Tonight is the night! It’s my favorite time of the year – before we settle into the comfort and pleasantry of Fall, this anticipatory phase in between seasons. Football is back! The Tennessee Titans are heading to Green Bay tonight to take on the Packers in the first preseason game of the season. Training camp has been fun…there have been plenty of reasons for excitement and optimism, but that’s practice. Tonight is the first of four bona fide dress rehearsals before the regular season starts, and I’ll be looking at a few different people and units to see how far they’ve truly progressed.
Things to look for in tonight’s Titans-Packers game
The offense – To sit there and say, “don’t worry – it’s just camp” is fine for the first few days of training camp. But, we’re well into it now and the offense is still spitting and sputtering. I know new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur’s system takes time to learn. That’s been well-established by several sources over the Summer. But, the fact that we’re still reading reports about things looking clunky is concerning to a degree. I’m eager to see this unit in action, with LaFleur at the helm calling plays.
Specifically, the receivers – Man, if Rishard Matthews isn’t ready to go for the first game of the season, this receiving corps could be in trouble. It’s obvious Corey Davis is still the guy, but beyond him, no one is solidifying himself as the reliable type of receiver Matthews is. So, that leaves Marcus Mariota to default to Delanie Walker, Jonnu Smith, and Dion Lewis. Someone needs to step up in this slew of receivers competing for depth spots. Will they?
The pass rush – No Brian Orakpo means more work for Harold Landry, despite his burial on the first Titans depth chart. But, even with a healthy Orakpo and Derrick Morgan, the defense was thin at the position. Will Aaron Wallace or Josh Carraway step up? Will the pass rush use players outside of the typical rush positions to generate pressure? Or, hell – will we not see much of anything at all?
Kenny Vacarro – Losing Johnathan Cyprien was tough. But, if there’s a silver lining to it at all, it’s that a guy like Vacarro was still available in free agency. Reports state that he’s been working with the first team defense in camp. If he’s even remotely the same guy he was before a groin injury limited his 2017 season, that’s a hell of a value. I don’t expect he’ll play much tonight, but I’ll be looking to see how he jells with the rest of the defense.
Camp darlings – Let’s look at the guys who have been making noise so far in camp. At one point, that was receiver Darius Jennings and Jordan Veasy. Akrum Wadley is ahead of David Fluellen on the depth chart. So, let’s see what he can do with the opportunity. Flu Season’s a hell of a guy to have as a third back. Wadley’s going to have to turn it up to take that spot. But, on defense, Rico Gafford has looked good at cornerback. Meanwhile, Dane Cruikshank has played well given the extra opportunity with Cyp’s injury. A lot of guys competing for roster spots who should be taking this game seriously. So, we’ll see.
Overall, don’t expect them to tip their hand too much, but it’s still a fair measure of where this team is at right now. So, bring it on, baby.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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