Tag: Rodger Saffold

Titans players thank fans, reflect on 2020 season via Twitter

Titans players took to Twitter to thank their fans after Sunday’s loss.

The Tennessee Titans’ 2020 season is over after they fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round on Sunday at Nissan Stadium, 20-13.

While the season wasn’t a total disaster considering the Titans earned double-digit wins and an AFC South title for the first time since 2008 — and did all of that despite a bad defense and in the midst a pandemic that led to a COVID-19 outbreak — the early exit is no doubt a disappointment still after Tennessee entered this campaign with Super Bowl aspirations.

Now, the Titans will look to the 2021 offseason where general manager Jon Robinson will have some tough decisions to make on key players on both sides of the ball.

On top of trying to keep an elite offense intact, Robinson must also heavily address a defense that wasn’t the ultimate cause of the Titans’ demise on Sunday, but is no doubt the weakest link of this team.

After the game was over, Titans players took to Twitter to thank the fans and reflect on what was a crazy 2020 season.

Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry voted First-Team All-Pro

It’s the first First-Team All-Pro nod for Derrick Henry.

For the first time in his career, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is a First-Team All-Pro after what has been a legendary season for him.

The Associated Press released its list of players to make the first-team cut, and Henry is the only Titans player on the list. Henry wasn’t a unanimous selection, though, as New Orleans Saints running back, Alvin Kamara, received three of the 50 votes.

Three other Titans received one vote: center Ben Jones, left guard Rodger Saffold and right guard Nate Davis. Punter Brett Kern did not receive any votes after being a First-Team All-Pro last year.

The nod for Henry, who also made the Pro Bowl again and was a second-team All-Pro last season, is well-deserved, as the Alabama product not only won his second consecutive rushing crown, he also broke the 2,000-yard mark on the ground, becoming the eighth player in NFL history to do so.

Prior to his career-best campaign that also saw him lead the NFL in rushing attempts and touchdowns, the Titans inked their star back to a four-year, $50 million extension this past offseason.

While it was criticized at the time by the “don’t pay running backs big money” crowd, Henry has more than proven his worth considering his ability to take games over and his being the engine of an elite offense.

His contract also looks better when you consider there are five backs making more annually, and four of those contracts have more total value than Henry’s.

One former Titan, right tackle Jack Conklin, received his second First-Team All-Pro nod in his first season with the Cleveland Browns. Conklin also earned the honor during his rookie season with Tennessee.

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Titans’ Rodger Saffold on if he’ll play vs. Ravens: ‘Absolutely’

Saffold exited the Week 17 contest early with an ankle injury.

Tennessee Titans left guard Rodger Saffold exited the Week 17 contest against the Houston Texans early with an ankle injury, but it appears that won’t stop him from suiting up this Sunday.

When asked if he would play in the wild-card game against the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday, Saffold said “absolutely” according to Terry McCormick of Titan Insider:

“Absolutely, this is the playoffs. There’s no guarantees. You’ve got to fight for everything,” Saffold said. “I mean, there’s no way I would sit out and opportunity like that.”

Saffold, who was listed with an ankle injury on the Week 14 injury report and has been dealing with a toe ailment the last few weeks, described the issue as a “hiccup” and said “as long as I can get out on the field and produce without hurting the team, then I’m going to take my risk out there.”

Earlier in the week, Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky reported that Saffold would be a “close call” for the playoff contest, so these quotes from the veteran are certainly good news.

Should Saffold be unable to go or is forced from the game early again, the Titans will deploy 2020 UDFA Aaron Brewer in his place. The rookie was effective in relief of Saffold last week, posting the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among all Titans players.

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Report: Titans’ Rodger Saffold to be a ‘close call’ for wild-card game

Saffold has missed just one game in 2020.

The status of Tennessee Titans left guard Rodger Saffold is up in the air ahead of the team’s wild-card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

According to Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky, Saffold, who was listed with an ankle injury on last week’s injury report and exited the Week 17 win over the Houston Texans early with the same issue, will be a “close call” for Tennessee’s playoff game versus Baltimore.

We’ll have to keep an eye on his practice participation during the week, but it’s also possible Saffold doesn’t practice at all and still plays, as he did in Week 15 when he was dealing with a toe injury.

The 32-year-old has been a regular on the injury report this season, but has missed just one game, which coincidentally came in Week 11 against the Ravens.

If Saffold can’t go, the Titans will likely deploy 2020 UDFA, Aaron Brewer, who filled in for the veteran and played 33 snaps upon his exit.

Brewer has been one of the team’s better rookies in limited opportunities in 2020 and played well in relief of Saffold in Week 17, posting the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade (86.1) of any Titans player.

Tennessee and Baltimore will kick off at 12:05 p.m. CT on Sunday.

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Titans Week 15 injury designations: Rodger Saffold, Kenny Vaccaro listed as Questionable

The Detroit Lions (5-8) Week 15 opponent, the Tennessee Titans (9-4), have released their injury designations ahead of Sunday’s game.

The Detroit Lions (5-8) Week 15 opponent, the Tennessee Titans (9-4), have released their injury designations ahead of Sunday’s game and only four players are listed as questionable.

Here’s a look at the Titans’ full injury designations list.

Injury status

Player Injury Position Designation
Rodger Saffold Toe LG (starter) Questionable
Geoff Swain Ankle TE Questionable
Adoree Jackson Knee CB Questionable
Kenny Vaccaro Illness S (starter) Questionable

Saffold did not practice all week, but Mike Moraitis of Titans Wire suggests that may not prohibit him from playing on Sunday. Starting right tackle Dennis Kelly and starting center Ben Jones also missed practices this week, but both got in at least one full practice and neither are listed with an injury designation. If all three are ready to play, the Titans will enter the game with their starting offensive line intact.

Swaim missed Wednesday and Thursday but returned able to return to a limited practice on Friday and carries a questionable label. The Titans will use all four of their tight ends, but if Swaim is forced to miss, they still have three available on the active roster.

Jackson, who has been on IR most of the season, has yet to play in 2020 and was limited all week. But there is some optimism in Tennessee that he could make his debut versus the Lions this weekend.

Vaccaro missed Wednesday, was limited Thursday and Friday, and carries a questionable tag into this game. With two partial practices this week, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of concern surrounding the starting safety.

Titans’ Aaron Brewer reacts to making first NFL start

Aaron Brewer was impressive in his first start with the Titans.

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On Thursday, families around the country will give thanks for the health of their loved ones and the Thanksgiving feast in front of them. Many of us will be thankful for football in uncertain times. I will be thankful for Tennessee Titans offensive lineman, Aaron Brewer.

An undrafted free agent out of Texas State, Brewer notched his first NFL start on Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens with Rodger Saffold out. He was a noticeable upgrade over offensive lineman Jamil Douglas, and a stalwart “big guy.”

Brewer talked about getting the chance to make the start at left guard after the Titans’ 30-24 overtime win over the Ravens in Week 11:

“(I thought) of how far I’d come, and where I came from, and just how many people don’t make it,” said Brewer, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “After everything I’d been through, I went out there with my guys, and being able to fill that spot for Rodger Saffold and come out with the dub, it was amazing. A whole bunch of emotions came.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Brewer delivered a top-five offensive grade for the Titans on a day when King Henry pillaged for 133 yards and a walk-off touchdown in overtime.

“That got me excited, all riled up,” Brewer said of Henry’s game-winning touchdown run. “I am happy as hell for him, and glad the O-line could open things up, with the O-line, receivers, tight ends, and running backs, everybody just opened it up for him to get it done.”

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said Brewer had earned the right to be out there and he didn’t need to see the tape to know that the rookie “competed his tail off.”

“You know, I can tell you without watching the film that he competed his tail off,” Vrabel said. “He competed because I know that, that is why he was in there. I thought he earned the right to be out there.”

If starting guard Rodger Saffold is forced to miss more time due to injury, we can all breathe a little easier knowing Brewer will be plugged into the lineup instead of Douglas.

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Titans’ Adoree’ Jackson, Rodger Saffold, Adam Humphries ruled out for Week 11

The Titans will be without at least three keys players in Week 11.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, left guard Rodger Saffold and wide receiver Adam Humphries have all been ruled out for the Week 11 game versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Jackson, who suffered a knee injury prior to the start of the season, has yet to play in a game in 2020. He was activated off Injured Reserve last week, but will now be inactive for a second straight week. Fellow cornerback Breon Borders will start opposite Malcolm Butler once again.

Saffold suffered an ankle injury during the Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. In his place, the Titans will likely deploy guard Jamil Douglas, who filled in for Saffold when he missed snaps last week. Vrabel did note that Humphries is progressing, though.

Humphries suffered a concussion during the Week 8 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and has been ruled out each of the past two games. Week 11 will mark the third straight game he will miss with the injury.

Other Titans who did not practice on Friday include outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, center Ben Jones, tight end MyCole Pruitt, cornerback Kareem Orr and defensive lineman Larrell Murchison. We’ll get an update on their status when the injury report is released later on Friday.

Tennessee and Baltimore will square off on Sunday at noon CT at M&T Bank Stadium.

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Titans’ Rodger Saffold named PFF’s Offensive Player of the Week

Four Titans made PFF’s Team of the Week for Week 8.

Tennessee Titans left guard Rodger Saffold earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade of any player in Week 8 and was named the outlet’s Offensive Player of the Week.

Saffold tallied an impressive grade of 95.2, which PFF’s Anthony Treash says is the highest single-game grade for any left guard this season, and one of the five-best single-game grades for a left guard in the last decade.

Here’s what Treash had to say about Saffold’s performance:

After being one of the models of consistency and posting top-15 PFF grades in each of the last three years, Saffold had gotten off to a rough start in 2020. Through the first seven weeks, Saffold had just a 62.4 PFF grade that ranked 37th among 76 qualifying guards. Granted, that’s still good, but that was not up to Saffold’s standards. But against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Saffold showed there is no reason to be worried about a decline. He had a career day, posting a 95.2 PFF grade for the game. Not only was that the best by a left guard so far this season, but it was one of the five best we have recorded by a left guard in a single game in the last decade. Saffold didn’t lose any of his 34 pass-blocking snaps and tied for the highest positively graded run-block rate of the week among all offensive linemen. 

Saffold entered the game with an overall grade of 62.4, but it has now shot up to 71.4 for the season.

Including Saffold, four Titans made PFF’s Team of the Week thanks to their high grades: wide receiver Corey Davis, center Ben Jones and cornerback Malcolm Butler.

Davis led all Titans pass-catchers with eight catches for 128 yards, and he scored his third touchdown of the season, surpassing his 2019 total. The 128 yards Davis totaled was the second-most in any game of his career.

The Titans, who have lost two games in a row, will look to rebound in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Titans players react to news that team held workout during COVID-19 outbreak

Rodger Saffold and A.J. Brown weighed in on the situation.

After Tennessee Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky reported that players from the team, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, held a workout at a local school with their facility closed due to a COVID-19 outbreak, some Titans players took to Twitter to share their reaction.

Of course, a workout usually isn’t a big deal, but in this instance it is because the Titans were instructed by the league to not have gatherings away from the facility during the outbreak.

Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown decided to plead the fifth, while also pointing out that the photos in Kuharsky’s report aren’t clear enough to determine that it was indeed Tennessee’s players.

https://twitter.com/Brown1arthur/status/1313912199115571201

It’s important to note that Kuharsky’s report isn’t based on the photos, but rather what he is hearing from sources. His report has since been confirmed by multiple other outlets, including fellow Titans beat writer, Terry McCormick of Titan Insider.

Left guard Rodger Saffold took the opposite approach and pretty much confirmed that Titans players were indeed working out together.

On top of the news of these workouts, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated’s MMQB reported that the NFL has pictures of Titans players not wearing masks while at the team’s facility, which violates COVID-19 protocols.

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Two Titans named to Pro Football Focus’ top-25 interior OL list

As with any offense, strong performance starts with an offensive line that can deliver.

The Tennessee Titans made an unpredictable run to the AFC Championship Game, turning their season around after handing over the starting quarterback job to Ryan Tannehill.

But he wasn’t the only factor in the Titans’ success. As with any offense, strong performance starts with an offensive line that can deliver.

When Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey released his rankings of the top-25 interior offensive linemen in the NFL, two Titans made the list.

Titans left guard Rodger Saffold was placed at No. 11 on the list, behind Richie Incognito of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Here’s what Linsey had to say about Saffold.

There has been a lot of discussion around the decline we saw from the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line in 2019. Saffold’s departure wasn’t the sole domino to fall, but it was an important one. Excluding a 2015 season where he played just 233 offensive snaps, Saffold has recorded a PFF pass-blocking grade of at least 72.0 in every season since 2012 — he’s a consistently strong performer at the guard position. His grading profile as a run-blocker has really picked up in the last several seasons, as well. Since 2017, the only two guards to record a positively graded run block on a higher percentage of their snaps than Saffold have been Nelson and Brooks. One could be in worse company.

Center Ben Jones was listed at No. 18.

After fitting the good-not-great mold for much of his NFL career, Jones really stepped up his play in 2019 — particularly in pass protection. His 1.8% pressure rate allowed at center for the Titans was a top-five mark at the position, and the only center with a higher PFF pass-blocking grade than Jones (86.8) was Rodney Hudson. He allowed multiple pressures in just one game all season. Even at a position like center, which limits the number of truly destructive pass-protecting performances that we see, that’s an impressive season for Jones. He allowed just two pressures in the team’s final seven games. Tennessee will be hoping that elite play carries over into next year as they look to compete in the AFC South.

Both of these players figure to be a factor once more as the Titans look to prove they can be consistent postseason contenders in 2020.

The Titans are set to begin their season against the Denver Broncos on the road on Sept. 14.

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