Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

It’s funny to think how quickly Kendall Wright, and his draft selection, went from reviled to applauded from the Tennessee Titans faithful. I think it’s safe to say neither fans nor pundits alike had this guy anywhere on our radar, but after we looked at his tape and got to know him, we were happy to have him. All of this was before any actual football was played, of course.

Now, the immediate surprise that followed his pick was really predicated on the fact that, after the start to his 2011 season, a healthy Kenny Britt was going to come back and have a beast of a year. He didn’t have quite the impact many expected, though, and was featured about as evenly as Wright. It’s hard to say how much the presence of Wright affected his looks this season.

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

So how did Wright pan out his first year? If you watched the Tennessee Titans throughout the season, you noticed that he was definitely a featured player in the offense, even if he didn’t have a huge year statistically. His numbers on the season when all was said and done worked out to 64 receptions, which he led the team in, for 626 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Only Nate Washington had more yardage at 746.  Additionally, Tennessee didn’t have the strongest play at quarterback this year, so it would have been difficult for any but the most elite receivers to put up gaudy numbers.

If Wright was limited by anything, it was an often times confusing offensive attack employed throughout the season by Loggains, and Palmer before him. The team tried to force Wright the ball by way of receiver screens that never seemed to garner any yards, and he wasn’t used as the deep vertical threat the way he was at Baylor. Suffice to say, the next offensive coordinator needs to find a way to get Kendall the ball in medium and deep routes, as this seems to be where he is most effective. Using him as a short-route, DeSean Jackson type threat would not seem to play to his strengths, which is surprising given his tangibles.

Kendall Wright will no doubt prove to be a strong addition to the Tennessee Titans franchise. We are currently experiencing some growing pains on both sides of the ball, but in just his first year of professional football, Wright has shown that he is already on par with respected veterans of the league, and he will only continue to get better as he matures as a player, and the offense begins to find it’s identity.

Grade: B

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This is the only picture in existence of Rob Ryan smiling. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

For those of you who haven’t heard, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has officially been fired from his job in Dallas. The more abrasive of the Brothers Ryan (if you can believe that) has been bouncing across the NFL landscape for a little while now. After spending 5 years as the Raiders defensive coordinator from the 2004 – 2008 seasons, he went to run the defense in Cleveland. However, after 2 years, the team decided to move on, and the Dallas Cowboys hired him…for 2 years.

With Rob Ryan now out of a job for about probably 5 minutes, the speculation as to where he will land shall progress. Pundits of teams who could remotely consider hiring a defensive coordinator will begin weighing in…which is what is going to happen right now.

I feel ya, buddy. Don McPeak-US Presswire

The Tennessee Titans pushed their way through a torrential downpour of a season; one that was cosmically disappointing to all involved. Yes, it was that dramatic. Even noted super-expert (official title) Warren Sapp had proclaimed us a sleeper team to make the playoffs, and the fan base was bristling with excitement. Then almost-rookie Jake Locker suffered some growing pains, the defense regressed to an infant-like stage, and if it bothered Munchak, he certainly wasn’t about to let it be known. Additionally, Jerry Gray had a number of tricks up his sleeve just as he had promised all off-season; he just never decided to let them out.

Now, this 2012 Tennessee Titans defense wasn’t just bad, they were atrocious; the equivalent of a rabid dog that should be shot to death for the benefit of others. Ok, that was harsh and a bit theatrical, and I would never say that to the face of any of my beloved players, but in all seriousness, we did not play well on that side of the ball. You simply cannot defend a team that allowed 30 points or more in exactly half of it’s games, including two games in which more than 50 points were given up in each.

So can Rob Ryan turn around the 2013 Tennessee Titans? Perhaps. The first thing that would have to happen is that we switch to a 3-4 defense. Now, some would argue that we are not built for that, but after the 2012 season, would you argue that we’re built for success in a 4-3? The fact is that the Titans roster has flexibility at this point. The only people we are invested in for considerable time are Griffin and McCourty, who both play secondary and are less affected than those at other positions, and Wimbley, who would probably find great success at the OLB position, not to mention that it was Ryan who was able to maximize his effectiveness when drafted by the Raiders.

Could it work? Why not? At this point, what do we stand to lose?

Follow me on Twitter @TitanSizedJason

Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans will host the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 PM EST/10 AM PST at LP Field Sunday, December 30th. Vegas currently has the Titans favored by 4, made so by the fact that the Titans play at home and have a slightly better record this season (5-10 for the Titans vs. 2-13 for the Jaguars).

At the beginning of the year, this was anticipated to be a good contest to finish out the season. Gabbert was supposed to competitive,  having made strides by the end of this season, and the Titans were supposed to be playing for a playoff spot. Instead, we find an erratic Jake Locker heading into the end of the season having committed over two turnovers a game in the last five (9 interceptions & 2 lost fumbles) going up against Chad Henne and an inconsistent receiving corp.

It’s no secret that the Titans offensive line is in shambles, however, the Jaguars defensive line is not performing up to par, with Jeremy Mincey having a disappointing season (3 sacks), and Jason Babin producing just a sack and a half since being picked up by the team four weeks ago. The Titans, though, haven’t been much better, with Wimbley, expecting to make a big difference on the line at the start of the season, limited to 5 sacks, while Derrick Morgan has been about as effective in the pass rush, putting up 4.5 sacks.

Overall, this game has little going for it. Both teams are far removed from playoff contention, and both head coaches may be fired in the off-season. Both squads have numerous injuries to effective players, and the entire game, much like our contest against the Jets two weeks ago, this could come down to which team can make the fewest mistakes to come away with the win.

Injury Report

TEN

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Babineaux S – Thigh – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Kevin Matthews C – Ankle – Did Not Participate In Practice – Out
Jamie Harper RB – Ankle – Limited Participation in Practice – Questionable
Colin McCarthy LB – Concussion – Did Not Participate In Practice – Out
Chris Johnson RB – Ankle – Limited Participation in Practice – Questionable
Kendall Wright WR – Rib – Full Participation in Practice – Questionable
Scott Solomon DE – Knee – Full Participation in Practice – Questionable
Kenny Britt WR – Knee – Limited Participation in Practice – Probable
Michael Griffin S – Illness – Did Not Participate In Practice – Probable
Damian Williams WR – Foot – Did Not Participate In Practice – Questionable
Jake Locker QB – Left Shoulder – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Ryan Mouton CB – Hamstring – Limited Participation in Practice – Questionable
Craig Stevens TE – Concussion – Did Not Participate In Practice – Out
Will Witherspoon LB – Chest – Limited Participation in Practice – Questionable

JAC

Aaron Ross CB – Calf – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Julian Stanford LB – Hip – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Daryl Smith LB – Groin – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Rashean Mathis CB – Groin – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Paul Posluszny LB – Groin – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Greg Jones RB – Thigh – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Maurice Jones-Drew RB – Did Not Participate In Practice – Out
Tyson Alualu DT – Calf – Full Participation in Practice – Probable
Uche Nwaneri G – Concussion – Did Not Participate In Practice – Out
Brad Meester C – Foot – Full Participation in Practice – Probable

Follow me on Twitter @TitanSizedJason