Which Titans have to step up?
If the Tennessee Titans want to get their season back on track this weekend, they will have to do it while missing several starters.
The Tennessee Titans’ injury report revealed some very grim news ahead of their matchup this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Titans will be without at least six players overall on Sunday, including four starters.
Linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (knee), Wide receiver Adam Humphries (concussion), cornerback Adoree Jackson, and guard Rodger Saffold (ankle) all are listed as OUT for Sunday’s game after not practicing all week.
Tight end MyCole Pruitt (knee/ankle) and defensive end Larrell Murchison (ribs), who are key backups, are out as well.
Clowney played last Thursday in the loss to the Colts after missing the previous Sunday’s win over the Bears due to the knee issue that some people believe could require surgery.
Humphries will miss his third straight game due to a concussion suffered in the second quarter of the Titans’ loss to the Bengals. Pruitt will miss his second straight game after being hurt against the Bears. Saffold suffered his injury last Thursday against the Colts after dealing with a shoulder issue heading into the game. Murchison suffered his rib injury last Thursday as well.
The Titans could also be without starting center Ben Jones, who also did not practice this week due to a knee injury, but is listed as questionable. Cornerback/special teamer Kareem Orr did not practice on Friday after being limited Thursday due to a groin injury and is officially questionable.
With the Titans facing a potential must-win situation, let’s take a look at who is expected to step up for those who will be out of action.
LB Derick Roberson
With Jadeveon Clowney out for the second time in three games, Derick Roberson has yet another opportunity to show Mike Vrabel that he deserves to get a lot more playing time on a regular basis.
After playing in 50 defensive snaps in the Titans’ victory over the Chicago Bears, Roberson played just eleven in last Thursday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts. This decrease in snaps came due to the return of Clowney, who missed the game against Chicago due to an injury.
With Clowney once again out due to his knee issues, Roberson gets yet another chance at making an impact.
Roberson showed flashes in limited action last season, as he picked up three sacks in three games. This year, he missed most of the season after injuring his knee in training camp and was inactive until Week 6 against the Houston Texans. He played in just five snaps in that game before being inactive the next two weeks.
If Roberson is able to have a big performance against a formidable Baltimore Ravens offensive line, then Vrabel really has no excuse not to give him more playing time moving forward, regardless of Clowney’s availability.
WRs Kalif Raymond & Cameron Batson
Since the scary concussion that Adam Humphries suffered a few weeks ago against the Bengals, it seems like nobody has really stepped up as the true third wide receiver on the team.
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Batson has caught three passes for 14 yards on three targets over the past two weeks, while Raymond has just one catch over the past four games.
AJ Brown and Corey Davis are a good duo, and because of that, the Titans offense needs either Raymond or Batson (preferably both) to step up to the plate and take some off the pressure off of the two starters. Some of that may come down to the play-calling of Arthur Smith, but they also need to make the most of their opportunities once they get on the football field.
Both of them have shown flashes of being solid receiving options: Raymond did have a huge game in Week 3 against the Vikings in which he caught 3 passes for 118 yards, and Batson has done well enough to get moved up from the practice squad multiple times this season.
Now it’s time for them to actually start producing on the football field.
CB Breon Borders
With Adoree Jackson missing what seems like his 20th game in a row with a knee injury, the Titans had absolutely struggled with finding even a temporary replacement.
Jonathan Joseph couldn’t get the job done and was subsequently released, Kristian Fulton has been injured, and Tye Smith has been just as ineffective as Joseph was.
Enter Breon Borders. Now on his eighth team in four seasons, Borders has really stepped up to the plate as far as being the team’s outside corner opposite of Malcolm Butler.
A member of the practice squad since September, he was signed to the active roster on November 7th and got his first start against the Chicago Bears, where he racked up nine total tackles and a pass deflection.
This past week, PFF gave borders an 84.3 coverage grade, and he was the highest-graded Titans player in the loss to the Colts.
One of few #Titans who graded out well vs Colts, per @PFF, was CB Breon Borders:
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) November 13, 2020
-Allowed 6 completions on 9 targets, but for just 39 yds and 1 1st down.
-His 82.9 overall defensive grade topped the team, as did his 84.3 grade in pass coverage.
If Borders continues to play well, he could earn himself an extension this off-season. We’ll see how he fairs against the likes of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Willie Snead.
OL Jamil Douglas
With Rodger Saffold out and Ben Jones not at 100%, it is inevitable that Jamil Douglas will be getting playing time this week against Baltimore.
For many Titans fans, this is a scary prospect. Douglas has not been good when called upon with the Titans.
Few Titans fans will forget his absolutely putrid performance last year in Week 3 against the Jaguars where he posted an astounding 12.4 pass blocking rating.
He didn’t fare much better two weeks ago against the Bears in relief of an injured Saffold, grading out at 48.5 per PFF.
Tough afternoon for few #Titans, per @PFF:
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) November 9, 2020
--RG Nate Davis season-low grade of 45.1, allowed 3 pressure.
--LG Jamil Douglas graded out at 48.5, allowed 1 pressure.
--WR Corey Davis w/ season-low grade of 52.7, recorded his 1st drop of season.
It’s important to sometimes be fair to players and hope that they can do better, but let’s call a spade a spade; Douglas’ previous performances do not exactly give Titans fans much to be optimistic about this week.
The hope is that if he has to play at all, it will be at guard where the coaching staff can at least limit the damage he will do to the offense and the team. If he has to play at center, then you are talking about a guy right in the middle of every play who has yet to see comfortable in an NFL game.
Either way, the Ravens have 25 sacks this season, good for tenth in the league. Douglas is going to have his work cut out for him, so he better come prepared, or it will be yet another long day for him.