What Stood Out In The Tennessee Titans’ Week 2 Preseason Win

NASHVILLE – The Titans entered the second week of preseason play after a tough win under their belt against the San Francisco 49ers in week one. In week two, they hosted another NFC West opponent, the Seattle Seahawks after a week of joint practices.

Neither team played any starters in their second week of action, giving the second and third string players a chance to build their cases for roster spots. Malik Willis and Sam Howell were the starting quarterbacks for their respective teams.

 

Overview

The Tennessee Titans’ backup quarterback battle was at an all-time high on Saturday.

Malik Willis lead five drives in the game. He ended his night 12-16 for 116 yards and an interception. He added four carries for 30 yards on the night. Rudolph went 10-17 for 125 yards and a touchdown, also adding four carries for 38 yards.

The team struggled with penalties the entire night after a relatively clean game in week one. The team had 10 penalties for 90 yards in the game. The penalties were mostly holding and false starts that put the them behind the sticks in some crucial situations.

On the brighter side of things, a couple of rookies had very solid performances. Linebacker Jaylen Harrell, wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson and tight end David Martin-Robinson all played very well and made a good impression on the coaching staff. With roster spots at a premium, these rookies have made the staff’s job that much harder when it come to roster cuts.

 

Positives:

Tennessee shined another week in the red zone, scoring on 50% (1-2) of their trips. They also competed 22 of 33 passes (66%) as a team.

Getting contributions from rookie wide receivers helped Tennessee in this game, totaling 14 receptions on 18 targets (77%) for 141 yards. UDFA David Martin-Robinson was second on the team for a consecutive week with three receptions for 38 yards after a two-reception, 30-yard performance last week.

Harrell, Caleb Murphy and Isaiah Iton all made a living in the backfield of Seattle on Saturday. Harrell lead the team with two sacks and a forced fumble while also accounting for multiple pressures. Iton also had a sack in the game and Murphy had multiple pressures and hurries. The second-year linebacker is making a case as a rotational pass rusher.

 

Negatives:

The Titans run defense struggled most of the game, giving up 65 yards on the ground in the first half.

Penalties were drive killers for Tennessee, most of them committed by the offensive line.

The offense did not convert on third down as well as they did last week only converting on 33% of their attempts.The second-string offensive line struggled to keep Malik Willis and Mason Rudolph upright.

Tennessee will have their first game away from Nissan stadium next week as they travel to New Orleans, Louisiana to face the Saints. The Titans will now have a chance to see how their offense and defense plays on the road as the New Orleans Caesars Superdome is one of the toughest environments in the league.