Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans FIRE Craig Aukerman, Jeffery Simmons & Derrick Henry Injury News & Jaelyn Duncan Review

Episode Date: December 4, 2023

The Tennessee Titans fired special teams coach Craig Aukerman on Monday after a disaster performance against the Colts. This may inspire hope in Mike Vrabel as the head coach, but there are still major concerns. Next, we got injury updates on Derrick Henry, Jeffery Simmons and Ryan Stonehouse. Some is good, some is bad, but Simmons shouldn't play the rest of the season. Finally, Jaelyn Duncan has now started two games at left tackle and it is clear from the film he is not an answer on the 2024 offensive line.Follow 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!DoorDashGet 50% off up to $10 value when you spend $15 or more on your FIRST order, when you download the DoorDash app and enter code LOCKED23. Subject to change. Terms apply.Skylight FrameSkylight is a touchscreen photo frame you can send photos to straight from your phone! Get $15 off a Skylight Frame at Skylightframe.com/Lockedon.BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month.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.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.Jase MedicalGet $20 off these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! 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

The Tennessee Titans fired special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, but I'm still worried about Mike Vrabel. I'll explain why 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. 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. Today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. We got a lot to talk about on today's show. The Tennessee Titans fire special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, but I'm still concerned about Mike Vrabel leading this team in the future. We also got injury updates on the Titans' best three players,

Jeffrey Simmons, Derrick Henry, and Ryan Stonehouse. We'll talk about all three of those guys. And after watching the tape of Sunday's game against the Colts, Jalen Duncan is not an answer at offensive tackle. We're going to talk about all of that. Before we get into it, thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round

on all apps and always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. So make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the Locked on Titans podcast. And shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Tomorrow is What's Next Wednesday.

I'm going to look at the roster and tell you which players I think should be back on the team next year. Thursday is crossover Thursday for that Dolphins game. Friday, we'll take a look at things around the NFL. And then Monday, I'll have a preview of Monday night's game against the Dolphins. So make sure you stick around for all the great content I have coming your way for free here on the Locked on Titans podcast. But with that being said, the Tennessee Titans fired Craig Aukerman, special teams coordinator.

He was with the Titans in 2017 before Vrabel. He was kept on by Vrabel. Aukerman ran the special teams unit without an official title for that. And then 2019 was elevated to the special teams coordinator. And he's held that position until Monday when he was let go of his duties. And he had to be fired. It was an absolute disaster for the Titans. The Titans special teams unit lost them the game yesterday.

Period. Far and away more than the defense or the offense. They won those games. It was the special teams. Two blocked punts and I know one was changed to a fumble. Those were two blocked punts for the first time since the year I was born, 1991. The Titans missed an extra point. They should have won the game in regulation. And Ryan Tannehill even said that they hadn't practiced that for a couple of weeks during special teams

period in practice. Why isn't the backup holder working on holding the football? Huh? What are you doing? Not only that, but the Titans allowed a 30-plus yard kickoff return, and during those two punt blocks, Craig Aukerman got Ryan Stonehouse hurt. So on the first punt block, the Colts lined up four guys to the right-hand side of the Titans' punt block unit, and the Titans were entirely outmanned.

All right? That's a schematic win. The Titans weren't ready for it. The Colts told something on tape. Good job. But the second time, the Titans didn't adjust at all. And it happened again. And now, Ryan Stonehouse is severely injured. And remember, I'm going to give you updates on Jeffrey Simmons,

Derrick Henry, and Ryan Stonehouse in our next topic. But right now, what I really want to dive into is this decision. And Ackerman needed to be fired. My everydayers will remember. I have been saying for weeks now, when was the last time the Titans special teams unit won them a game? When was the last time the Titans had a good kickoff for punt returner? When was the last time the Titans had a great kicker before Nick Folk?

I mean, for years, Bullock stabilized things a little bit, but for years during Craig Aukerman's run, they couldn't find a kicker. They couldn't develop a kicker. All these young kickers, Caleb Shudick and Trey Wolfe, and the Titans have brought in over and over. None of these kickers have developed at all under Aukerman. The Titans blocked a couple kicks in 2018.

The Titans had some moments with Ryan Stonehouse as punter. But when has the Titans special teams unit been something that sways the game in their favor? Never under Craig Aukerman. Never. So how could this man keep a job?

All right. Tom Quinn will be replacing him. Quinn was a special teams coordinator for the Giants from 2006 to 2021, and a name to watch underneath Tom Quinn. This offseason, the Titans hired Quinn, probably because they planned on replacing Aukerman with him if things went bad. And then Anthony Levine, who just played in the NFL a couple years ago, was a special teams assistant for the Ravens who the Titans poached over.

And Anthony Levine could be a guy the Titans elevate going forward but forget all that my whole point here is are you certain about Mike Vrabel because we continue to see reasons to wonder Mike Vrabel needs elite coordinators on the schematic side of the ball I keep

for years now I have compared Mike Vrabel to John Harbaugh. Harbaugh was a special teams coach who was a great CEO of a team, a great leader of not only coaches but players. He has a great understanding for game management. John Harbaugh is who Mike Vrabel wants to be when he grows up. And John Harbaugh is smart enough to realize

I need excellent schematic coordinators on offense and defense that allow me, and special teams, that allow me to just be a CEO and a leader of men. Mike Vrabel is not a good schematic coach. We've seen it when he was the DC in Houston. He was terrible when he didn't appoint a defensive coordinator in 2020. They were terrible. He took over play callingcalling responsibilities for Dean Pease at halftime of the 2019 AFC Championship game, and the defense fell off in the second half. Mike Vrabel is not a good schematic coach.

He is a leader of men. He is a CEO. He is a good manager of coaches. But look at it. Mike Vrabel hired Matt LaFleur and Dean Pease when he got hired as the head coach. Rookie head coach, had to hire good coordinators with good talent and good reputations.

Since then, Shane Bowen, whose only good years came with Brown's defensive coordinator. Oh my God, are you kidding me? Jim Schwartz. So without Jim Schwartz in the two years that we've seen Shane Bowen, he's been terrible. The defense has not been good. The pressure has not been there like it was in 2021. In 2022.

2020. 2023. Not good. Shane Bowen. Mike Vrabel higher. Todd Downing. One of the worst offensive coordinators this team has ever had. Kept his job for two years.

Mike Vrabel. Craig Aukerman. Kept his job. Like, if Mike Vrabel is going to be a successful coach, he has to surround himself with elite schematic coordinators. And that is going to require not being loyal to some of these guys who you've been loyal to.

Not giving a guy like Todd Downing two years. Look at John Harbaugh again. It wasn't going right for Baltimore the last years. Harbaugh again. It wasn't going right for Baltimore the last years. Harbaugh immediately pivoted. He hired Todd Monken from Georgia as the offensive coordinator, and he hired Mike McDaniel, McDonald, Mike McDonald, from Michigan.

And the Ravens' defense is better. The Ravens' offense is better. The Ravens look like the best team in the AFC. So, in my mind, you look at the NFL, the last four out of six Super Bowl winners, offensive coaches, the only two who weren't, Bill Belichick is one of those guys. You look at the playoff teams right now.

Look at the 14 playoff teams right now for the NFL. 12 out of 14 are run by offensive coaches. So you look at the trend in the NFL of success with offensive coaches. You look at a young team with the Titans. You look at Mike Vrabel,

who has to be... Mike Vrabel who has to be, Mike Vrabel, shout out to Will Lomas. He said, Mike Vrabel is the Ryan Tannehill of coaches. Everything around him has to be great and he can be great. But if everything around him isn't great, he's not going to lift those people up. That is such a great comparison.

And John Harbaugh is a guy who is an example of a Mike V Rabel type coach that can work, but it only works if that coach has the self-awareness to surround himself with excellent schematic coaches. Does Mike Rabel have too big of an ego to realize that about himself and to do it? A lot of people are hoping this Craig Aukerman move is a sign in the right direction for Mike Vrabel having that self-awareness. I'm still not convinced. And again, when you look around the rest of the NFL and you see the success that offensive coaches are having,

it just, it gets harder and harder to make the case that Vrabel is the guy to lead the Titans back to prominence or lead the Titans back to being one of the better teams in the NFL. He's done it before when he had a good roster and he had good coordinators that were already there, really, other than Dean Pease. I mean, Arthur Smith had been around, so it's not like, you know, although he did have the gumption to hire him and elevate him, but I'm just saying, there are reasons to doubt Mike Vrabel here, even with this move to fire Craig Aukerman. But with that being said, I want to talk about injury updates

because the Titans may be three best players. We're all injured on Sunday, so I'm going to update you guys on their status. Before we do that, though, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. GameTime is the best place to buy tickets, period. I always buy my tickets on GameTime. Basketball, baseball, football, doesn't matter. They're going to have great deals for you. They have all-in prices, so you're not confused about what you're actually going to pay for your seat. They have views from

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Talking about all the news that came out on Monday surrounding the Titans. Normally, my everydayers know that we do a Tic Tac Tuesday here and talk solely about the film. But when a coach gets fired, when there's injury updates on the best players, do have to pivot. And that's what I'm always going to do here on the Locked On Titans podcast. I'm going to pivot to what's most important to you. That is what we talk about every day here on the Locked On Titans podcast. So thank you for making the Locked On Titans podcast your first listen each and every day.

Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. Also want to let you know that Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. Also want to let you know that Locked on has launched the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube. Locked on Sports Today is here for you 24-7 covering the top sports stories of the day with local experts from Locked on like me, plus other national shows covering every single league like Locked on NFL, which I do every Thursday. Go to Locked On Sports today on YouTube and subscribe to the first ever National Sports 24-7 streaming channel.

Be a part of history. But the biggest injury update of the day comes for Jeffrey Simmons. And it appears, according to reports and based on what Mike Vrabel had to say on Monday, Jeffrey Simmons has avoided major injury. Jeffrey Simmons is not out for the rest of the season. It's not a significant injury that will require immediate surgery, all that. So all those concerns can be put to rest.

But Mike Vrabel did say that Simmons will be out a couple of weeks and that he will not be playing on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins. It is a right knee issue, so not the ankle that he had last year. And his left knee was the knee that he injured in workouts before the draft, the left ACL tear. So shouldn't be any worry long-term for Jeffrey Simmons. But I say all that to say this.

Do not, do not put Jeffrey Simmons back out on the football field this year. Do not. Okay? The Titans will lose to the Miami Dolphins. Alright? And even if they, for some reason, win, the Titans have eight losses. They are not making the playoffs. They are not making the playoffs.

They're not making the playoffs. Do not put Jeffrey Simmons back out on that football field. Imagine if you put Simmons out there for the last two weeks of the year. Let's say he comes back in a couple of weeks. He plays the Houston game, the Seahawks game, and then the Jags game. If he hurts his knee even worse and for some reason is out for next season, look at what you've done in a season that doesn't matter anymore. This season is over when it comes to winning football. It would be better

for the Titans if they lost every single game the rest of the way and then use their $100 million in cap space and use their eight draft picks to go make moves and make the roster actually competitive next year. You will not be competitive next year without Jeffrey Simmons. Do not risk his long-term health on a couple of bullcrap wins at the end of the year. If Simmons' injury is so bad that he needs to miss a couple of bull crap wins at the end of the year. If Simmons injury is so bad that he needs to miss a couple of weeks, he should not play the rest of the season.

The Titans have five games left. He misses two or three games. What are we doing bringing him back at the end of the year? So Simmons is out this week. He should be out a couple of weeks. And in my opinion, he should be out a couple of weeks and in my opinion he should be out the rest of the season and there are some people

and I think it's mindless but there are some people who say he's making a hundred million dollars if he's healthy enough to play he should play but do you care about squeezing every bit of juice out of your employees that you possibly can or do you care about winning football games next year?

This is not a regular business. This is not an Amazon warehouse where if a guy takes an extra smoke break, he's ripping off Jeff Bezos, which you're seeing my opinion on that anyways, which is nonsense. So I don't care if Jeffrey Simmons is going to make, what,

$5 million of his salary to not play the last five games of the year. I care about winning football games, not the owner getting banged for their buck. What do we really care about here as fans? So, get that opinion and pushback nonsense out of here, in my opinion. Moving forward, Derrick Henry. This is one of the funniest things of the day. Derrick Henry, not in concussion protocol,

according to Mike Vrabel, not concussed. Adam Schefter, ESPN's Adam Schefter, tweeted on Monday morning that Derrick Henry was in concussion protocol and his status for Monday night's game against the Dolphins was in jeopardy. Mike Rabel goes out there and says, no, he's not. We tested him on Sunday night. We tested him on Monday morning.

He's not in concussion protocol. He worked out on Monday morning. He's looking like he's ready to play. Again, this to me is one of the funny media relation stories with the Titans that are off the beaten path that I really love. The Titans hate Adam Schefter. Do you remember when Derrick Henry broke his foot and Adam Schefter reported that Henry was done for the season?

Out for the season, done, not coming back, blah, blah, blah. But Ian Rappaport and Diana Rossini were like, Derrick Henry is going to be out for a while. He may potentially return at the end of the year, though. He could be back for a playoff run. All that stuff. It's obvious. Mike Vrabel talks to Diana Rossini.

Grant Carthon talks to Ian Rappaport from NFL Network. And they don't give any information to Adam Schefter. So when information from Adam Schefter comes out, they know it's nonsense. They don't give any information to Adam Schefter. So when information from Adam Schefter comes out, they know it's nonsense. And I wouldn't even be surprised if the Titans leak some information around the building and then use Adam Schefter reporting it as a way to figure out who they can't trust in the organization.

I wouldn't even put that past the Titans in this circumstance. They do not give their information to Adam Schefter. They don't. So that was hilarious to watch Schefter, and Schefter left a tweet up to watch Schefter report that Henry was in concussion protocol and probably out for the week. And then literally two hours later, Mike Vrabel says no, and Rappaport says no.

I mean, it's just hilarious to me. If you can't find comedy in that in the middle of this season, I don't know what you're doing. But finally, talk about Ryan Stonehouse. Stonehouse is out for the season. He will have surgery. And I think that if Ryan Stonehouse

didn't get hurt and wasn't out for the year and everything else happened exactly the same, I don't think that Craig Aukerman is fired today. I don't. I think Mike Vrabel only did it because he had to. I think he had to. I think ownership was like, that was an embarrassment. You got the best punter in the NFL hurt having a major surgery.

Some heads have to roll here. So if Stonehouse didn't get hurt on that play, I don't think that Aukerman's fired. I think it forced Mike Vrabel's hand and he wouldn't have done it anyway. Which goes back to, episode comes full circle, my concerns about Mike Vrabel long term. Okay? The Titans need a creator.

They need an innovator to develop this young team into what it needs to be. I don't know if Mike Vrabel's that guy. And I don't know if he's going to hire the right coaches and keep the right coaches around to develop those young players. It's fair to ask that question. Blind support on Mike Vrabel is out the window for me. We're here to ask questions

and cast doubt, alright? But with that being said, I'm going to continue to cast doubt. And those of you guys who got way too excited about Jalen Duncan and started thinking that he might be an answer at offensive tackle the rest of the way, you fooled yourselves. Alright, so let's talk about it. Before we do though, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode

is brought to you by Jace Medical. Okay, so I know that we come to sports to escape from some of the crazy realities of real life, but can we just talk for a minute about preparing for real life? According to the FDA, pharmacies are running out of antibiotics like amoxicillin right in the middle of the worst flu season in over a decade. That is scary. I can't imagine a more helpless feeling than, you know, my fiance

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Go to JaceMedical.com. Make sure you use the code LOCKEDON to get $20 off your order. Again, go to JaceMedical.com and use the code LOCKEDON to get $20 off your order. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about the Craig Aukerman situation with him getting fired and why it's just another reminder that I'm worried about Mike Vrabel long term. We talked about the injury updates to Jeffrey Simmons, Derek Henry, Ryan Stonehouse, and Jeffrey Simmons should not play the rest of the season.

Be smart, Titans. Now I want to talk about Jalen Duncan because I said this last week and my everydayers will probably remember when we went over the film there. Jalen Duncan should not be on the starting offensive line next year. Period. Now, before I get into why

and why we saw that again on Sunday, I do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first to 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. It's your team every day.

So, Duncan was, I mean, it was bad against the Colts. He was terrible. And look, I know the immediate pushback. He's a rookie.

Of course he's not going to play well. Well, I'm sorry, but there are late-round rookie offensive linemen who come in in their rookie season and still look better than Jalen Duncan. And regardless of that, the way that Jalen Duncan looks now, the amount that he would have to develop by next season to even be in consideration to be a starter is impossible. There is no way that Jalen Duncan is going to go from what we saw on Sunday to a good starting offensive lineman next year.

Maybe 2025. I'm not going to sit up here and tell you that he'll never be a starting offensive lineman in the NFL. I'm not going to do that. But it's not going to be next year. And Titans fans need to have higher standards of what they expect from this offensive line next year. Okay?

Jalen Duncan gave up three sacks and nine pressures. He got whooped in pass protection. Whooped in pass protection. Like, inconceivable. For people who care about pro football focus grades, he had a 37.2 pass blocking grade. 37.2. He was better in run blocking. No doubt he was better in run blocking. doubt he was better in run blocking he had some good moments

climbed up to the second level on a backer couple double teams he had some moments but it still wasn't consistent enough it still wasn't good enough and it's not enough to make me think he could be a starting offensive lineman next year. If you want this

offensive line to be better, you do not want Jalen Duncan or again, Dylan Radins. Maybe Radins can get better. He was a stud in run blocking, but the whole offensive line was really good in run blocking against the Colts. The Colts have a terrible run blocking or run defense. And our Brewer was nasty in run blocking. Dylan Brewer was nasty in run blocking. Dylan Radins was disgusting in run blocking. They were great. So maybe, maybe Radins. But come on, y'all.

Come on. Like, Jalen Duncan should just be the new NPF. He should be the new developmental young offensive tackle. Next year, Dylan Radins should get a chance to compete at right guard and right tackle, but he shouldn't be the penned-in starter. And Jalen Duncan certainly shouldn't. He should be the Titans' primary backup left tackle.

And if Radin kicks into right tackle, then Jalen Duncan can be the swing tackle, the number one backup. Like, that's his role. The Titans need to draft a left tackle high in the draft, first round. The Titans need to add a veteran offensive tackle in free agency. I don't think they need to spend big-time money, but a mid-tier, you know, like Chris Hubbard's situation, right? The Titans need to add new blood here. I know, here's what happens, in my opinion.

It's happened with Kyle Phillips, it's happened with Traylon Burks. It happens to me, but it happens to me less than it happens to your average Titans fan, just because I'm a pessimistic person in nature, which my everydayers know. But you have to be really, really smelling yourself to think that Duncan or Radins should be on the starting offensive line next year. Like, you have to be in a position of complete homerism to think that Titans players will develop that much.

Like, we all sit here and talk every week about how bad the roster is, and then people are like, yeah, well, you know, the offensive line next year, let's have a starting offensive tackle that's on the roster. When we talk about how the Titans have the worst offensive tackles in the NFL every single week, and yet you want to use one of these offensive tackles on next year's offensive line? Like, it's crazy to me.

So, look, I don't want to tell you that Jalen Duncan will never be a good player. All I'm telling you is he is not the answer if the question is who should start at right tackle or left tackle next year for the Titans. Those players are not on this roster. So don't trick yourself into thinking that they are. Okay? That's all that it comes down to.

But with that being said, that is going to do it for today's show. We talked about the Craig Aukerman news, my concerns about Mike Rabel, injury updates, Jalen Duncan's performance against the Colts. I mean, big episode, Strong episode.

It was a crazy Sunday into an even crazier Monday for the Titans. Maybe a crazy Tuesday as well. Either way, I'll be back with you guys tomorrow to break all that down. But with that being said, that is going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host,

Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.