Don’t be too quick to bench Quinton Spain

Aug 13, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against San Diego Chargers at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against San Diego Chargers at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

It isn’t any secret that I had questions about Quinton Spain as a starter in the NFL. In fact, I went as far as to talk about how I thought that Jeremiah Poutasi could push him for starting time at left guard.

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That seems like forever ago at this point, and it is a miracle what one game can do.

Now let’s have some context here and understand that I know that the Tennessee Titans have only played on preseason game. I understand that half of the offense or more still isn’t in. I understand that this is the second most irrelevant game of the season.

That still doesn’t change the fact that Quinton Spain looked very good in his quarter (give or take) of play against the San Diego Chargers on Saturday.

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  • On the touchdown run by DeMarco Murray there are a lot of things to see. Former Titans receiver Dorial Green-Beckham making a key block down field, Harry Douglas picking up a blitz, and you may have even seen Taylor Lewan’s crushing block that caved down the defensive end.

    What you didn’t see is Quinton Spain’s pull. Spain pulled from left to right to fill the B-gap and go up to seal the linebacker. This is just a classic power play that has been in every playbook since middle school. However, Spain pulls so quick and he is such a threat to actually create a hole there, that the linebacker immediately flows to fill.

    While that happened, DeMarco Murray’s vision allowed him to see that and see the cutback form immediately so instead of hitting the B-gap for a 8-ish yard gain, he planted his foot and took it 71-yards for a touchdown.

    Later in the drive, it was that same pull that stoned a defensive end and allowed Derrick Henry to follow his lead blocker to gain 17-yards and set the tempo for a touchdown drive.

    On another run, he goes on to absolutely mash the defensive lineman on a double team with Taylor Lewan that forced the linebackers to fill instead his vacated gap. You may remember this as the play where Derrick Henry bounced outside and dodged a safety and dragged one of those out of position linebackers for a touchdown.

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    And those are just some of the highlight plays he made, but he was consistently in the right spot doing the right things. In fact, if you think I am exaggerating go watch those three plays on this highlight clip and tell me I’m wrong.

    It isn’t a coincidence that on the Titans highlight plays that Spain is the one usually creating the hole or forcing the linebackers into bad positions. He looks really good early, and maybe we were all a little bit too quick to try to hand this job to someone else.

    From my perspective he looks perfectly competent right now, and I encourage you all to watch him in the next game to see if he can continue this good play.

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