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Titans season superlatives so far

By Will Lomas

Oct 27, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray (29) is congratulated by teammates Titans offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) and Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) for scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray (29) is congratulated by teammates Titans offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) and Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) for scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Tennessee Titans have hit the halfway point a little earlier than any other team in the NFL.

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So while they wait on the rest of the league to catch up, let’s look at some of the superlatives that the Titans players deserve.

Best offensive rookie: Jack Conklin RT

I am not sure I really have to talk about my love for Jack Conklin any more than I already have, but let me go over it for those who haven’t heard.

Conklin is one of the top 3 or 4 right tackles in the league. Everyone from All-Pros to rookies are included in that ranking, and I am being generous in making the grouping that large.

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    • While he doesn’t have quick feet, he doesn’t really need them. His hands are so strong that when he punches edge rushers they are constantly run off their track and his feet can catch up.

    He is one of the most physical players on this line, always wrestling and punching guys (legally) until the whistle blows. In the running game, he constantly gets to the second level and forced linebackers off of the screen.

    As a testament to his effort, watch when the run foes to the left, he runs down the field when he is on the backside trying to find anyone to block.

    He is great.

    He and Taylor Lewan make up the best offensive tackle group in the NFL, and if you don’t know that Lewan is a great OT, you can go ahead and watch the running backs because I can’t teach you about offensive line play if you can’t see the obvious.

    Best defensive rookie: Kevin Byard S

    Byard is a different player than I thought he would be. I was told that he would be a more rangy free safety that would be opportunistic on the back end.

    Instead, he is a very physical strong safety type that plays in the box and on the line a lot more than I ever thought he would. On top of that, his man coverage skills show me that he could develop into an in the box “hybrid LB” type next year if the Titans wanted that.

    Offensive MVP: DeMarco Murray RB

    Don’t think I didn’t think about putting the best tackle in the NFL (Taylor Lewan) here. I am only half-kidding, but obviously this was going to be Murray. If Ezekiel Elliot is held under 53 yards rushing and if David Johnson is held to less than 80 yards, DeMarco Murray will be leading the NFL in rushing after this week.

    The Titans have an elite, blue-chip running back here who only lacks true deep speed. He is getting the job done, and once Derrick Henry is ready to play a bigger role, this Titans rushing offense could be unstoppable.

    Defensive MVP: Brian Orakpo EDGE

    Orakpo hasn’t had a sack in two weeks and is 3rd in the NFL in sacks with 7.

    He has been an underrated run defender on the outside, which is a key part of his game. Something that doesn’t get addressed enough is how much the Titans are moving him to open up things for other pass rushers.

    When the Titans move him to inside linebacker, or line him up over the center it usually opens up lanes for Jurrell Casey and Derrick Morgan to get to the QB.

    Those 3 players are on pace to tally 31 sacks, in large part because of how the Titans are moving them around and using Brian Orakpo to dictate blocking schemes.

    31 sacks last year would have been as many or more sacks than 8 teams had last year.

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    Most improved: Jason McCourty CB

    You could argue McCourty for the defensive MVP list, and he narrowly edged out Kendall Wright here.

    McCourty has been ultra aggressive at the catch point wrestling two picks away from wide receivers, one time against DeAndre Hopkins. I am not ready to give up on him as a top end #2 CB in the NFL and you shouldn’t be either.

    While I would rather have someone who forces more turnovers covering an opponent’s #1, if the Titans take a great CB high next year you could end up seeing some great plays from McCourty against the other team’s #2 WR.

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