Winners and Losers from the Titans preseason loss to the Bucs
Tennessee Titans/Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans kicked off the preseason with a 29-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I’m just gonna be completely honest: There aren’t many positives from this game for the Titans. The run defense was completely atrocious, Kyle Trask carved the secondary apart in the first half, and the offense was putrid after the starters exited the game, especially the quarterbacks (Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle).
That said, let’s go over the winners and losers from Tennessee’s opening preseason game.
Written by Dharya Sharma
Founder/Owner of SharmSports. NFL contributor at The Sporting News
Winners: Titans starting offensive line
Let’s start with a positive. The Titans’ starting offensive line played just two drives, but they were fantastic. The unit didn’t give up a single quarterback pressure, per PFF, and gave rookie quarterback Cam Ward adequate time to operate on nearly every dropback.
After seeing abysmal pass protection over the last few years, it’s super refreshing to see competency in that department. Yes, Tennessee was going against the Bucs’ backups on the defensive line, but we can still be excited about the starting offensive line’s performance.
I mean, LOOK AT THE PROTECTION ON THIS PLAY:
Winners: Running backs Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings
MORE POSITIVES!! Chestnut and Mullings were pretty good on Saturday. Chestnut only got three carries for 18 yards, but added a reception for eight yards.
Mullings was incredibly impressive, rushing for an efficient 33 yards on seven carries. The Michigan product ran with power and was one of the bright spots of the second half.
If Tyjae Spears, who left in a cart in the second quarter, misses significant time, the battle for RB2 between Chestnut and Mullings will be interesting.
Losers: The run defense
Gonna have to group the entire defense for this one because it was that bad.
The Bucs rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 4.2 yards per carry, and the third and fourth string defenses were nearly unwatchable.
We already knew the depth on this team wasn’t great, but I didn’t know it was this bad.
Winner: Linebacker James Williams
James Williams has basically locked up the starting linebacker role next to Cody Barton. The Miami product’s aggressive playstyle is a perfect fit in Dennard Wilson’s defense.
Williams led the team in tackles with seven and also had a tackle for loss. The young linebacker started the game with a vicious hit on kickoff, showcasing his value on special teams as well.
Losers: Any quarterback not named Cam Ward
Brandon Allen was BAD, but Tim Boyle was another level of BAD on Saturday. Allen tossed an interception, while Boyle tossed two, including a pick-six. Both struggled to sustain drives.
Boyle didn’t even complete a pass until the final three minutes of the game. He finished the game with a 0.6 PASSER RATING (Allen wasn’t much better with a 30.6 rating).
Long story short, the Titans’ quarterbacks not named Cam Ward SUCK. This team has a problem.
Losers: Xavier Restrepo and Josh Whyle
Restrepo and Whyle have incredibly uphill battles to make this roster. Both players didn’t enter the game until late in the third quarter, with Restrepo taking his first offensive snap in the fourth quarter.
Practice squad seems like the end result for Restrepo and Whyle.
Other Winners: Cam Ward, Calvin Ridley, Jackson Slater
Other Losers: Johnny Hekker, Elic Aymanor (Wasn’t really his fault)
