Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Locked on Titans: Tennessee cruises to a win against the Giants

Episode Date: December 17, 2018

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Welcome in to another edition of Locked On Titans. I'm Jimmy Morris, joined as always by Terry Lambert. Terry, how are you tonight? Doing pretty good. What's going on, man? Not too much tonight. We're going to break down another Titans win. Titans keep the dream alive for another week. This is a game that had both of us pretty scared, so good to see them come away with a win. We'll kind of break it all down. Talk about where the Titans are in the playoff picture now. Before we do that, I want to remind you to be right for musiccitymiracles.com. We're a cover of the Titans for SB Nation, so you can follow us there. You can also follow us on Twitter. I'm at jmorrismcm.

Terry's at TLembert. Get the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Just search out Locked on Titans. Titans go to New York. Win 17-0. First time they've shut out a team in a really long time. I can't remember exactly how long it's been, but it's been a really long time. Another huge day for Derrick Henry.

And when you looked at the conditions in this game, you know, 39 degrees, driving rainstorm pretty much the whole game, pretty obvious that it's set up to be a game where they would want to feature Derrick Henry because that's a situation where, you know, obviously they get hit in a game like that. When you've got a guy as big as Derrick Henry because that's a situation where you know obviously get hit in a game like that when you've got a guy as big as Derrick Henry if you can kind of impose your will with him uh you know it's just a thing that as the game wears along you're also talking about a 5 and 18 that doesn't really have anything left to play for so kind of like with the Jacksonville Jaguars

tonight if you can get on top of them and get them beat up a little bit early, they're not going to have that fight later in the game that a team would that is still playing for something. So the Titans were able to do that today. And listen, it's the second week in a row they've been able to do that, second game in a row that has been a big game for Derrick Henry. So, I mean, Derrick Henry is always the story here, but I think, you know, in the bigger picture, I mean, Derrick Henry is obviously the story here, but I think in the bigger picture, going forward, you are finally starting to feel confident in what you have in Derrick Henry in this running game.

We've talked about it for years. Titans just really haven't had an identity. I guess since Chris Johnson left and was at his peak, I think you might be starting to see an identity form there. That's big boy football. Derrick Henry, someone clearly pissed him off. That's the best analysis I can give. I don't know you go from what he was in the middle in the beginning of the season To what he is right now. It's just different, you know

Yeah, I don't think they're doing anything different scheme wise I think they're just putting a hat on a hat and letting Derek go And he's running more physical. He's shaking on tacklers And he looks like the back that he was at, Alabama So this guy's a workhorse and and the Titans are benefiting from it. Now, can it continue? We wondered if he could string a game, the back games together. He's done that.

He's got a real good chance to do it next week. And then you're looking at a game against India against what is apparently one of the NFL's better defenses now. So it's going to be really interesting to see how this offense finishes these two weeks because, you know, we were talking about the Titans needing a running back in a big way over this offseason. So Derrick Henry can kind of solidify his role in the 29th offense over these next two weeks. Yeah, and, you know, there's been a lot of talk about you know they're doing things differently getting the ball getting the

ball running downhill and all that kind of stuff i don't think they've done anything like you were saying schematically different i just think that i don't know if it was the the fact that he was on the trade the trade block that pissed him off or the fact you know they were giving david flew ellen carried early in the game now i don't know exactly what it was, but something has changed with him. And, you know, again, today, 33 carries, 170 yards, two touchdowns. And listen, there's this, you know, section of the fan base. And I mean, I think they're mainly Alabama fans. And listen, I'm an Alabama fan too.

So, you know, I guess I have to take some responsibility in this. But like this, this section, and you're going to hear him. If you listen to Sports Talk Radio on Monday, you're going to hear him. See, I told you. You just got to give the ball to Derrick Henry 30 times a game. This is what's going to happen. Like, okay, I mean, I get it. And, yes, if you're in a situation where you can give the ball to Derrick Henry 30 times, that's awesome.

Like, that is the way that anybody would like to win football games the problem is earlier this season and you know earlier in his career when you were giving the ball to Derek Henry early in games he was only getting two or three yards to carry one you know yard I mean whatever it was and so then you give it to him twice on first and second down then it's 30 you can't just keep giving the ball in those scenarios. So, like I said, something has changed. I don't know. I mean, the offensive line, I guess, is playing better. But, you know, we talked about this last week where all of, like, you know,

99% of his yards came after first contact in that Jaguars game. It really just seems taking the ball and getting up the field now, which he wasn't doing that before. He was trying to dance and whatever else. So, I really don't doing that before. He was trying to dance and whatever else. So I really don't think that there's any big difference in what they're doing offensively. I just think Rick Henry has decided that he's going to take the ball and run downhill, and he uses size to his advantage.

And that's what he's done the last couple of games. And, again, if they can lean on it, if he can sustain it, that's awesome. That's the way that they want to play. Like you said, that gives them an identity. And, like you said, I mean, if they can do it again next week against the Redskins. So, sure. I mean, listen, we're not going to complain. And we talk, we try our best to be objective, to watch what's going on in the field and talk about what we're seeing.

And it seems like at this point that it's flipped to, I don't know why Deion Lewis is ever on the field at this point. We said this about Derrick Henry earlier in the season. His runs were completely ineffective. When they brought Deion Lewis in, things happened. Well, in these last couple of games, Derrick Henry is out there. He's making things happen. They give the ball to Deion Lewis.

Good things don't happen. They get to Deion Lewis on a screen. He's getting caught from behind. So I don't know what's going things happen. They give the ball to Deion Lewis. Good things don't happen. They get to Deion Lewis on a screen. He's getting caught from behind. So I don't know what's going on there. But at this point, sure, it makes sense just to ride Derrick Henry as long as they can do it. I mean, is it as simple as could it just be confidence? You know, just getting the ball rolling with Jacksonville.

You know, you break off that 99-yarder. It seemed like he got stronger as that game went on. He comes out this week, and we talked about, is it a Derrick Henry game? Well, today was the definition of a Derrick Henry game. It's cold up there, wet and rainy. Giants can be run on. There were some opportunities there. Dennis Kelly inserted into the lineup,

and that kind of seemed to be the off the line boost, honestly, which we talked about for a couple weeks. It was a spot for Derek Kennedy and he took off and ran with it again. That's kind of where I'm leaning. I think it's a confidence thing. You go back

to those comments he made early in the year, I have to play there. It kind of kind of made us mad we'll go do it you know what's stopping you from going and doing that so i don't know i i think he's he's confident i think the offensive line again uh the whole key to any football team it starts up front if your offensive line's playing well you're gonna have a chance to play well uh and that's totally been the case. When the offensive line has performed, the Titans look like a playoff team.

They certainly did that. And Derrick Henry, you know, was our offense. They didn't even need Marcus Mariota in the passing game hardly at all today. Yeah, like you said, kudos to him for going out there and doing it. And listen, we were hard on him earlier in the season. And, you know, it was like when he said that this time, I think it was the second time he had said it this year, about how he just needed to run better.

And it was the third time, I think, in the last two years that he said it. And we were both like, okay, well, just go do it. Stop talking and go do it. Well, he's gone out there and done it. So good for him. And it's obviously made a huge difference for this offense and for what they want to be awesome. And like you said, I mean, you know, Marcus Mariota doesn't have to do anything today. and it's obviously made a huge difference for this offense and for what they want to be awesome.

And like you said, I mean, you know, Marcus Mariota doesn't have to do anything today. And, you know, when you're in a game like that, in a game where your offensive line and your run game are dominating, the last thing you want to do is turn the ball over. So, you know, in those conditions, all that stuff. So, I mean, did the right thing by just continuing to turn around and hand it to him. And, you know, like I said, I think any NFL team, if they can do that,

they would rather do that because there's so much less risk when you're handing the ball off to somebody than when you're putting it in the air, like I said, in conditions like we saw today. So, you know, hopefully they can continue to ride it. And, you know, that's something that they can do. And they can, you know, I mean, I they can do and they can you know i mean i don't know man at this point with that colts offense you know the the titans have obviously struggled being able to stop them uh andrew look all that kind of stuff so that's the answer right there is if you can keep them off the field keep them on the sideline like they did that giants

offense today so uh you know hopefully that's something they can keep going all right come on we'll talk a little bit about the defensive effort today. We'll do that today about my bookie. You're spending all Sunday watching football games. We know that the thing to make that more fun is to have a little action on the games. And if you're going to do that, you want to be doing it at my bookie. Whether you're an expert or a rookie, my bookie is the place you need to be

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and use the promo code LOCKEDON to get a 50% deposit bonus. That's promo code LOCKEDON. You play, you win, you get paid. So, defense, again, stepped up today. And, you know, in those conditions, obviously it's harder on offense. The Giants didn't have Odell Beckham Jr., so that made things a little bit simpler.

But last week, they didn't have Odell Beckham. And Saquon Barkley still went nuts on the Giants, you know, 150 yards or whatever it was in the first half on the Redskins, I mean. So, like I said, I mean, from that standpoint, it makes it a little bit simpler, you know, kind of what they're going to try to do. You know, that offense is going to run through Saquon. Nervous heading into this game. And, again, we talk about the conditions and how it fits in for Derrick Henry.

I mean, the same thing can be said for Saquon Barkley. But the defense was good early, you know, was able to limit the Giants on their own theories. And then as the game kept going along and they kept feeding Derrick Henry, it just felt like the Giants just didn't have an answer for anything on offense. And we were talking before we came on. I mean, you know, this game was still 7-0 late in the third quarter before they got the, you know, the back fumble, you know,

and then the short field and Derrick Henry's second touchdown. So it was only 7-0, but it just felt more out of reach than that with the way the offense was dominating and with the way the defense was not allowing the Giants to really get anything going. Yeah, it's a straight week. You faced an offense that was pretty straightforward. You knew what was coming at you.

They shut down Leonard Fournette. No threat of the pass there. This week they shut down Saquon Barkley. No threat of the pass there. Eli Manning, man, I don't know what the Giants are doing. They can't roll with him next year, though. You know, without Odell in the field, there's just not a lot in their offense that scares you.

So, I'd say just keyed in on Barkley, stuffed the line of scrimmage. The front seven played great. Also, back to back, two pretty bad offensive lines. The Giants were getting beat up front, whipped all day. Rashawn Evans. Rashawn Evans is good.

I'm not sure we expected to see that year one after him missing training camp. But, man, he's starting to really read things quickly and shoot the gaps and make some plays in the backfield. So that's really good to see. But I was pretty convinced that Saquon was going to get his today. I was surprised with how hequon was going to get his today. I was surprised With how he used him in the passing game Didn't really get him out in the flats or attack with screens or anything like that They just chose to run him up the middle. Titans were ready for it. I mean hats off to them

You know first shutout since 2000 So that's a long time. Yeah 18 years. So This front seven is playing pretty well, and I certainly didn't see a shutout coming. I said the Giants would win the game. Obviously I was wrong there. But, you know, DMP's games where they look superhuman, this group looks really good.

We just got to eliminate the bad ones along the way. It's crazy. First shutout since 2000. I mean, think about they had really good. We've just got to eliminate the bad ones along the way. It's crazy. First shutout since 2000. I mean, think about they had really good defenses when they came here. And to not have a shutout, I mean, I don't know if it's been bad the last few years, but there was a time when Jeff Fisher and Greg Williams and Jim Schwartz and those guys are your defensive coordinators. That's wild.

But, yeah, I mean, now there's a couple of things to get concerned about going forward. Logan Ryan and Sheree Finch both got hurt in this game, weren't able to finish the game. Paul Koharski has said on Twitter that the team fears the worst on both of those guys. You know, we talked about Sean Sims, about how we thought they should maybe try him for Malcolm Butler earlier in the year. So, I mean, it's a downgrade, clearly, from Ryan to Sims, but that's not the end of the world. The bigger issue, I think, is that outside linebacker. If Sharif Finch is going to be out for any time,

because you've already got Brian Arakpo, who was inactive today, don't know exactly what the prognosis is on his injury but you're down to just Harold Landry Derek Morgan and Correa as your only three healthy outside linebackers so if Finch is going to be out for an extended period of time if they don't think Arakpo is going to be ready to go even this weekend and they're going to have to probably bring somebody in. I mean, I know Rashawn Evans gives them some versatility. He's a guy that can rush off the A.

You can maybe use him in passing downs, but they're going to have to get some numbers at that spot just because they've been hit pretty hard in that area this year. Also, Kenny Picard had a concussion, so we'll just have to keep an eye on his status. A shorter week this week with the game being on Saturday. I don't know. We've seen

we saw Taylor LeBlanc with a concussion earlier in the year, and he missed a week. We saw Dory Jackson have one and was able to play the next week. I think Malta did the same deal a couple weeks ago. You never know with that kind of stuff. But, I mean, I don't know.

I don't think it really matters against the Redskins. I mean, they don't have a passing attack that you fear, you know, under their fourth quarterback, Josh Johnson, whatever it is, and they've got some guys that are hurt too. But, you know, when you get to that Colts game in week 17, assuming that game's going to be for a chance to get in the playoffs, you get a little bit nervous when you're injured off the edge and when you're injured in your secondary. It's two huge pieces.

Left Titans today with injuries there. So, yeah, if Logan Ryan is down, who do you put in that role? I mean, the slot role has become so important in today's game. Logan Ryan has been just as steady as done. So, yeah, I mean, looking ahead to the Colts, I don't think you need to worry about Josh Johnson next week lighting you up through the air. It's going to be more on the front seven defense again.

But, yeah, you look at the Colts, man, and you're talking about LaShawn Sims getting significant playing time, perhaps for the first time this year. I don't like that. You're going to be breaking someone in at a really new position because Ryan plays exclusively out of that slot role. So that's a big deal. Hopefully Kenny Vaccaro, we saw the drop-off

when Vaccaro wasn't out there in the middle of the year. So he's an important player. I think Logan Ryan is a really important player. Unfortunately, we're probably going to figure out how much over the next couple weeks. Yeah, and like you said, it's kind of a niche role that he has there. So I wonder if they try to mix and match some there or what they would do. Yeah, I don't know. It's a shame, too, because the secondary has really been coming together um my mother's been playing better uh vacara like you

said we we saw i mean if he can't go that's probably the bigger concern i mean hopefully that's just a short-term thing but kinder glows is bad um we saw my struggle with vacara earlier this season. So hopefully that's just – I mean, maybe he can get back this week. We'll see. All concussions are different. Guys progress differently through the protocol and all that kind of stuff. So there's a chance he could be back this week.

But, yeah, getting a little bit banged up. And we talked about it all year. You know, those couple years, the two 9-7 malarkey years, the Titans were really, really fortunate in the injury department, and they just kind of swung back the other way this year. So hopefully they can, you know, put it together at least for a week enough to get through the Redskins game, and then maybe they can be a little bit healthier by the time the Colts come to Nashville in week 17.

All right, coming up, we will kind of lay out where the Titans lay in the playoff picture after week 15. So it wasn't the perfect weekend for the Titans. You know, some things could have gone better. We was really hoping that the Patriots could beat the Steelers because then you would have had the Ravens in the mix for the AFC North title. And then, you know, the Titans would get in ahead of a, I guess, of a 9-6-1 Steelers team if the Titans finished 10-6. But that didn't happen. Steelers won.

They have two games left. I think it's the Saints next week, and then they finish with Bengals, who are just terrible. The Dolphins lost, so the Titans, you know, if they went out, obviously finished ahead of them. Anything we'll talk about going forward here will be assuming the Titans went out. The Colts won, but, you know, the Titans can do control their destiny against the Colts with the Week 17 game against them.

The Ravens won, so they're the team that you're still concerned about because if both the titans the ravens finished 10-6 obviously the ravens would go ahead of them you know because the ravens beat the titans the ravens i was talking coming up this week against the chargers so that'll be a game that's after the titans game on saturday that was the saturday night game so that'll be a really big game uh for the times in their playoff chances but you know i mean listen the way the season is gone um feel pretty fortunate to still be in the mix late it sucks to be sitting here again kind of watching other teams and you know having to count on somebody else to to do something for you but the titans are still right you know in the mix and

can still finish with a with a better record than they did last year and so see some improvement as far as that's concerned. It's times like this where you look back, week one, the marathon game, losing to the Dolphins. You look back to Nick Williams dropping the ball in Buffalo. You look back to the two-point conversion. Man, just wouldn't you kill for any one of those moments back. Now you're kind of relying on someone else which I think I think the Chargers can beat Baltimore

That's the out in LA Tough game for Baltimore, but as we've seen that defense is legit. So I'm not gonna count them out just yet, but Man, you said it two weeks ago It's all gonna boil up to this to this week 17 showdown with Andrew Luck and the Colts coming to town. That's just not a spot I want to be in. You know, Andrew Luck just terrifies Titans fans, rightfully so, never beat him before.

So, I don't know. If you want to dream a little bit, right now the Patriots have three seed. So the Titans sneak in and get that sixth seed. It's looking more and more like a trip to Foxborough would be on the dock again. And you know that game would probably go vastly, vastly different than it did earlier in the year. Yeah, you feel like, I don't know, I just feel like that's a good place for the Titans. Having beaten them the way they did earlier this year, I don't know, maybe, who knows.

But that's, you know, you've got to get in first and then just see how that plays out. The other thing that we were kind of, you know, the Titans still had an outside chance to win the AFC South. The Titans still had an outside chance to win the AFC South. If the Texans would have lost this weekend, there was still a chance they could finish 9-7. But that's pretty much at the window point. Yeah, like you said, it's looking back to the holding call that was a little bit of a phantom call on what would have been a long Derrick Henry run in Miami.

The Titans probably would have won that game. Think about Nick Williams dropping that pass, like you said. It's those types of things. It just seems like every year we kind of find ourselves in this situation. And listen, the Titans have been really bad in some weeks, too. I mean, they looked just hopeless. The Titans have been really bad in some weeks, too. I mean, they looked just hopeless.

They got beat handily by the Texans and the Colts in consecutive weeks. You know, when they could have, even just think about how much, how big it would have been if they would have won one of those games. So, you know, the Titans have had their chances to really put themselves in a good position, and they just haven't been able to do that. But, again again you know we're sitting here it's december 16th and we're still talking about pretty good chances that if they can win their final two games of making the playoffs um you know and with everything that's gone on this season the downs and injuries and new coaching staff and all that kind of stuff

uh you know i think it's pretty tough to complain about the situation that they're in and like i said earlier if they're starting to have an identity, if you're starting to find what's going to work for them, then even if it's not this year, you get a couple more pieces, you can build next year, and so you kind of feel, you at least feel good about the direction this franchise is moving in. I think I saw something a few minutes ago. It was like a 2% chance Titans could make the playoffs.

And, you know, you go back to the middle of the year, you would have taken that. Two games ago, you absolutely take that, considering where this team has been. Yeah, yeah. It's progressed well. They've taken business. You know, we had our doubts whether or not they could take care of these three games.

And they had their moment against the Jets. They found a way to win that one. Go out and take care of business today. And a pretty tough spot, what we thought was a tough spot. The Titans were still underdogs in Vegas as I was there. So proud of them. It wasn't a real fun game to watch. But on to the next one.

And they're still breathing. Yeah, that's the biggest thing. And like I said, I don't even care at this point. You know, we're complaining about how not fun they were to watch. At this point, I don't care as long as they win. And, you know, keep hope alive for another week. That's the name of the game here, and they were able to do that today. So anyway, we have a lot more on this game.

Hopefully we'll get some news tomorrow on the injuries to Sharif Finch and Logan Ryan. Obviously we won't get those from Mike Vrabel, but the national guys tend to have some insight on how things are going. So we'll keep you updated on that. Check out museummiracles.com between now and then. We'll have more on this game and everything that's going on playoff picture all that kind of stuff uh getting falls on twitter i'm at jay morris mcm terry's at t lambert sb so for terry this is jimmy saying thanks for

listening and we will talk to you again tomorrow