WEBVTT - The OTP: Evaluating the 2020 Schedule 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:14.280 We welcome you to the Official Titans Podcast, the OTP, 0:00:14.960 --> 0:00:18.760 presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans, with Amy Wells, I'm 0:00:18.840 --> 0:00:22.919 Mike Keith and a special guest to begin a special OTP. 0:00:23.720 --> 0:00:26.200 It's the headball coach himself, Mike Trabele. How are you, sir? 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:28.920 I'm doing great, Mike, how are you well? It is 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:32.960 scheduled day and so we're all very excited about that. Aby. 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:36.279 You want me to just roll through it. The Tennessee 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:40.720 Titans will open the regular season on September fourteenth, Monday 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:45.240 Night Football, the last game of Kickoff weekend in primetime 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:49.599 at Denver. It's a nine to ten Central Time kickoff. 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:53.960 The Titans home opener comes to following Sunday, September the twentieth, 0:00:53.960 --> 0:00:59.400 at Nissan Stadium against AFC South rival Jacksonville. Spoiler alert, 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:02.760 the Tight don't play the Jags on Thursday night for 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:06.440 the first time in this century. I think something like that. 0:01:06.720 --> 0:01:10.440 Week three, Tennessee is at Minnesota, the first trip for 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:14.520 the Titans to US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The first 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:17.360 quarter of the season ends with a home date against 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:21.600 the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's actually the first of three straight 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:25.120 home games to begin October. That Pittsburgh game is on 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:31.360 October fourth. Tennessee host Buffalo October eleventh, Houston October eighteenth, 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:34.920 the Titans by week In Week seven, that's the weekend 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:38.840 of October the twenty fifth. After the bye, the Titans 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:43.200 make a November first visit to Cincinnati. The Bears come 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:46.679 to Nashville on November the eighth, and then the Colds 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:51.360 hit town for Thursday Night football November the twelfth. That's right, 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:55.560 a second primetime game for the Titans. Stay tuned. There 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:59.040 is another one to come, but first let's hit back 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:02.720 to back road games to end November at Ball tomorrow 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:07.440 November twenty second, at Indianapolis November the twenty ninth. December 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:10.919 starts with a visit from the Cleveland Browns. The Titans 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:14.800 then head to Jacksonville on Sunday, December the thirteenth. In 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:20.119 Week fifteen, Tennessee's final regular season home game, hosting Detroit. 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:24.480 It'll either be Saturday, December nineteenth or Sunday December twentieth. 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:28.160 Whether it's Saturday or Sunday against the Lions be determined 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:32.560 later in the year, and then tough ending roadwork big 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:37.520 time Sunday night Football at Green Bay December the twenty seventh, 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:41.720 and at Houston in week seventeen, which comes on January 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.359 the third. Coach, very well, we have a lot of 0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:48.400 questions for you about this schedule. NFL fans around the league, 0:02:48.400 --> 0:02:50.960 of course, are super excited to be seeing this schedule. 0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:56.000 As players and coaches, how do you approach this news today, Well, 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:57.880 we had an idea of who we played, and we 0:02:57.960 --> 0:03:01.359 knew where, we just didn't know when. So I think 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:06.560 it's most important for us to work on maybe the 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:09.360 common opponents, the opponents that we have an idea about, 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:11.680 maybe we played them last year, teams out of our division, 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:17.880 for example, the difference between the Denver Broncos, the Baltimore Ravens, 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:23.440 the Buffalo Bills, or maybe the Vikings or the Packers 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:27.320 that we're not quite so sure about or haven't played recently. 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:29.160 I think that's the first thing that comes to mind, 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:32.160 is is who you're familiar with and who you've played recently. 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:36.720 Every years a new year, amy but we're certainly excited 0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:41.880 to continue this preparation as we work our way through 0:03:41.920 --> 0:03:44.560 these virtual meetings. When you get this schedule, how do 0:03:44.640 --> 0:03:47.200 you begin to start breaking it down and kind of 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.320 putting it into more manageable chunks. Okay, we always talk 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:52.560 about the season in four quarters. But I'm not going 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.200 to sit here and do what we ask our players 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:57.520 not to do, which is which is count numbers. Is 0:03:57.520 --> 0:03:59.880 to sit there at training camp with ninety players and 0:04:00.120 --> 0:04:01.840 that we're gonna get it down to fifty five and 0:04:02.400 --> 0:04:04.360 to have guys sit there and start counting, well, how 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:07.280 many guys in my position? What number am I? Um? 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.440 We ask our players not to do that, So as 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:12.480 the head coach, I'm not going to do that and 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:15.320 start counting and saying, well, this is a tough game. 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:17.640 This is I mean, I've I've all been in the 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:19.839 NFL a lot a lot of years, twenty years for me, 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:22.440 and they're all tough. And when you play well, you 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:25.200 have a chance to win, and when you don't play well, 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:29.680 I guarantee that you're gonna lose. So, um, we have 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.400 a great operations team, we really do, led by Brent 0:04:32.520 --> 0:04:35.400 Acres and his staff, and I know that they'll have 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:39.080 us prepared for when we have to travel, and we're 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:42.000 excited about having home games here early coach, was there 0:04:42.040 --> 0:04:47.000 anything that surprised you about this schedule? Nope. I'll figure 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.080 out what uniforms we wear before we go out on 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:51.200 the field that day, you know, Mike. Mike always wonders 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:53.800 what uniform we're gonna wear and what time Z owned 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:57.080 and at what time and what station. So I'll let 0:04:57.120 --> 0:04:59.279 you know as soon as we go out to kick off. Well, 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:02.640 we know all the games around Titans Radio. That's good news, Mike, 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:05.839 So we are definitely sure about that. I do want 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:09.920 to ask you, though, Monday Night Football week one in Denver, 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:13.520 how excited will the Titans be to take part in 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.840 Monday Night Football the last game of kickoff weekend. Well, 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:18.640 it's always an honor. I think when you grow up 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:21.520 watching football, and you did, and I did, and a 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:23.719 lot of our fans that when you grow up watching football, 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:25.919 you watch Monday Night Football. I mean that's your last 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:30.680 taste of it until now on Thursday. And so before 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:32.520 it was and there was no Thursday night football, so 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:33.880 it was like, man, we got to get this game 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:35.920 in and then get all the way to the weekend. 0:05:36.400 --> 0:05:38.320 So it's an honor to play on Monday Night Football. 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:41.200 Certainly a great challenge to go on the road in Denver. 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:44.359 You know, hopefully we can score a point this year 0:05:44.640 --> 0:05:47.160 and see how that goes a little better. But it'll 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:48.839 be a great way to start the season. There'll be 0:05:48.839 --> 0:05:51.400 a lot of excitement and a lot of people tuning 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:54.919 in three primetime games for the Titans on the schedule. 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:58.680 How excited are you for Titans fans that this club 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:01.440 gets the show of respect it does by being selected 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:05.240 to play in primetime at least three times this year? Well, again, 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:08.320 you ear in respect by winning football games and by 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:11.640 playing hard, and you know we got to continue to 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:14.880 do that. But it is certainly an honor and you 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:16.880 want to be ready to go and be at your 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:19.320 best at those games. They all count the same, but 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:21.880 I know a lot more people are watching and players 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:24.679 around the league, you know, are tuning into those games 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:28.240 as well. Mike, speaking of Titans fans, four of your 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.159 first six games are at Nissan Stadium, six of your 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:34.560 first nine. The Titans and Titans fans have to find 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:37.840 a way to take advantage and make Nissan Stadium as 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:41.920 tough as they possibly can, especially to begin twenty twenty. Yeah, way, 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:44.200 do you know? We have to start better and we 0:06:44.320 --> 0:06:47.400 played well down the stretch last year and that's really 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:49.440 what it allowed us to get into the playoffs and 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:52.640 win a couple of games, and we're gonna have to 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:56.240 start the season off better so that margin Frere isn't 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:59.560 so thin, you know, we have to The goal is 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:02.680 to in the division, to host home playoff games, to 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:06.560 put ourselves in the best position possible. And that'll start, 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:09.600 you know, early in the season with those games that 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:11.760 you mentioned that we have at home. And you know, 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:14.480 I think people are you know, I just think the 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:17.760 confidence and a momentum in which we had at the 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:19.840 end of last year. I hope that our fans had 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:22.920 that same type of feeling. You know. I know a 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:25.600 lot of people had watch parties. Unfortunately, we couldn't have 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:27.560 a watch party at Nissan because we were on the road. 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:29.320 But you know, let's see if we can't have a 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:32.360 couple of watch parties down there at Nissan Stadium. Are 0:07:32.360 --> 0:07:36.480 there specific preparation challenges for you and your staff and 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:39.920 this football team with the schedule, you know, those are 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.800 some things that you look at, those quick turnarounds, you know, 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:46.640 the Sunday that Thursday, the Monday night to Sunday, you know, 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:49.520 traveling to Denver not much of a time zone, and 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:53.640 we can't do much to replicate altitude don't don't have 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.480 any on the West coast, So those are some things 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:59.280 you worry about. It'll be cold in Green Bay, you know, 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.080 it's just you know, we approach those things, you know 0:08:03.240 --> 0:08:06.680 when they happen, but certainly we're very aware of them. Um. 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:10.480 You know, now as it starts unfold, you mentioned that 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:13.040 Green Bay game. That's one of the last two games 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:15.160 that are on the road, at green Bay and then 0:08:15.200 --> 0:08:19.640 at Houston. Does that almost add extra emphasis or drive 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:22.160 home the need to make sure that the twenty twenty 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:26.680 Titans are getting a home playoff game. It's important that 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:29.640 that we put ourselves in the best position to be 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:33.480 playing meaningful games. And we all know that a lot 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:37.320 of those seasons started Thanksgiving, where where teams start to 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:40.720 you know, some start to continue to improve and some 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:43.400 don't and some kind of flatten off. So you know, 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:45.520 we have to be playing our best football late. The 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:47.640 teams that do and continue to improve are the ones 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:50.559 that go into playoffs. And whether you play them on 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:52.800 the road or your play them at home, you're gonna 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.320 still have to play well enough to win. Finally, Mike, 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:59.079 how is all the virtual offseason going with your current 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.360 players couldn't be happier. I think it all started with 0:09:01.400 --> 0:09:03.480 the draft and the work that our it department, in 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:06.360 our video department, and everybody put in to making sure 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:09.840 that that draft ran smoothly on a virtual level. I 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:13.880 think that really carried over to our coaching staff and 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:16.440 these meetings. I think the players are excited to see 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:21.319 each other on the screen, on the on the computer screen. 0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:23.320 Our coach has done a fantastic job with being great 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:27.800 teachers film and making sure that the players are getting 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:30.960 exactly what they need. Players are engaged, They're making sure 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:35.679 that they are answering questions and asking questions when they 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:38.600 don't know something. When can the rookies get started, Mike, 0:09:38.800 --> 0:09:41.319 We'll be starting with these guys Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:44.360 There'll be a squad meeting. We'll go through introductions and 0:09:44.840 --> 0:09:47.880 these guys are getting ready to go. And finally, what 0:09:48.080 --> 0:09:50.760 uniforms are you going to wear in Denver on September fourteen? 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:53.320 I have no idea. They'll have hamlets and shoulder pads 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:57.480 on be dressed as the Titans, for sure. Mike thinks 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:00.600 so much. We always appreciate your take, especially on a 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:03.160 day like this that made so much to Titans fans 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:06.360 when they get the schedule for twenty twenty. Yeah, thanks Mike, 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:09.640 Thanks Amy. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel kind enough to 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:12.840 take time with us aby as we get ready to 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:16.760 run through the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:20.400 Let's go through that schedule one more time. The Tennessee 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:24.160 Titans opened the season at Denver on Monday Night Football 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:29.319 on September fourteenth at nine ten pm Central Time. Then 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:33.880 Jacksonville comes to Nissan Stadium on September twentieth. Tennessee is 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:38.040 at Minnesota on September twenty seventh, and the Steelers will 0:10:38.080 --> 0:10:41.920 be in Nashville on October fourth. Two more home games 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:45.760 in a row after Pittsburgh. October the eleventh against Buffalo, 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:50.360 October the eighteenth against Houston, then the bye October the 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:54.119 twenty fifth. That's in week seven. On November first, Tennessee 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:58.000 is at Cincinnati. The Titans are home for back to 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:02.319 back games next November eighth against the Bears, followed by 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:06.599 Thursday Nights Football against the Colts. Ten days later, Tennessee 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.440 is on the road at Baltimore. Then the following Sunday 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:14.280 it's second meeting in seventeen days with the Indianapolis Colts, 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:17.240 this time on the road. All right, here are the 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:20.640 final five down the stretch for the Titans. A home 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:25.400 game with Cleveland, a road trip to Jacksonville home for Detroit, 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:30.360 either on Saturday, December nineteenth or Sunday, December twentieth, Sunday 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:33.680 Night Football in Green Bay, where Amy Wells will need 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:38.200 a parka on the sidelines, and then January third at 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:43.400 Houston to end the regular season. So more expert analysis 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:47.439 about this schedule. We welcome to the OTP, presented by 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:51.199 Farm Bureau Health Plans, Jim Watt, the Great Jim White 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:55.599 from Tennessee Titans dot com, and also coach Dave McGinnis 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:59.440 from Titans Radio. Amy, you may proceed with the questioning. 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:02.840 Now that sounds so formal, Mike when you say it 0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:05.360 like that. These are friendly questions, and I want to 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.679 start with Jim, and then I'll ask Coach Mac. Give 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:10.920 me the game on the schedule that jumps out to 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:13.000 you the most and tell me why. Well, I think 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:15.680 it's the December twenty seventh game at Green Bay, the 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:18.920 one Mike just mentioned on Sunday Night Football. Have to 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:22.000 have it means something for that game to be important, obviously, 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:24.520 But the thought of going to lambeau Field in December 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:27.679 on a Sunday night, a team that just went thirteen 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:30.360 and three, a team that's coached by Matt Laflora, a 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.839 guy who used to be Tennessee's offensive coordinator. I think 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:36.000 that game has a heck of a lot of intrigue. 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:39.640 And that's in a schedule that's pretty attractive with three 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:43.200 prom town games. Map. What about you the Houston game 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:46.400 before the bye. Houston's won this division for out the 0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:49.520 last five years. You want to go into the bye 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:52.080 on a positive feeling. We've got our five of the 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:55.080 first six or AFC games, four over mur at home, 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:59.600 big time. Important to win that Houston game before the bye. 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:01.880 Coach back, and then I'll ask Jim the same question. 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:05.280 Is there anything on this schedule that surprises you? The 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:08.079 only thing that when I look at it is when 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:12.600 you look at the opener at Denver, Okay on Monday night. 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.720 I mean, there's clearly a reason that they felt like 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:18.600 we needed to go out to the AFC West coming 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:22.000 off of a shortened off season, and who knows how 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:24.959 much training camp we have. I mean, that's interesting to me. 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:27.560 We're gonna do it. We'll go out there and beat them. 0:13:27.720 --> 0:13:30.839 But that just looking at it right from jump, I went, Okay, 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:32.600 there was a lot of talk leading up to the 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:35.520 schedule coming out and don't I haven't seen schedules for 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:38.000 other teams yet, but I know there was a lot 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:41.160 of conversation leading up to schedule, at least about the 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:44.160 potential for out of conference games within the first four 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:46.240 weeks of the season. I look at the Titan schedule, 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:49.400 I see three out of four games against AFC opponents, 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:52.679 including a home game against a division foe in the 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:55.520 Jacksonville Jaguars. I think that's the biggest surprise to me. 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:58.360 I was expecting to see a lot of NFCC teams 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:01.200 early in case the schedule needs to be moved, in 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:03.200 case the season needs to be shortened because of a 0:14:03.200 --> 0:14:06.560 lot of unknowns going on with the situation that the 0:14:06.640 --> 0:14:09.480 league and the world is in right now. But it 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:12.320 didn't play out that way, at least for the Titans. Jim, 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:15.560 the Titans have three prime time games. Is this a 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:19.360 reflection of the success that the team had in twenty 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.880 nineteen making it so deep into the playoffs? I definitely 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:25.960 think so, man. I think the success of the Titans 0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:28.440 had the fact that Derrick Henry's back, or Iyan Tanney 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:30.880 Hills back into the team that was exciting down the stretch, 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:34.320 going to win in New England and Baltimore in the playoffs. 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:37.520 I think the three prime time games served as a reward. 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:40.640 I kind of anticipated one of those prime time games 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.320 being against the Ravens since that would have been a 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:47.760 rematch of a division additional playoff contests that had been 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:49.880 a new game in November, but the ones that are 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:54.040 on the schedule, exciting opening in Denver facing a team 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:56.400 that obviously beat the Titans last year kind of led 0:14:56.440 --> 0:15:00.040 to the quarterback change. In Tennessee, facing Jurrell Casey in 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:04.040 Week one of former great time Titan and then having 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.800 a chance to play against the Colts in a game 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:08.800 that's certainly will mean a lot here in Nashville on 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:12.000 a Thursday night, and against the Packers on that Sunday 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.640 night game I mentioned, it's a reward for a good 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:17.600 season from twenty nineteen, and it's the chance for the 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:19.560 Titans to kind of show how we've still got it 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:23.320 all right, Coach Mac, A question for you which is 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:27.880 the bigger challenge. A Monday night game in Denver that 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:32.040 kicks off well past my bedtime with a short week 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:35.720 to get ready for Jacksonville right after that. Or back 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:39.120 to back road games in November at Baltimore and then 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:41.800 at India. It's the back to back games in November 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:44.480 for me, those are AFC games we're going to be 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:48.200 fighting for playoff positioning. Then look, the Monday night game, 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:50.640 the opening, I love it. You've got a lot of 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:53.320 time to prepare for it. And if you're going on 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:56.440 the road in an opener on Monday night, then at 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:59.280 least your second game that you're coming off with one 0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:02.720 less date of repair, it's against a very very well 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:06.120 known opponent for us, So to me, it's much much 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:09.240 more difficult later in November those two that you mentioned. 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:13.400 This is the Official Titans Podcast, presented by Farm Bureau 0:16:13.520 --> 0:16:16.880 Health Plans. Healthcare coverage from Farm Bureau Health Plans is 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:19.480 like an extra set of pads when you need them 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:24.440 the most. They've been protecting Tennessee and since nineteen forty seven. 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:26.760 All right, for the three of you, I'm going to 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:30.200 ask this question, so Amy, get ready. I want to 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:33.680 start with Jim then Amy, then coach Titans get a 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:38.240 bye week Week seven, October the twenty fifth. They will 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:41.720 have played four of their first six at home. As 0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:44.440 a matter of fact, they won't hit the road for 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:49.080 six weeks from September twenty seventh through November first, because 0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:52.280 of three straight home games and the buye It's really 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:57.120 kind of an intriguing type of scheduling quirk. If you will, 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:00.640 Jim Wyatt, do you like to buy and we seven? 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:04.000 Would you rather have it earlier or later? I'd rather 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:06.520 have it later. They tell you it's never a bad 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:08.359 time for the by a week, except for maybe if 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:10.080 it's week three, and I think the Titans had a 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:13.240 Week three by a week way back back in the day. 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:15.600 I would have preferred to have seen it right close 0:17:15.640 --> 0:17:18.720 to the middle of the schedule. But I do think, 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:23.720 you know, after a tough stretch of three straight home games, 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:25.960 you can get off to a good start, You can 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:27.760 kind of catch your breath a little bit and then 0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:31.679 get get loaded up for the final ten. But if 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:34.200 I have my druthers, I think I'd go I'd pick 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:38.399 after a week eight or nine. Amy. I think I 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:41.639 agree with Jim and that if I were allowed to choose. 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:44.000 I'd have it be a couple weeks later, but I 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:48.080 like the idea of having a chance to rest, let 0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:51.159 guys get really healthy, and then pushed through to the end. 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:53.600 It gives you a chance to build that momentum with 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:56.879 hopefully a healthy squad. You know what I'm on a 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:58.760 First of all, I'm on the question the great Jim 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:02.000 Watt's math at seven weeks that's pretty close to the 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:05.600 middle of sixteen. Okay. Now the other the other thing 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:09.480 is I like it. I like it coming right where 0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:13.280 it is because you've come off five of six AFC opponents. 0:18:13.560 --> 0:18:16.600 I like that you should have set yourself up for 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:19.760 some success down the stretch. I like that where it is. 0:18:20.320 --> 0:18:23.360 You know what's interesting with it is if the Titans 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:27.080 do have training camp as normal, and if there are 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:31.800 four preseason games as normal, then that would actually come 0:18:31.880 --> 0:18:35.280 at the midway point of football, meaning that you would 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:38.359 have had four preseason games in six regular season games, 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:40.560 and you would have ten games to go, so it 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.960 would be technically the middle of football. Now, again, we 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:47.400 don't know how it all works out with preseason and such, 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:50.440 but I like it. I think I think right there 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:54.440 is a great time especially knowing that if you got 0:18:54.480 --> 0:18:57.680 somebody banged up, man, it would be great to get 0:18:57.680 --> 0:19:00.359 an extra week to go into that sense of natty 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.560 game and be as healthy as possible. I also like 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:05.920 having it to be able to spend a little time 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:09.040 on Cincinnati or a little extra time on Cincinnati and 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:12.920 Joe Burrow, who will probably just be settling in at 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.719 that point. I will never question the great Jim Wyatt. 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:18.040 I questioned his math are a little I think you 0:19:18.160 --> 0:19:21.000 just questioned it. Hey, let's talk about someone coach. You 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:25.119 take this first, and then Jim next. Jonathan Joseph thirty 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:28.080 six year old, corner speaking of math. By the way, 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:30.320 the Titans will be off five weeks or will be 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:33.000 at home five weeks, not six. That's my bad on math, 0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:39.440 So figure that Weber twenty seventh to November first. I'm 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:43.600 sorry anyway. Jonathan Joseph signs with the Titans. Thirty six 0:19:43.720 --> 0:19:47.560 years old, former first round pick, fourteen years in the league, 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:50.439 nine years in the division. How does he help this defense? 0:19:50.520 --> 0:19:53.040 Coach Mac I love his press conference. This is a 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:55.560 pros pro. You can tell just by way he talks. 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:57.800 I mean you can tell he gets it. He gets 0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:00.400 it at all levels. He gets who he is. He's 0:20:00.520 --> 0:20:03.520 very comfortable in his own scan. Look a pro that's 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:06.119 comfortable in their own skin, especially if you're not going 0:20:06.160 --> 0:20:10.000 to have a lot of time to involve yourself with 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:12.520 with your new teammates. Well, I tell you one thing, 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:16.919 players respect longevity in this league because to be in 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:20.520 this league that long, especially at that position, you have 0:20:20.680 --> 0:20:23.360 to have a lot of water in your bucket. And 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:25.720 I like that. I like that a lot. When I 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:28.600 heard him today on the press conference, I was really impressed. 0:20:28.920 --> 0:20:31.480 Nice edition. Yeah, I thought it was intriguing too. I 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:34.960 didn't realize his wife went to Hillsborough High School and 0:20:34.960 --> 0:20:37.240 then went to Tennessee State University. It was interesting and 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:40.560 ends up in Nashville, where his wife, you know, grew up. 0:20:40.640 --> 0:20:42.560 I think he's a great addition. This is obviously a 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:45.720 team team that has lost some really good leaders, including 0:20:45.840 --> 0:20:49.480 Logan Ryan. In that secondary room, He's won somebody that 0:20:49.520 --> 0:20:52.640 can come in and provide, you know, some great knowledge 0:20:52.920 --> 0:20:55.680 to some of the younger guys, and just his love 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:58.359 of the game and his ability continue to play. After 0:20:58.560 --> 0:21:01.080 fourteen season in the league. He's made a lot of 0:21:01.119 --> 0:21:02.919 plays on the ball that was interesting to hear him 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:04.960 say he thought if he thanks you dropped thirty thirty 0:21:04.960 --> 0:21:07.520 five interceptions during the course of his career, just because 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:10.439 he's been around the ball so much so he's got 0:21:10.480 --> 0:21:13.080 a great relationship with Ben Jones. Just to hear Ben Jones, 0:21:13.160 --> 0:21:16.200 a former teammate of his in Houston, talk about him 0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:19.000 kind of reassures you that this is a quality guy 0:21:19.119 --> 0:21:21.840 coming in who's going to help that secondary room. It's 0:21:21.840 --> 0:21:24.240 going to need some need some more veterans to step 0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:26.680 up and help some of the young guys. All right, well, Jim, 0:21:26.720 --> 0:21:30.600 there was another signing in the secondary, Abraham Campbell. He's 0:21:30.600 --> 0:21:32.919 a safety from Green Bay. Where do you think that 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:35.639 he could fit in. I think he adds depths to 0:21:35.680 --> 0:21:38.600 the safety position. He's been a really good special teams player. 0:21:38.680 --> 0:21:41.480 Is something this team has done here in recent week 0:21:41.640 --> 0:21:43.800 is just trying to find some guys that will compete 0:21:43.800 --> 0:21:46.080 on the back end, give you some depth. I think 0:21:46.119 --> 0:21:49.520