Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - How Tennessee Titans Should TANK if 2-4, Mike Vrabel's Travel Mistake & Run Defense Bounce Back

Episode Date: October 10, 2023

The Tennessee Titans have a crossroads game ahead of them against the Baltimore Ravens. If they do drop to 2-4, they need to prioritize the future. That includes playing the young quarterbacks and looking to trade some of the veterans like Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. Next, Mike Vrabel made an interesting decision with the team's travel this week and other coaches around the NFL seem to be thinking the opposite. Finally, the Titans' run defense struggled last week and they will have a tough test ahead against the Ravens in Week 6.WANT MORE DAILY TENNESSEE TITANS CONTENT?Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOTitans?sid=YouTubeLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFLFollow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/NFL today to get 10% off your first month. birddogsGo to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNFL or enter promo code LOCKEDONNFL for a water bottle with any order. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you. PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed.eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the Tennessee Titans drop to 2-4 this weekend, it is time to tank. I'll tell you what it should look like on today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans Podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Locked on Titans podcast.

I am your host, Tyler Roland, Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by Jace Medical. Empower yourself when you purchase a Jace case, providing you with a personal supply of five antibiotics that treat 50 plus infections. Get yours today at Jace Medical. That's J-A-S-E medical.com. We got a lot to talk about on today's What's Next episode of the Locked on Titans podcast.

We're going to look ahead to this week against the Ravens and the biggest question is, if the Titans lose, is it time to tank? So I'll talk about what it should look like if that is what happens with the Titans. Also, Mike Vrabel made an interesting decision with the team's travel schedule this week.

I'll talk about whether or not that was a mistake, and we'll look at the Tennessee Titans' run defense, talk about what I saw on film, and what needs to get better. Before we get into all of that, though, thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content,

all year round, always for free. Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast. It's your team every day. Shout out to my everydayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. A lot of great stuff. We had my reaction to the loss to the Colts. We dove into some of the big talking points on yesterday's show. Tomorrow's crossover Thursday.

Friday is a game plan Friday. A lot coming your way. Again, make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed for daily free Tennessee Titans content. But for me, if the Titans lose this game against the Colts and they drop to 2-4, I think they have to look themselves in the mirror and realize the situation that they're in as a team.

And we've talked about it through the week, my everydayers know how I feel here. This roster is just simply not good enough to meet the dreams that Mike Vrabel may have. And we knew that in the offseason. This roster didn't have high-end talent because they missed on so many high-end draft picks over the last few years. This roster didn't have depth because they missed on a lot of late-round draft picks over the last few years. And free agent signings. And the Titans didn't have a ton of salary round draft picks over the last few years and free agent signings.

And the Titans didn't have a ton of salary cap space to work with. So we knew that this roster wasn't one of the best rosters in the NFL heading into the season. So now that that's sort of playing out in the games and all the little lotto tickets, like the free agent signings that the Titans took, and all the optimistic points that we hope, hey, maybe Christian Fulton really can excel. Hey, maybe Traylon Burks can step up. Maybe Chick can

bubble up. Maybe the offensive line will. All these little things that we're wondering, hey, how will those go? Some of them just maybe aren't going so well. So if you consider where the roster was, how things are going right now, if the Titans drop to 2-4, there has to be an eye towards the future. You could call it a tank, blah, blah, blah. To me, it's all about an eye towards the future. If you lose games, you lose games.

But you can call it tanking if you want. For me, it's just about finding those answers in the future and the result of the game is less important than other things. But if the Titans drop to 2-4 against the Ravens, and let's say that it looks bad, when they come back from the bye, which they have their bye in Week 7, we need to see one of the young quarterbacks. Now, I'm okay with either of the young quarterbacks playing.

I would be satisfied if either of them would be put in, whoever the Titans decide to play. But if it were me, at this point, you have to let it be Malik Willis. Malik Willis is the guy who should get first crack at it. If you play Malik and he looks bad, then you just go to Levis. But going Levis to Malik, I don't think is as good of a thing for the Titans prospects going forward. You go with Malik Willis.

He was the guy who was here first. He impressed against the odds, found a way to be the backup quarterback and be on the roster when the team traded up to draft another quarterback. You give Malik Willis the first shot. You give him a couple of games. If it looks bad, then you go with Levis. And if you're making a move like that,

then obviously you have to consider trades. If the Jets would be interested in Ryan Tannehill, if another quarterback injury happens and a team is interested in Ryan Tannehill, maybe Atlanta, if they continue struggling, but they find a way to get wins either way, so they'll probably convince themselves to keep Ritter around. But maybe a team like the Jets still could make sense for Ryan Tannehill.

If you can't get off of Ryan Tannehill, try to trade Derrick Henry. I know it sounds like blasphemy, but Derrick Henry's contract is up at the end of this year. The odds of the Titans bringing him back, what is the point of having a back like Derrick Henry on a team like the Titans if they're going to be going with a young quarterback, go with a young running back and get Tajay Spears more involved too. You might as well push towards the future if that's what you're doing. And that's why no name would be off the table at that point for me.

Hopkins. As sad as it makes me to say it, Kevin Byard. Danico Autry. I mean, anybody who is an older veteran who may make sense for a competitive team trying to make a Super Bowl run, that is the only option that the Titans would have. You play all of your young guys. You really dive into Tajay Spears.

You really dive into Josh Wiley on offense. You play NPF over Andre Dillard. You play Dylan Radins over Andre Dillard. You play NPF over Chris Hubbard. Those are the things that you start to look at. That's what it should look like if the Titans go to 2-4. Now,

unfortunately, I don't think that is what's going to happen. I don't think Mike Vrabel will do it. I think Mike Vrabel will stand there and say, hey, in 2019, we were 2-4. We made a run all the way to the AFC championship game. So two and four doesn't mean that we're dead in the water. I think that would be fool's gold. This roster isn't as good as that roster. There was a quarterback

change that propelled that entire run. That's not happening right now if the Titans decide to keep Ryan Tannehill in. It's not comparable, even if Mike Vrabel tries to say it after the Titans dropped to 2-4. And you look at the schedule ahead, home in Atlanta, home for Atlanta, sure, but on the road against the Steelers, on the road against Tampa Bay, who's better this year, the Jacksonville game, yeah, at Carolina, but then you play the Colts again at the Dolphins.

The Texans are much improved. The Texans, the Seahawks, the Texans, then Jacksonville again. This is not an easy run down the rest of the stretch. I saw some sort of rankings online for strength of schedule, and the Titans were 24th, which means that their schedule was hard the rest of the way. So I just don't think the Titans should lie to themselves and tell themselves that they're a 2-4 team like they were in 2019 and they can flip a switch and make a run.

The schedule won't allow it like we thought it might. And this team just isn't that team. This team just isn't as talented as the 2019 team was. So, if the Titans drop to 2-4 this week, their season's really at a crossroads. They need to win to keep hope alive. If they drop that game, when they come home and they go into the bye, we need to see a new quarterback.

We need to see youth prioritized. The Titans only have a first, a second, a fourth, and three sevenths in the draft. If you could trade some of these veterans, regardless of the nostalgia or the emotional attachment, if you could trade some of these veterans to get some more draft capital to help rebuild this team in the offseason, that's what the Titans need to do, and that's what the tank needs to look like. You want to call it a tank.

But with that being said, I do want to move forward here. Talk about Mike Vrabel and the travel plans for the Titans as they head across the pond to London. Based on what some other coaches have said about that trip, Vrabel might have made a mistake here. So I'm going to dive into that. Also, the Tennessee Titans run defense against the Baltimore Ravens is going to have to bounce back in a major way. Can they do it? We'll talk about what I saw on tape against the Colts. Before we get into anything else though,

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Now I want to talk about a potential mistake that Mike Vrabel made in his travel arrangements for the Titans as they go over for this pivotal game, this crossroads game of the season against the Ravens. We're going to talk about what some other teams have done, and I think it's an interesting conversation to have, and I'm excited to ask you guys what you think as well. Before we get into it, though, I do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day.

I do want to remind you guys that Locked On is kicking up our coverage this year with Locked On NFL Kickoff Live every Friday. Locked On is going to go live at 2 p.m. Eastern on every Locked On NFL YouTube channel. That includes the Locked On is going to go live at 2 p.m. Eastern on every Locked On NFL YouTube channel. That includes the Locked On Titans YouTube channel. Hosts Tenetra Batiste, Jarvis Davis, Kyle Krabs are going to break down every game on the NFL slate, get you ready for your team's matchup, your fantasy lineups,

your betting angles, and more. Plus, you're going to get in-depth coverage from local hosts of the Locked On NFL shows like me with Locked On Titans. You're going to be more prepared than anyone else. Find Locked On NFL Kickoff Live every Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern on any Locked On NFL YouTube channel. Okay. So, just to cut down to the brass tacks of the details of what happened here.

The Tennessee Titans are going to London to play the Ravens this week. The Titans aren't flying over until after practice on Thursday. They're going to get there Friday morning, sometime on Friday. The Ravens left and arrived on Monday over in London. The Ravens are going to practice in England all week in the same time zone. Like John Harbaugh said, six sleeps, quote-unquote six sleeps for the Ravens that they're going to get

in the time zone that they're playing the game in. The Titans, again, not going over until Friday. They're going to have a practice on Friday and just have their normal preparation through. I am not saying that there is a right answer whether you should go early or whether you should go when the Titans are going Thursday night into Friday. Right now, whether it be Mike Vrabel or John Harbaugh for the Ravens,

they have both said publicly that there's no definitive lean either way on which is the right way. If there were, these guys would find it, and they would do it that way. So I admit, and I will point out, that there is no right answer, publicly, scientifically, data-wise right now. But the Titans in 2018

when Mike Rabel was in his first year as head coach did this same travel plan leave on after Thursday's practice get there on Friday play on Sunday. They did the same thing and they lost. Now it was a close game. The Titans lost on a two-point conversion

attempt. Mike Vrabel said in his press conference, I thought our team was ready to play. That's why he said he's willing to follow the same plan. Says we have all our equipment. We have everything we need here. I thought our group was ready to play in 2018. It just didn't go our way. We're going to do the same thing again. Vrabel may be right, but they did lose.

John Harbaugh and his Baltimore Ravens last played in London in 2017. They lost. Harbaugh took the team late in the week like the Titans are doing. Well, this year, because they lost last time, Harbaugh went early. Harbaugh said, it's mostly driven by the fact that we didn't do well in 2017.

We did the opposite. There's no data. We looked for it. When you should go out there, what's the science on that? As often is the case, they really don't know. Hopefully in a week,

we get in pretty good shape. You're basically playing at 9.30 in the morning. We have practiced in the morning before. Hopefully by the time the game comes around, you've slept there six nights. I'd like to think that you'd be pretty well ready to go. I think that was a big part of the decision to try and do it this way. Other teams go in and say, okay, we're not going to mess around with it.

We'll just stay on our own clock, play at 930, get in and out. It's just two schools of thought. So Harbaugh did it one way, didn't think it was good for his team, and is doing it the other way now. Also, want to point this out, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who just lost to Jacksonville after Jacksonville had been in London for a while, and McDermott flew his team over to London late in the week. McDermott said this in London after they lost and came out sluggish. We'll see if whatever comes up down the road in terms of us coming back here.

But we need to evaluate everything because I didn't feel like our energy was good enough early in the game. They had better energy than we did. Now again, there's no science to definitively lean one way or the other. But Sean McDermott complained right there that his team didn't come out with good energy. John Harbaugh decided to come early because he didn't feel like his team came out with good energy.

Jacksonville went 2-0 just now in London by being there for a while. The Titans lost in 2018 doing it the way they're doing it now. So I say all that to say this. Let me know down below.

Do you think the Titans made a mistake here? Do you think the Titans should have gone to London early to get acclimated to the time zone and the environment? Do you think the Titans made a mistake here? Do you think the Titans should have gone to London early to get acclimated to the time zone and the environment? Do you think it was better to stay at home with their resources and their comfortability and their equipment and prepare the way that they normally do? You guys let me know how you feel down below.

I don't have a strong opinion on this, which I'm sure is a shocker to my everydayers out there. I have just about a strong opinion on this, which I'm sure is a shocker to my everydayers out there. I have just about a strong opinion on everything, but I don't have a strong opinion one way or another, again, because there's nothing really to lean one way or another. All I would say is, when you have two other coaches saying that, and you're Mike Vrabel, and your season is at a crossroads where your team absolutely has to have a win

against a team that's better than you? I just, I don't know that I would take any chances. So again, let me know down below, what would you guys do if you were the head coach of the Titans? I think I would have gone early. But again, not a strong opinion either way. I don't think Mike Vrabel's crazy, but the season's on the line. So it'll be interesting to see.

Do the Titans come out fast? Do the Titans play well early? That will be a big thing that I'm looking for in this game. Before we move forward and talk about how the Titans can play well early, which includes being much better in run defense, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by the Jace Case. All right, guys.

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Titans fans, we are going to cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast talking about the Tennessee Titans run defense. I'm going to dive into some of the things that I saw on tape from the Titans run defense, how they're going to need to improve, and why the task is not going to get any easier for the Titans this week against the Ravens. Before I dive into all that, of course, I'm going to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen. Each and every day, remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free.

Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. Tomorrow, crossover Thursday, Kevin Allstriker from Locked on Ravens. Kevin is fantastic, covers the Ravens fantastically. He is going to give us some great information. Make sure that you don't miss that. Also, Friday, Game Plan Friday, we'll talk about how to beat the Ravens, what the Titans should do.

But got to talk about the run defense here because that's going to be the number one thing probably in Game Plan Friday for me to discuss is the Titans' run defense. It has to be better. It was awful. Obviously, they were missing T.R. Tartt, but Jeffrey Simmons did not look like himself. The backups behind T.R. Tartt did not do well. The linebackers especially were awful in the game. It was difficult

on the defensive backs because of the run threat of the quarterback. Again, that's not changing. This week with Lamar Jackson in the backfield, the Ravens are one of the best running teams in the entire NFL. No shocker there. So they have the personnel to execute in the run game. They have the talent to execute in the run game. They have the talent to execute in the run game. They have the scheme to do it now. New offense led by Todd Monken. It's going to be tough.

Titans gave up 193 rushing yards to the Colts. Wild. All right. And what I saw on tape was the Titans got attacked up the middle. And here's why. Because the safeties have to account, number one, with the quick passing game that we're seeing in the NFL nowadays,

RPOs throwing out to slot wide receivers in the flats, quick smoke screens to wide receivers outside. When you play against offenses like the Bengals, who do that stuff a lot, like the Colts, who do that stuff a lot, it makes it tough because you have to have a hat on a hat outside. You have to have a man on a man outside. Because if you have two wide receivers and one cornerback out there

because you're cheating somebody into the box, you could quickly just toss it out there, and now you've got a huge advantage. So the Titans have to keep Roger McCreary, their slot cornerback, outside wide. Teams are using motion to move the Titans slot cornerback out of the box and out wide. So the Titans only have six people in the box. Well, naturally, what you would do is you would bring a safety down. And the Bengals were hitting the Titans on these runs with this philosophy. But what happened was as the game

went on, the Titans brought their safety down into the box instead of playing too high. And they were able to have enough guys in the box to slow down the Bengals running game with Joe Mixon. Well, the problem with the Colts is they had a running quarterback early on until Anthony Richardson got hurt in the middle of the game. And when you have that quarterback

that can run, the safety that came down into the box against the Bengals now has to follow the quarterback outside in case he keeps it. And now that advantage that you had by bringing that safety down, you're losing it. And if you bring down the other safety, now you literally have no deep protection whatsoever.

Whatsoever. So, it's not, you can't consistently have every single person in the box or within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage can't do that you're going to get beat deep too often so it creates a very difficult

problem for the Titans to solve and when they have T.R. Tart what they can do is he takes up people, and then Jeffrey Simmons takes up two people. And it keeps the linebackers clean. That did not happen against the Colts. Whether it be Kyle Pecco, whether it be Naquan. And Pecco held up better than the others. Naquan Jones held up better than Jaleel Johnson. Jaleel Johnson, oh boy.

But they aren't T.R. Tartt and that's pretty obvious. Now look, at the end of the day we're talking about a nose tackle. And the Titans, you know a lot of people are saying T.R. Tartt just got paid. I would want the Titans to give T.R. Tartt a decent deal but we're talking about a nose tackle here. Tartt is a really good player but I still think if the Titans had an offseason to replace him, they could because if you remember, the Titans didn't pay Daquan Jones because they found an undrafted free agent named Tart.

Because you can find good nose tackles without using high-priced capital. But that's a conversation for the offseason and blah, blah, blah. But if the Titans don't have Tart back, and Simmons' injury status is huge here too, without using high-priced capital. But that's a conversation for the offseason and blah, blah, blah. But if the Titans don't have Tart back, and Simmons' injury status is huge here too, took the big shot to the shoulder with the friendly fire, was dealing with the ankle that he picked up in practice on Thursday, I guess. Simmons did not play well in the game against the Colts in run defense.

If Simmons and then T.A. Tart's backup are in there, a banged-up Simmons, it could be ugly for the Titans again in run defense. If Simmons and then T.A.R.E. Tartt's backup are in there, a banged up Simmons, it could be ugly for the Titans again in run defense because the linebackers didn't do a good job getting off blocks. So they're just going to need a drastic improvement or they're going to need to change the way that they're playing offenses schematically to deal with the run game while Tartt is out with a knee injury that, you know, he could be out a few weeks.

So that'll be something to watch going forward. That'll be huge. The health on the Titans' defensive line, what moves they try to make there. Can the safeties find a way to stay involved while also dealing with the quarterback run? It's going to be a tough task. What the Titans started doing is

they started pinching in their defensive line into the middle and having their linebackers go to the outside so that they weren't so vulnerable up the gut in the A-gaps. They could try to do that. Puts a lot of stress on your linebackers and your safeties to get out to the perimeter, but that's probably the best way to do it. Pinch and then have the linebackers go over. But we'll see how they play it.

We'll talk more about it on Crossover Thursday. We'll talk more about it on Game Plan Friday as well. But either way, that is going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland. And this was Locked on Titans.