keep Lamar Jackson and company in check and slow the Ravens’ offense down, Henry could be a huge thorn in the side of the Ravens defense. But it’s a very big if.

Rushing / Passing / Overall

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Titans-Patriots: a look at offensive snap counts

Here’s a complete look at the offensive snap counts.

The Tennessee Titans were underdogs to the New England Patriots after just making their way into the playoffs with a 9-7 overall record, but will be the team taking on the Baltimore Ravens next week after recording a 20-13 victory on Saturday night.

We saw another Marcus Mariota appearance, as the former starter entered the game for one snap. Ryan Tannehill was at the helm for the remaining 61.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown took the field for 60 snaps, 10 snaps more than the next wideout in Corey Davis.

Tight end Jonnu Smith unsurprisingly led tight ends, seeing action on 54 snaps. Pass-catcher MyCole Pruitt was active on 38 snaps.

Here’s a complete look at the offensive snap counts.

The Titans are set to take on the Ravens at 7:15 p.m. CST on Saturday in M&T Bank Stadium.

TE Jonnu Smith’s versatility has been key for Titans offense

Smith didn’t get off to the fastest start in Delanie Walker’s place last season, but he’s really come into his own since.

Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith didn’t get off to the fastest start in Delanie Walker’s place last season, but he’s really come into his own since.

And he’s done it in a variety of ways.

He took a pitch from quarterback Ryan Tannehill during Sunday’s game against the Texans, and recorded a 57-yard rush to bring the Titans deep into Houston territory.

“That was an awesome job by our offensive players, and a great job by Jonnu,” Vrabel said on Monday. “Just trying to find ways to help us win and move the football. I really like what Jonnu can do, what his skillset is. He caught the ball yesterday. He was aggressive – he caught it in zone, he drop stepped, got a few extra yards and put us in third-and-short, which helped us convert. He caught a seam pass, he caught a screen pass, broke a tackle. Just continue to keep working with him and his willingness to improve.”

Smith’s other huge play came when he tracked down the Texans’ Whitney Mercilus for some 96.3 yards, denying him the chance to tack another touchdown on the board.

Smith finished the day as a top receiver, reeling in a reception on each of his five targets for 60 yards for an average of 12 yards per catch in addition to the carry.

The Titans will face the New Orleans Saints next at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.

Best plays from Titans’ 24-21 loss to Texans

There were some missed opportunities for the Titans, but also some big plays that kept the game as close as it was.

The Tennessee Titans (8-6) looked to extend their winning streak to five games as they faced the visiting Houston Texans (9-5) on Sunday, but instead recorded a 24-21 loss.

There were some missed opportunities for the Titans, but also some big plays that kept the game as close as it was.

Here’s a look at just a handful of those.

5. TE Jonnu Smith’s 57-yard carry.

Smith can do it all at this point. It’s not every day that you see a tight end carry the ball, but Smith made a huge play for the offense on this rushing play to put the Titans deep in Texans territory.

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Studs and duds from Titans’ 24-21 loss to Texans

Here’s a look at some players who stood out, and others who would like to have a play or two back.

The Tennessee Titans’ four-game winning streak came to a heartbreaking end as the team fell, 24-21 to the division rival Houston Texans in Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

With the loss, the Titans sit at the No. 2 spot in the AFC South, and will face a rough road making it into the playoffs.

Here’s a look at some players who stood out, and others who would like to have a play or two back.

Stud: TE Jonnu Smith

What can’t Smith do at this point? One of his biggest plays came on a 57-yard rush in the fourth quarter to help give the Titans some momentum.

He finished the game with five receptions for 60 yards, in addition to the rushing play.

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Titans place TE Delanie Walker on Injured Reserve, add K Ryan Santoso

The Tennessee Titans placed tight end Delanie Walker on Injured Reserve on Wednesday.

The Tennessee Titans placed tight end Delanie Walker on Injured Reserve on Wednesday.

Walker finished out 2019 with 21 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Walker last saw action in Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos, and has been inactive for the last four games.

Players like Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser will be called upon to step up in the pass-catcher’s place.

The team also signed kicker Ryan Santoso to the active 53-man roster, and will keep both him and Ryan Succop on the roster ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Santoso had a pair of preseason stints with the Detroit Lions, and also saw time with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL back in September.

His specific role for the future has yet to be determined.

The Titans and Colts are set to face off at noon CT on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.