Titans head coach Mike Vrabel explained what happened to WR Julio Jones and OLB Bud Dupree in Week 3.
One of the more interesting storylines both leading up to and throughout the Tennessee Titans’ game with the Indianapolis Colts was the health of outside linebacker Bud Dupree and the disappearing act of wide receiver Julio Jones.
First, Dupree: the 28-year-old is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last season and was listed as questionable ahead of the game, with limited participation in practice on Thursday but none on Friday.
On Saturday, a report indicated that Dupree would be active against Indianapolis, and that ended up being the case.
However, the former Kentucky linebacker registered exactly zero snaps on Sunday, despite being dressed and standing on the sideline. Well, as it turns out, Dupree was dressed for emergency use only.
On Friday, Vrabel admitted that the Titans are still trying to figure out how to manage Dupree’s recovery after games, which would explain his limited reps in practice. The decision to sit him was likely a precautionary measure and allowed him to get more time to recover from Week 2.
With Derick Roberson inactive on Sunday, the Titans were dangerously thin at outside linebacker. To make matters worse, Tennessee also reportedly lost Rashad Weaver to a broken fibula, leaving only Ola Adeniyi and Harold Landry as available options at the position.
Dupree went through pregame workouts in the event he would be called upon, but he was also spotted helmetless with a heat pack on his knee.
As for Jones, the 32-year-old wideout was looking to build off a big Week 2 in Seattle and was off to a good start in the first half. He hauled in a critical fourth-down catch across the middle of the field during the first quarter that ultimately set up the Titans’ first touchdown of the day.
In the second quarter, Jones caught a 25-yard pass along the sideline from quarterback Ryan Tannehill, setting up the Titans’ second touchdown. In all, the former Atlanta Falcon hauled in three catches for 47 yards, but he was spotted in the second half on the sideline without his helmet.
With A.J. Brown already sidelined for the remainder of the game because of a hamstring injury, Jones was not on the field for several plays in the final two quarters, leading many to believe that he had suffered another injury.
“You know, I just think as this thing played out just trying to manage where he’s at and understand the type of game the end of the game was going to be, and [other receivers] were going in there, trying to dig safeties out, so we’ll keep looking at those guys,” head coach Vrabel said about why Jones didn’t play. “There’s a lot of guys that are gonna need some rest this week — a lot of guys. They played a hard, physical game.”
We’ll see if Julio Jones lands on the first injury report on Wednesday, but it sounds like Vrabel was managing Jones’ workload, which was something the Titans coach hinted the team would do during the preseason.
Broadway Sports’ John Glennon interpreted Vrabel’s comments differently, though, saying that perhaps the Titans head coach was hinting that blocking was the reason Jones didn’t play during the second half
Jones accounted for only 33 snaps in Sunday’s win against Indianapolis after playing in a combined 116 through the first two weeks. Again, we expect to have more clarity on the situation later in the week, but it was odd for the Titans’ top wide receiver target to miss most of the second half.
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