Outside linebacker Arden Key, cornerback Roger McCreary and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons all were full participants and running back Tony Pollard was limited. This is a positive sign for Key and McCreary who sat out Wednesday due to injury.
The same cannot be said about cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and tackle Leroy Watson, as both players missed their second day of practice heading into Week 11. They were joined on the sideline by defensive back Justin Hardee, who was limited on Wednesday with a groin injury.
The Titans will wrap up their practice week on Friday and release their final injury report.
The Titans complete Thursday injury report is below.
Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), OT Leroy Watson (back), CB Justin Hardee (groin)
Limited participant: RB Tony Pollard (NIR/rest)
Full participant: DT Jeffery Simmon (NIR/rest). CB Roger McCteary (knee), OLB Arden Key (back)
The Tennessee Titans square off in a Sunday afternoon battle against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. Here are three reasons for concern.
The Tennessee Titans host the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CST.
The Titans’ 2024 season has been rough. Not that anyone expected Brian Callahan to come in and take this team to the Super Bowl in his first season, but people expected a better showing than what we’ve seen so far. It’s not all bad, but there’s a lot of work to be done.
The Vikings, on the other hand, are 7-2 and sit in second place in the NFC North, right behind the Detroit Lions. Their biggest goal is to keep winning and hope the Lions lose or they make wild card weekend. In the toughest division in the NFL this season, the Vikings have their work cut out for them to make the postseason.
Those concerns don’t start for the Vikings this week, though. Up against a Titans team that isn’t playing like it can, the Vikings are heavy favorites this week. That’s certainly a cause for concern for the Titans, although not the only one. Let’s take a look at three causes for concern for the Titans heading into Week 11.
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
Vikings boast the top run defense in the NFL
The Vikings typically have a strong defense year-to-year, but this year they hold the top spot in the league with their run defense. In 2024, the Vikings have allowed just 711 rushing yards, that’s an average of 3.8 yards per carry or 79 yards per game. They’ve allowed only two run plays over 20 yards and only one over 40 yards. This is as stout of a run defense as we’ve seen in a long time.
The concern here is that the Titans’ offense goes through Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears on the ground. That is simply not going to be effective against the Vikings, so Brian Callahan and Nick Holz better have a plan in place for when the run game fails.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
More defensive players sporting injuries
Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has missed weeks with a quad injury, which was recently revealed to be a substantial bruise and a strain. He’s not happy and feels guilty that he’s not out there on the field, but he’s not alone. Injuries on the defensive side of the ball have been a problem all season. The concern this week is there are three new defenders with injuries: Arden Key has a back injury, Roger McCreary is dealing with a knee injury, and Justin Hardee has a groin injury.
We won’t know if they will carry an injury designation into the game until Friday, but that none of them practiced on Wednesday shows they all needed rest.
The severity of these injuries isn’t apparent yet, so all three of them may still play this week. Even so, the defense is already struggling with injuries and fatigue, so adding more isn’t helpful.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The offensive line is still a problem
Last week, Will Levis was sacked seven times. The Los Angeles Chargers rank fifth in sacks this season, and the Vikings are right behind them in the sixth spot. They’ve recorded 30 sacks this season, and the Titans’ offensive line simply isn’t going to fare well against the Vikings’ defensive front.
Leroy Watson IV and John Ojukwu will likely continue to rotate at right tackle, although Watson is nursing a back injury now, so who knows how much he will play. On the left side, rookie JC Latham has largely done his job well, but fatigue started to set in last week against the Chargers and could be seen in his play.
The Titans’ offensive line has allowed 28 sacks this season and seven of them happened last week. Brian Callahan and Nick Holz have to find a way to keep Levis protected against a strong Vikings defense in Week 11.
The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field Wednesday and released their first injury report for the week.
The Titans seemed to be making progress on the injury front heading into their 27-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. With the week’s first practice on hand, it will be the first chance to see if some ailing players could return this week.
The most notable injury remains cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. His quad injury has kept him out for an extended period. Heading into Wednesday, Sneed has not practiced in any capacity since the injury. Unfortunately, Sneed has continued to be sidelined.
Multiple starters joined him on the sideline, including defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, outside linebacker Arden Key, Cornerback Roger McCreary, running back Tony Pollard, and tackle Leroy Watson IV.
Defensive Back Justin Hardee was limited with a groin injury.
The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:
Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest), RB Tony Pollard (NIR/rest), OT Leroy Watson (back), CB Roger McCreary (knee), OLB Arden Key (back)
The Tennessee Titans were a league anomaly after the initial breakdown of their roster, the carried a league low of cornerbacks.
When the Tennessee Titans made their initial cuts to get down to the mandated 53-man limit, they kept five tight ends and only four cornerbacks. It’s a fact that many found interesting and left the Titans in a category of their own, carrying the fewest of cornerbacks in the league.
By comparison, no other team carried less than five, with a third of the NFL carrying at least six on the roster. Of course, the roster is in constant motion at this time of the season and adjustments have been made.
On Thursday, the Titans claimed former Indianapolis Colts cornerback Darrell Baker, adding another young cornerback to the active roster. But this is still a risky proposition.
The unit is counting on veterans L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie to man the outside, with Roger McCreary in the slot. On paper, this looks like a solid starting group, but there are some concerns about how they will mesh together on the field when the action starts. Behind them sits rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr., now Baker on the active roster.
The Titans did add three more cornerbacks to the practice squad, Tre Avery, Gabe Jeudy-Lally, and Anthony Kendall, who are familiar with the system. This will give the team some added flexibility with elevation rules, so the team should not have issues with the lighter active roster. But it will be something to watch throughout the season.
That happens in almost every training camp every summer. No big deal.
Things changed after practice, though. Tennessee cornerback Roger McCreary headed to an interview with local radio host Buck Reising. Reising works for 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, when all of a sudden, you could hear shouting in the background. Reising responded, “Jeff, do you want to sit down? We can talk whenever you want to talk.”
Reising was talking to Simmons, who continued to shout at him.
Reising responded, “We’re on the air right now,” and Simmons continued to shout at him.
“You do a lot of talking on social media,” Simmons could be heard saying. “I don’t want to talk to you. You’re a p—y.”
Reising responded, “We’ll deal with that later.”
Simmons continued shouting, to which Reising kept telling him they could sit down and talk, and Simmons was having none of it.
What was this about? No one knows.
At 10:27 a.m., Reising tweeted the following due to the aforementioned skirmish.
Simmons just swung at Latham after some pushing a shoving…refs said 98 would have been tossed in game. He’s back in for the next two and immediately starts a brawl. Sloppy. Simmons needs to lock tf in
Titans CB Chidobe Awuzie explained why the team views fellow CB Roger McCreary as a leader ahead of his third season.
Despite having been in the league for just two seasons, Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary is being viewed as a leader by veteran players ahead of his third campaign.
There has been a lot of turnover on the Titans’ roster in 2024, which makes McCreary one of the elder statesmen on the team in terms of how long he’s been in Tennessee.
As a result of that, new Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and others are looking at him as a leader this coming season, and it’s a role he’s embracing.
“That guy moves like he’s been in the league for 10 years,” Awuzie said of McCreary, per Jim Wyatt. “He has great professionalism, obviously great athleticism. Off the field I see a guy who is really focused and who wants to be really great. Also, it matters to him.
“And he is the guy who has the most reps in the secondary currently, as a corner, nickel (in Tennessee). So, obviously he knows how things go in this division, the AFC South, and playing in Tennessee. So, he is definitely one of the leaders in the secondary, and on this team. We’ll definitely be listening to him any time he has something to say. He’s earned that right, and he’s definitely stepped into a leadership role.”
Along with Awuzie, the Titans also added L’Jarius Sneed to completely revamp the cornerbacks room, and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is looking to take a more aggressive approach to coverage than the previous regime.
McCreary is currently focused on adjusting to the new and welcomed approach that Titans fans have been yearning for.
“In the slot and the outside, that’s one of the main focuses, is I try and focus on being aggressive, talking, being vocal more,” McCreary said. “Just the coaching style and the plays that we have that make us aggressive, that’s what I like.
“(Coach Wilson) puts fear in offenses heart, trying to be aggressive, loud communication, pressing, guys on the outside pressing, being more physical. That’s what he brought over here.”
McCreary is expected to man the slot once again in 2024, a position he played well at in what was his first season there in 2023. One difference from last year is McCreary has added more to his frame, which he says will help him tackle and be more physical overall.
“I have to get them tackles on those big boys coming up on me,” he said. “That’s one of my main focuses, to be more physical.”
McCreary finished 19th in Pro Football Focus’ cornerback rankings for 2023. We could very well see him make a massive leap in 2024.
Titans CB Roger McCreary was recently labeled the team’s most underappreciated player.
The Tennessee Titans had a mess at the cornerback position in 2023, with the exception of Roger McCreary, who was a big plus in his first season in the slot.
McCreary did surrender a completion rate of 71.9 percent, but gave up a passer rating of just 87.3 when targeted, according to PFF. He finished with an overall grade of 71.3 and a coverage grade of 72.2, both impressive marks.
In a recent article naming the most underappreciated player on every team, Gennaro Filice of NFL.com chose McCreary for the Titans.
Tennessee’s secondary was a persistent problem throughout Mike Vrabel’s tenure in Nashville, with the cornerbacks, in particular, plagued by injury and inconsistency. Unsurprisingly, the Titans aggressively pounced on a pair of outside cover men in March, trading for L’Jarius Sneed and signing Chidobe Awuzie. One starting spot GM Ran Carthon left alone this offseason: nickelback. That’s because McCreary emerged as a standout in the slot. After spending the majority of his rookie snaps outside, providing mixed returns, McCreary moved inside and flourished. New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson comes to Tennessee with a wealth of experience coaching NFL defensive backs. Look for him to continue molding McCreary at a position that’s increasingly critical.
While McCreary might be underappreciated nationally, Titans fans are well aware of how valuable he is, especially after a season in which he was a bright spot in the cornerbacks room.
PFF did give McCreary props after the 2023 campaign, though, as he was listed among the top-25 cornerbacks, landing at No. 19.
I’d say guard Daniel Brunskill is more underappreciated. After all, Brunskill was the best, most consistent offensive lineman last season (I know, the bar is low, but still) after giving up two sacks and 26 pressures in 449 pass-block snaps.
Despite that solid performance in 2023, Brunskill doesn’t get the credit he should and isn’t being give enough of the benefit of the doubt to retain the starting right guard job in 2024.
Two Titans cornerbacks were recently showered with praise by Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.
One of the Tennessee Titans’ most improved position groups ahead of the 2024 season has been cornerback, where general manager Ran Carthon made a pair of significant moves.
Not only are the Titans returning Roger McCreary, they also signed Chidobe Awuzie and traded for L’Jarius Sneed, the latter of whom is considered one of the best in the business at his position.
In what is a departure from what we’re used to when it comes to the national media, two Titans cornerbacks are getting some love from Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire.
In a recent article naming the most underrated player for every NFL team ahead of the 2024 season, the choice for the Titans was McCreary. Here’s what Farrar said about that.
One thing Carthon didn’t want to alter was Roger McCready’s position as his primary slot defender. The 2022 second-round pick out of Auburn was outstanding last season not only in slot coverage overall, but specifically in slot press when he was able. Playing press out of the slot is especially tough, because the boundary isn’t there as an extra defender, and you have to match where the receiver goes, with more options for the receiver to use.
McCreary was aligned in press on a team-high 138 of his 946 snaps last season — you can expect that number to double in 2024. When in press, he allowed eight catches on 15 targets for 5.3 yards per reception, one explosive play, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a slew of receivers who were surprised at how well McCreary was able to turn against his team’s formerly passive preferences for positive results.
Further padding the idea that McCreary is a lot better than people give him credit for — at least nationally — the Auburn product was ranked as the No. 18 cornerback in the entire league last season by Pro Football Focus.
Bear in mind, that was McCreary’s first season playing in the slot after he was on the boundary in Year 1. It stands to reason he could really break out in 2024, especially with things around him being much better.
Farrar wasn’t done showering Titans cornerbacks with praise, though.
He listed both McCreary and Sneed as two of the best press corners in the NFL. McCreary landed at No. 11 on the list, while Sneed was No. 1. Farrar’s thoughts on Sneed are as follows:
Sneed is the foundation of the Titans’ desire to play much more press coverage in 2024 than they did in 2023. That’s why they paid him as they did. It’s also why they brought in former Cowboys and Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, and it’s why they held onto Roger McCreary — more on him in a minute. But Sneed has established himself as one of the best press defenders in the league, and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo gave him every opportunity to show it off. Last season, Sneed pressed on 393 of his 1,285 snaps, and he gave up 18 catches on 50 press targets for 4.4 yards per reception, four explosive plays, no interceptions, and no touchdowns.
It’s interesting that Sneed got neither of his two interceptions last season in press coverage, but most of his 16 pass deflections came in press, and he was responsible for other kinds of havoc when his route disruptions allowed Kansas City’s pass-rushers to hunt. It’ll likely be very much the same story in Tennessee.
The Titans were an absolute sieve in coverage last season, but that figures to change in a big way with McCreary, Awuzie and Sneed now patrolling the back end.
The Titans didn’t play a lot of press coverage last season, and their defense suffered. It’s all about to change in a big way.
“Confidence, resiliency, relentless. I am a hell of a player. I love my game. I don’t fear anything. I am not afraid to lose, but I am going to win most of my reps.”
That’s what former Chiefs and new Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed said in his first press conference in Tennessee after the March 22 trade that sent Sneed to his second NFL team. And it doesn’t take a football expert to realize that Sneed is exactly all that. Last season for the Super Bowl champs, Sneed allowed 53 catches on 102 targets for 545 yards, 216 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, 12 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 66.0. It was his best season in a remarkable four-year career, and Sneed was rewarded after the trade with a four-year, $76.4 million contract with $55 million.
This, or something like this, needed to happen.
Last season, the Titans’ cornerbacks allowed 141 completions on 235 attempts for 1,805 yards, 12 touchdowns, four interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 94.0, eighth-worst in the NFL.
The Titans also signed former Bengals cornerback Chidobie Awuzie to a three-year deal, and this is where it gets interesting for new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. During his appearance with Buck Reising and Greg Cosell on a post-draft episode of “The Install,” general manager Ran Carthon got into why the Titans are switching to a new coverage philosophy.
“It’s huge, especially for our defense, and what Dennard wants to do,” Carthon said about Sneed’s press ability, and alpha playing personality overall. “He wants to challenge guys at the line of scrimmage, which is also a reason we went after Chidobie Awuzie. Get two guys in here who are going to match that, and that’s also how [slot defender] Roger [McCreary] plays. Roger is a linebacker on first and second down, and on third down, he can play the C-gap, stick his face in there against the run. But he can also challenge guys [in press coverage] on third down. So, adding someone like LJ to the mix is what’s going to drive this defense, and what will make it go.
“[You have to disrupt receivers] at the line of scrimmage. That forces the quarterback to hold the ball a half-second or a second longer, and it gives your rush another step to get there. It will be cool to see both of those units together, the coverage and the rush, and they’re going to benefit from each other.
Carthon also had thoughts on why Sneed is so cherished now, as opposed to when he was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft.
“When he was coming out those years ago, the game and the way we play coverage has changed. A few years ago, illegal contact was a real thing. They were calling it a lot more, especially down the field, and you needed more guys who played off. Plus, Seattle had that nice run, and everybody wanted to adopt the Seattle defense, playing Cover-3 and playing off. Now, you have so much exposure to Cover-3, you have all those Cover-3 beaters. Now, teams are like, ‘You know what? We’re going to play more man. We’re going to get in these teams’ faces, and we’re going to challenge them.’ Guys slip [in the draft], but the NFL has a nice way of correcting itself. Players like [Sneed] rise to the top.”
Under former defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, the Titans were not big believers in press coverage. They had no cornerbacks in press coverage on 63% of their snaps — the NFL’s second-highest rate behind the Panthers’ 73%. They had one cornerback in press coverage on 25% of their snaps; only the Panthers had a lower rate at 23%.
That is absolutely going to change now.
Last season, Sneed had more snaps in press (393) than any other cornerback not named A.J. Terrell of the Falcons, who had 413. And when targeted in press, Sneed allowed 24 catches on 50 targets — which is a pretty nice percentage when you’re on a receiver from step one, and you’re on an island more often than not.
NFL teams want cornerbacks who can play press more than they did a decade ago because it's a quick-game league now, and you have to be able to disrupt receivers at the line to upend quarterbacks. I'd say L'Jarius Sneed has the idea. pic.twitter.com/J6WBLVDYv8
As for Awuzie, he’s always been a better press cornerback than when he’s playing off — that was true during his time with both the Cowboys and the Bengals, and it was certainly true in 2023. Awuzie can be befuddles at times in off coverage, but with minimal exceptions, he can match and carry all over the field from the first step in press, and it doesn’t matter how fast and slippery the receiver is.
Chidobe Awuzie in press last season allowed nine completions on 21 targets. 66 of those yards came against George Pickens in Week 16. Other than that, not a lot going on. Another press cornerback for the Titans, and Awuzie will get more reps against Tank Dell. pic.twitter.com/kyyxz04r4D
The aforementioned McCreary stuck around because he’s a great fit in a more aggressive set of schemes, especially in situations where it’s tougher to win as a press and match defender.
The Titans did have one cornerback who already played their new press preferences really well, and that's Roger McCreary. It's not easy to press in the slot and outside from reduced splits, but McCreary can. Textbook match/carry/deliver vs. Zay Flowers here. pic.twitter.com/sEB8XP3T7P
The Titans may find this drastic transition to have its rough spots, but it’s nice to see them swerving decidedly in the direction of what the NFL requires in 2024.
Titans CB Roger McCreary was ranked as one of the most impactful DBs of the 2023 season.
Despite switching to a new position and having very little help around him, Tennessee Titans 2022 second-round pick and cornerback Roger McCreary thrived in 2023.
The Auburn product moved from the outside to the slot in his second season and registered a 72.2 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus, which also helped earn him a spot on PFF’s top-20 cornerbacks list.
Another metric that shows McCreary made an impact comes from James Foster of No Flags Film, who calculated the impact play percentage of defensive backs from last season.
McCreary made the list of the top-20 in that metric, coming in at No. 13 with an impact play percentage of 4.50%. His combination of six pass break-ups and interceptions, two sacks, one forced fumble and 33 stops helped land McCreary in that spot.
With another year of experience under his belt, and with L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie now flanking him, McCreary could take a giant leap forward in 2024.
