Notes from Titans vs Texans - Defense

The Titans defense has come under fire in the first quarter of the season based in large part on its standings in the league and the fact that it has given up a lot of points. I maintain the defense is better than advertised and I remain convinced the defense overall played well and did not lose this game. However, there are some issues so let's take a look at how it fared.

The first drive of the game was definitely concerning. There is good pressure on the first play from scrimmage but the dirty plays start as well. Wimbley gets good pressure on Matt Shaub but unfortunately we have a a big spot spot in the secondary.

Wimbley pressures Shaub

The first drive was crossing  pattern to Andre Johnson over the middle, crossing pattern to AJ over the middle, Foster right tackle, Foster left end, and then James Casey crossing pattern over the middle who ran through 3 Titans and in for the touchdown. It was Casey’s first TD of the season. It was a 7 play 77 yard drive that took 3:19 to complete.

The Texans continued to exploit that soft spot between our linebackers and the defensive backfield the entire game.

I have written a lot about the defensive line and how I think they are playing better than advertised and I continue to think so. Jurrell Casey is having an outstanding season and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves.  Sen'Derrick Marks was really active this game and I noticed him several times running to the ball in the secondary. Mike Martin is also playing really well. Once again, the starting defensive ends played the majority of the snaps and there wasn't a lot of rotation. Pressure was sometimes limited on Shaub but it was there at times. Additionally, the lineman had to watch for Texans players diving at their feet like the following.

I really like our linebackers but collectively the group struggled in coverage and Akeem Ayers had his worst day as a Titan in coverage against the Texans. While he did make a few great plays it just wasn't a  great performance. 

Veteran Will Witherspoon who is usually a sure tackler missed a tackle at 6:00 minutes to play in the 2^nd quarter and was replaced by Zach Diles who got the bulk of the snaps from that point on. I don't have access to snap counts but I don't recall seeing Witherspoon on defense at all in the second half.
Zach Diles I thought played really well. He plays with a lot of intensity and energy. Zach Brown shows his speed at times but he also shows that he is a rookie. He got completely taken out of this play.

I love Alterraun Verner's game. He is not afraid to challenge a receiver and is excellent in coverage as well as the run game. Jordan Babineaux is just a great player and one of the hardest working guys on the team whether he is on special teams or on defense. With the exception of one missed tackle he had just an excellent game. He made a crucial stop against Owen Daniel in the 3^rd quarter to force a punt. Michael Griffin just has to tackle better. He did get to Shaub on a safety blitz but Shaub was able to get the pass off. 

On special teams coverage Tommie Campbell has to stop doing dumb stuff. First he blocks a Texan into Darius Reynaud causing him to fumble and then he tries to tackle Beau Brinkley later who was downing the football. Unless he knocks that off he is never going to see playing time on the defense.  

With the exception of the first return of the game when Robert Johnson whiffs on a tackle, we held Trinidon Holliday in check. Brett Kern had a really nice game punting and Rob Bironas returned to form. 

Overall, the defense I thought played much better than credited. As a unit it gave up 24 points which isn't terrible and should be enough to win games. The score is still 14 to 7 until the first pick six by the offense. The Titans defense doesn't give up a scoring play in the 2nd quarter and doesn't give up another score until late in the third quarter.

Tackling is a big issue that everyone for the most part needs to work on but there are a lot of things to like about this group. This defense never stops fighting and effort is never at issue which is a huge break from the past and nice to see.

Former Vols in the NFL

For those interested here is a list of all former Tennessee Volunteers who currently play in the National Football League:

Jason Allen - Cincinnati Bengals – Corner Back - 7th Year

Robert Ayers - Denver Broncos – Defensive End -  4th Year

Eric Berry - Kansas City Chiefs - Safety  - 3rd Year

Kevin Burnett - Miami Dolphins – Linebacker - 8th Year

Chad Clifton - Green Bay Packers - Tackle - 13th Year

Britton Colquitt - Denver Broncos – Punter -  4th Year

Dustin Colquitt - Kansas City Chiefs – Punter - 8th Year

Morgan Cox - Baltimore Ravens – Long snapper - 3rd Year

Jonathan Crompton - Washington Redskins – Quarterback - 2nd Year

Arian Foster - Houston Texans – Running Back -  4th Year

Ramon Foster - Pittsburgh Steelers – Offensive Tackle - 4th Year

Aubrayo Franklin - San Diego Chargers – Defensive Tackle - 10th Year

Omar Gaither - Houston Texans – Linebacker - 7th Year

Jabari Greer - New Orleans Saints – Defensive back - 9th Yea

Nick Guess , San Diego Chargers , Long Snapper - Rookie

Parys Haralson - San Francisco 49ers – Linebacker - 7th Year

Malik Jackson –Denver Broncos - Defensive End - Rookie

Montario Hardesty , Cleveland Browns , Running Back - 3rd Year

Peyton Manning - Denver Broncos – Quarterback - 15th Year

Jerod Mayo - New England Patriots – Linebacker - 5th Year

Turk McBride - New Orleans Saints – Defensive End - 7th Year

Jacques McClendon , Detroit Lions , Offensive Guard - 3rd Year

Tony McDaniel - Miami Dolphins – Defensive Tackle - 7th Year

Robert Meachem - San Diego Chargers – Wide Receiver - 6th Year

Marvin Mitchell - Minnesota Vikings – Linebacker – 5^th year 

Denarius Moore - Oakland Raiders – Wide Receiver - 2nd Year

Tauren Poole –Running Back - Carolina Panthers - Rookie

Chris Scott - Pittsburgh Steelers – Offensive Tackle -  3rd Year

Jarrod Shaw - Cleveland Browns – Offensive Line -  2nd Year

Matt Simms – Wide Receiver - New York Jets - Rookie

Donte' Stallworth - New England Patriots - WR - 10th Year

Jonathan Wade - Miami Dolphins – Defensive Back - 6th Year

Scott Wells - St. Louis Rams – Center - 9th Year

Dan Williams - Arizona Cardinals – Defensive Tackle - 3rd Year

Jason Witten - Dallas Cowboys – Tight End - 10th Year

One Will Shoulder the Load

From left to right, runningbacks LaMarcus Coker, Arian Foster, and Montario Hardesty

There were many concerns for the Volunteer Nation headed into fall practice. Who is going to step up and be the guy at right tackle, which of the new receivers is going to separate himself from the rest and demand a starting spot? The only thing, it seemed, that wasn't a concern was whether or not there would be enough talent at the running back position.

LaMarcus Coker had just come off a year which saw him run for nearly 700 yards and scoring 5 touchdowns while not even starting most games, not playing at all in many of the early games, I would add, and averaging a healthy 6.4 yards per carry.

Montatio Hardesty would be one year removed from a severe knee injury that clearly hampered him in 2006, and fresher than ever.

And Arian Foster had been getting all kinds of praise throughout the Spring, gaining many hoorahs from the coaching staff and Phillip Fulmer in particular for his effort, his work ethic, and his determination to excel. Many speculated that the praise rained on Foster was intended to motivate the younger, and more prone to mishap, Coker. Speculation which looks all the more founded considering the situation Coker now finds himself in.

Just before Fall practice began Fulmer announced the indefinite suspension of LaMarcus Coker for a violation of team policy. Inside information has revealed that most likely a drug test discovered marijuana in his system. He has been ordered to rehab and his return to the team is conditional and the length of his absence indeterminable.

So the weight then falls on the two aforementioned backs and true Freshmen to try and make up for the loss of Coker. No small task to say the least. But I am of the opinion that the third running back is going to see very few carries by the time it is all said and done for one key reason: Arian Foster is perfectly poised to have a break-out year.

Foster is the prototypical NFL rusher at 6'1" and 225 lb.s and he has proven that he can be durable.

After taking over the starting position in 2005 for the injured Gerald Riggs, Foster proceeded to run for nearly 150 yards each of the last five games and looked like the next great thing at running back at the University of Tennessee.

He was a preseason second-team All-SEC pick coming into 2006 but he injured his ankle in the second game of the year against Air Force and was plagued by the injury for several weeks afterward. He finally regained his form in the Outback Bowl vs. Penn State only to fumble on a key drive at the opponents 12-yard line in a 10-10 tie. The Nittany Lion's Tony Davis recovered the fumble and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown. Penn State won the game 20-10.

After the game Foster said "I feel like I let my team, the coaching staff, and everybody that came on this trip down. I put it on my shoulders. It's going to be a chip on my shoulder for next year." Exactly the reaction you would want from a player with Foster's up-side and he is staying true to his word.

Instead of hanging his head Foster has used the game as motivation and is more determined than ever to play at a superstar level in 2007. He has a picture of the ill-fated fumble that he keeps in his locker and looks at each time he leaves for practice for motivation.

"I don't remember working this hard in the off-season." Foster has said. "I worked myself to death this season. Last year was tough. I'm over that. That's the past, and I'm just ready to kick it into gear and go to California."

One of the factors that has me convinced Foster is back to his 2005 form and is going to be a featured back is that, despite Coker playing extremely well last year and despite his big-play potential, he couldn’t beat out Foster in the spring. Foster cemented himself first on the depth chart with an impressive showing in the Spring game when he rushed for 63 yards on eight tries.

“This is why he’s No. 1,” Cutcliffe said. “He runs the football well. He breaks tackles. He’s got enough moves to make you miss.

“He’s a heckuva pass protector and a heckuva receiver. That’s what you are looking for in an every-down back.”

Don't be surprised to see this year's Vol team resemble teams of old when they would hand the ball off almost every play, demonstratively driving down the field in a dominant fashion. Foster is the perfect fit for David Cutcliffe's offense and he will be a star in the 2007 season.

On an interesting note, Arian Foster did not give himself any credit whatsoever for the 63 yard performance in the Spring game. So was it his offensive line he credited? Was it the lead blocking of the H-backs? None of the above. It was all Spencer Douglas according to Foster.

"I'm Spencer Douglas. There ain't no Arian here. I changed my name about two weeks ago. I just changed it.” It seems he has adopted an alter-ego akin to Clinton Portis' noted role-playing.

When asked after the spring game where he thought the offense was right now, Douglas replied “They're probably in the locker room because we just had a spring game.”

A Tribute to Arian Foster