Notes from Titans -vs- Steelers - Defense

I have written extensively on how I thought the Titans defense was unfairly criticized and it was nice to see a game where my confidence is validated. The Titans were facing a banged up Steelers offensive line and the carnage continued as the defensive line wreaked havoc against them. With consistent pressure the secondary played well for the most part. So without further ado let's take a closer look.

More about the defensive line. It bears repeating again that the Titans have great rotation at defensive tackle and not so much at defensive end. Still, the group as a whole plays to the end of the whistle and every single guy on the line runs to the ball and you have to love that attitude.

Jurrell Casey is having an All Pro year and I will be devastated if he doesn't get the recognition he deserves.The guy is simply a beast and impossible to contain. When he is healthy the line plays at an entirely different level.

Rookie defensive tackle Mike Martin just gets better and better. He finished with 6 tackles, 2 solo, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 QB hit. Just an outstanding game from the rookie.

I thought Derrick Morgan had one of his better games as a Titan. He has definitely slimmed down from last year and looks to be recovered finally from his ACL injury. He and Kamerion Wimbley were incredibly active all game and made life generally miserable for Ben Roethlisberger. I know the Steelers offensive line was thin and got a lot thinner but I still think these guys are very good and are getting better as they play more snaps together as a line. He finished with 3 tackles, 2 solo, 1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss and a pass defended.

I especially think Kamerion Wimbley is getting more comfortable in the role he is now playing and I expect a breakout performance from him sooner rather than later. He is also one of the harder working guys on the team and he is always around the ball.

It was also great to see middle linebacker Colin McCarthy back on the field. He is most definitely the leader of this defense and as a unit they play more in sync when he is on the field. He played very well until roughly late in the 3rd quarter when you could see the toll from his ankle sprain begin to take effect. He clearly slowed down but was still overall effective. Let's hope he continues to recover as this defense needs him on the field. He finished with 8 tackles and 3 solo.

I really like Akeem Ayers and I think he can be a playmaker but you have to crawl before you can walk and he lacks focus on his fundamentals. He simply must tackle better. He is too talented a player to miss like he does. I was particularly disappointed in the spear and late hit that he got flagged for against the Steelers.

The transition from veteran Will Witherspoon to rookie Zach Brown at weak side linebacker appears to be complete and I paid particular attention to his performance and frankly I was impressed. He was quite good in coverage. I thought he did a particularly great job saving a touchdown in the endzone defending against Heath Miller. A tough assignment there for the rookie and he passed that test well. I would like to see him be a bit more physical but I am really liking what I see from the rookie. He finished with 4 tackles, 3 solo, and 1 pass defended.

I haven't written as much about cornerback Jason McCourty mostly because I thought he was playing well but could be playing better. I saw the performance I expected from him against the Steelers as I thought he particularly played well. His interception of a pass intended for Antonio Brown was just textbook and beautiful. He finished the game with 5 tackles, 2 solo, 2 passes defended and the interception.

If it seems like I am always talking about how great Jordan Babineaux is well you are probably right. He is great and one of my favorite players on this team. He is the hardest working player on this defense and it shows. Equally great in coverage and run defense he led the team in tackles with 9 tackles 7 of them solo.

Also, he didn't play much but Al Alfalava but he made just an outstanding defensive play in the endzone particularly since he doesn't play much and is a rookie to boot. I am definitely going to keep an eye on him.

One of the funniest moments in the game came when Robert Johnson whiffed on a tackle leading Jerry Gray to throw his headset.

LMAO

Lastly, Tim Shaw showed once again why he is so great on special teams and a captain. That blocked punt was just stellar, lead to a touchdown and probably won this game for the Titans. The special teams as a unit have played extremely well.

The Titans played a well balanced game and relatively penalty free game. It was the full team effort needed and a performance that can hopefully give the team a lot of confidence going into the remainder of the season.

P.S.

Since I already mentioned Jerry Gray let me say this is the best performance out of the coaching staff I have seen this season. The coaches in general seemed more animated and involved in the game and I think it showed in the overall performance. (Gratuitous photo's of Munch to follow)

Notes from Titans -vs- Steelers - Offense

Following a dismal performance against the Minnesota Vikings, the 1 and 5 Titans were forced to return back to Nashville on short week to face the Pittsburgh Steelers for Thursday Night Football. Not surprisingly, the Titans were labeled an underdog and little hope was given for a victory against a Steelers team with struggles of its own. Could the Titans offense get any semblance of a balanced game going? Would the real Chris Johnson please stand up? Let's take a look.

Matt Hasselbeck has struggled since replacing the injured Jake Locker but overall I think his performance Thursday night was good. He was 25 of 44 for 290 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Unfortunately for Hasselbeck, his wide receivers dropped several passes which should have been caught. If the ball hits you in the hands that is a ball you should catch. Kenny Britt was the prime offender but he wasn't alone.

The running game is definitely improved and Chris Johnson finished with respectable numbers. He ran for 91 yards on 19 carries with a 4.8 YPC. At times he is willing to hit the gap and earn the tough runs but he still dances around too much at times and his indecisiveness causes him to miss opportunities for longer runs. Still it is nice to see a much improved performance from him compared to last season.

With Javon Ringer still recovering from a knee injury, second year running back Jamie Harper was active and he made the most of his opportunities. While he only got 2 carries, one was a goal line situation and he showed his strength by powering through the Steelers defense to score a touchdown. He earned every single bit of it too.

I like Harper and hope to see more of him in the games to come.

Overall, I thought the offensive line did a good job blocking in the running game.

The offensive line still struggles to recognize and contain a 3/4 defensive scheme where the linebackers stunt and come through the gap from the opposite direction. The Titans struggled with this against the Texans and the Steelers used Lawrence Timmons very effectively to create havoc against the offensive line. Leroy Harris was his primary victim and Harris just doesn't seem to me to play as powerfully as he did when he first cracked the starting lineup.

He wasn't alone however.

The good news is that Chris Johnson and Jared Cook are both doing a much better job picking up their blocking assignments. They both still need some work there but i see marked improvement.

Taylor Thompson just gets better every game. He is also doing a great job blocking.

I really like the Titans wide receivers and they did appear to play with more fire and physicality against the Steelers but consistency is key and they simply need to be more consistent catching the football.

It's great to see Kenny Britt back on the field and he obviously is a difference maker but he simply cannot keep dropping passes.

Kendall Wright made an excellent decision to get out of bounds at the end of the first half to set up the Titans field goal. Unfortunately, he also dropped a pass that should have been caught.

After struggling in early games it was nice to see the Titans offense put forth such a balanced effort. The improvement can be seen most in the time of possession which was almost equal with the Steelers holding the ball 29:57 and the Titans 30:03. Let's hope this improvement carries into the remaining schedule.

The Recruiting Fix: Third Saturday in October style

I just wanted to say a few things about the game tomorrow. This game means everything to the players who play in it. This is why these guys signed up to play for Tennessee. Anyone expecting us to lay down for Alabama is going to be surprised. I think this team fights and goes toe-to-toe with Bama. It's a very important weekend for our players, our fans, and the many recruits who will show up this weekend.

On to the recruiting news.

Derrick Green will make the trip to Oxford, Miss. the weekend of Nov. 24 when Ole Miss hosts MSU. Green will also visit Auburn when they host Georgia. I'd look for any announcement from Green to take place after those visits.

2014 running back Jalen Hurd claims a top five of Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Florida and Vanderbilt. Surprising not to see Tennessee mentioned from a guy who supposedly grew up a Tennessee fan. Perhaps change on the Hill would change his mind.

Watch defensive back Khambrel Garland. He may be our next commitment. The staff likes him as a cornerback but he's had some off-the-field issues which may have affected his offer list. If the staff chooses to offer him, he will likely commit.

Marquez North is visiting this weekend for the Bama game. Is there a chance of him committing on his visit? Yes. I think there is.

Brent Hubbs said Tennessee will likely take 5 offensive linemen now. Reeve Kohler is said to be a silent and it would not surprise me if Derwin Gray is the 5^th lineman we take. He is still commmitted to Maryland but if his teammate Yanick Ngakoue commits to Tennessee there is a good chance Gray will follow.

On Ngakoue, Rivals seems to think he is leaning towards South Carolina. They still give the other schools on his list including Tennessee a shot but say they would feel good about it if they were on the South Carolina staff.

Naim Mustafaa is unofficially visiting Tennessee for the Bama game. He's likely a jack linebacker in the 3-4. Mustafaa is currently committed to Georgia.

Cornerback Marquez White will be not be visiting Tennessee for the Bama game. He will wait until after the season to take visits. He is currently committed to Florida State.

Cornerback Donald Gray says he has a top five of Ole Miss, Tennessee, USC, Alabama and LSU.

2014 WR Nicholas Ruffin enjoyed his visit to Tennessee recently. He says Tennessee is tied for second on his list with Florida State. They both trail Vandy.

Linebacker Jermaine Grace says he'll probably go to a Florida school to stay close to his mother.

"I don't want to be too far from her so I'll probably go to a Florida school," Grace said. "And I might go to Tennessee also. They're in it."

Toby Johnson still has Tennessee on the brain.

"I talk to coach Sal and coach Staley a lot. They just say how bad they need me and stuff," Johnson told Rivals. "They see me playing a little bit of everything, but mostly at the five-technique. But, also the four and the six," Johnson said. "I like it a lot because it makes me more valuable to the team and I'm an every down guy."

He says his coach is trying to set up a visit for him to see Tennessee officially. There are some other schools he mentions wanting to visit and he says he's still open to anybody, but as I have stated previously, I think he's Tennessee's to lose.

Tennessee got it's TE when Chantez Jackson committed to the Vols recently.

"I don't know too much. I know the basics. I know they run a double tight end, i-formation. They use their tight ends a lot," Jackson said. "Adidas sponsors them, that's about it." "I just like the way they operate. I like their offense. I like the way they use their tight ends. Everything about them is just an 'A' from me," Jackson told Rivals.

Jackson can't take visits until he takes his ACT on October 27.

Here is a list of the visitors for the Bama game compiled by OCI on the VolNation website. It's the most comprehensive list I've seen.

Official Visitors
5* Austin Nichols (basketball)
4* Marquez North
Unofficial/Unconfirmed Visitors
5* Carl Lawson (Auburn Commit)
5* Montravius Adams
4* Vonn Bell
4* A.J. Turman
4* Alvin Kamara
4* Jason Carr (UT commit)
4* Austin Sanders (UT commit)
4* Dee Liner (Auburn commit)
4* Naim Mustafaa (UGA commit)
4* Brendan Langley (USCe commit)
3* Jalen Reeves-Maybin (UT commit)
3* Marquez White (FSU commit)
3* Cameron Sutton (UT commit)
3* Brett Kendrick (UT commit)
3* Josh Smith (UT commit)
3* Dominic Zanca (UT commit)
3* Marcus Ball

3* Mario Mathis
NR Todd Kelly, Jr. (2014)
NR Elliott Berry (2014)
NR Evan Berry (2014)
NR Myles Autry (2014)
NR Nicholas Ruffin (2014)
NR Avery Edwards (2014)
NR Jalen Tabor (2014)
NR E.J. Moss (2014)
NR Josh Malone (2014)
NR Bryson Allen-Williams (2014)
NR Tyler Jones (2014)
NR Rico McGraw (2015) Unofficial/Unconfirmed Visitors
5* Carl Lawson
3* Brett Kendrick
3* Josh Smith
NR Todd Kelly, Jr. (2014)

Lawson will likely be coming and bringing his Auburn buddy/fellow commit Dee Liner with him.

That's it for now. Thanks for checking in and I hope to have enough news following the huge weekend to write another article for USC week. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Sabanocchio for up-to-date news on recruits.

Who Are These Vols? Vol-atile or Vol-tastic

The 2012 Tennessee Volunteers sit at 3-3 midway through the 2012 season and at this point I think it's fair to ask ourselves what this football team represents. The team that looked so promising early on in the season has gone 0-3 in conference play and the schedule doesn't really get any easier. The unranked Vols play at home Saturday for the proverbial "Third Weekend in October" Game versus consensus #1 ranked Alabama. The slaughter very well could be on as Bama must see blood in the water.

I really question at this point what this team is all about. At times this team has looked very electric and exciting. At other times it has looked like a team on the brink of implosion. I have blogged extensively on my view of individual and group play and I think it's time to take a good hard look at the coaching staff.

Third year coach Darek Dooley has yet to defeat a ranked opponent and his win percentage is subpar to say the least. There is no doubt he walked into a royal mess and had a dearth of talent in which to operate. There is also no doubt he had a challenge to face in changing a culture that needed a serious attitude adjustment. In that regard he has succeeded in my opinion and I certainly do think the program is once again pointed in the right direction.

I have been one of Dooley's staunchest defenders and I still think it was the right decision. I also still think Dooley needs 1 if not 2 more years to reorganize the program and make sure the directional changes aren't superficial and that the program is indeed on the upswing. Stability is not overrated and the Volunteer football program has been in dire need of stability, not only in regard to recruiting but in terms of the players and their college careers and possible professional careers.

Let's face it a revolving door in coaches can kill a player's chances of success and can really make or break a career unless the player is an incredible talent capable of surviving multiple coaches and different schemes. Do the Volunteers have such a player? At this point it is really hard to tell. The defensive players do not appear to be adjusting very well to the change from a 4/3 base defense to a 3/4 base defense. The offense is continuing to struggle at times.While the run game has improved Tyler Bray has regressed.

It's fair at this point to ask whether these struggles are really all the player's fault. The change in defense may ultimately work out but the transition has been brutal at times and comes at a time when this team needs to win. The fanbase is calling for the coaches head and is just plain tired of losing. How the "powers that be" feel about the situation remains to be seen but clearly they must want the win percentage to improve sooner rather than later.

Ultimately the question boils down to whether Dooley is a good coach. I think the jury is still out if you will pardon the lawyer joke. The coaching staff in general makes head scratching mistakes like not being able to count players or get in the right scheme at crucial points. That this is still an issue is concerning. We also seem to have a remarkable inability to capitalize on opportune situations.

For the record I like this coaching staff and I think first year defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri could make the new defensive scheme successful. Yet I still question the change and we make no effort to try and adjust to make the transition easier for the players. I also like Jim Chaney but like the defense his offense seems to have regressed. Regression is not a sign of a good coaching staff. Nor is undisciplined play and we have amazing moments of lack of discipline.

Ultimately what the fans think or want will not matter. What exactly do the money people think? This writer certainly doesn't know. I doubt they are happy with losing either but do they think Dooley is the right guy? How much time are they willing to give Dooley and company to prove themselves? Only time will tell.

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.