WEBVTT - The OTP | Bye Weekend Roundtable 0:00:10.480 --> 0:00:13.800 This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. 0:00:14.200 --> 0:00:17.200 Get the home field advantage with healthcare coverage from Farm 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:20.920 Bureau Health Plans. They've been protecting Tennessee and since nineteen 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:23.880 forty seven. This is Mike Keith and we hope you're 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:27.360 enjoying the bye weekend and we have something special for 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:31.600 you this week. We gathered together Jim Wyatt from Tennessee 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:35.760 Titans dot Com, our own Amy Wells, and Titans Radio's 0:00:35.800 --> 0:00:40.239 head coach Dave McGinnis for a roundtable discussion that was 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:44.000 part of our Titans All Access program. Well, we couldn't 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:46.760 use all of it in Titans All Access, so we 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:50.200 wanted to give you the whole experience on this edition 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:56.280 of the OTP. A discussion wide ranging between offense and 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:59.520 defense with three people who are around the team all 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:03.360 the time and even me as well. First up, Amy 0:01:03.400 --> 0:01:06.480 Wells starts the discussion as I ask her the most 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:10.240 impressive part of the Titans offense through twelve games. I 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:12.760 think it's what they've been able to do and how 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:16.520 much they've been able to do with so many changes. 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:20.640 The Tennessee Titans offense lost most of their starters, The 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:23.440 big name people that we were talking about in training 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:26.360 camp and in the off season, Julio Jones, AJ Brown, 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:30.360 Derrick Henry just to name a few, and they went 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.920 away at different points throughout the season. And this Titans 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:37.479 offense has continued to rise, continue to see performances by 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.840 players that we never thought would be main stars on 0:01:40.880 --> 0:01:43.800 this Titans team, people that we thought would be supporting cast, 0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:46.160 and they've stepped into these roles in a big way. 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:49.160 We've seen so many different starters on the football field, 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:51.400 and I think that's been very impressive, the way that 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:55.280 they've been able to rise and overcome the adversity. Jim, 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:57.400 why did you take yours? No, but I'm going to 0:01:57.480 --> 0:01:59.480 piggyback out of hers. And I think it's the ability 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:02.280 to run the football no matter who's a running back. 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:04.080 And we all saw what Derrick Henry did at the 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:06.320 start of the season nine hundred and thirty seven yards 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:08.919 through eight games. But just this past week you see 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:12.640 Dontrell Hilliard Dante Foreman both go for over one hundred yards. 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:14.959 We've seen some different pieces, as Amy said in the 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:17.680 you know on the offensive line, guys step out with 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:21.480 other guys you know going down with injuries, and they've 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.079 continue to be run the ball, number number five in 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:27.320 the league in a rushing offense. So I'm impressed by 0:02:27.360 --> 0:02:29.560 that they stayed true to who they are, and that's 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:32.640 important because sometimes when you start losing people, and you 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:36.919 lose significant people, if you're not grounded in what you're doing, 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:39.160 you start to panic, You start to panic and start 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:41.880 trying to rework everything you're doing. They have not done that, 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:45.120 and Jim spot on with what he says, they continue 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:47.079 to stay with the run. Now. They hit a glitch 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:49.519 when they were trying to fit two to three running 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:52.760 backs in for a singular back, we had a dominating back. 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:55.400 We were an anomaly in the National Football League with 0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:58.680 a dominating back. But now that it looks like, especially 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.200 after this last game, even though we lost the game, 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:03.360 the running game seems to have found a little bit 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:05.440 of footing and we're going to need to continue that 0:03:05.480 --> 0:03:08.400 footing with these guys that they found. To me, staying 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:10.840 true to who they were once they lost all of 0:03:10.840 --> 0:03:13.280 the initial players, that to me was a big thing. 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.160 The most impressive thing to me about the Titans offense 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:18.639 through twelve games has been the job Rob Moore has 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:21.840 done with the wide receivers, and you consider that before 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:25.520 the year, we thought it's AJ and Julio and that 0:03:25.639 --> 0:03:28.280 they would put in another receiver at some point and 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:31.000 have a great attack. Well a j Brown's misstime, Julio 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:34.480 Jones's misstime. They've both played well when they've played. And 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:37.120 then you've had guys like Marcus Johnson step in and 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:40.000 have a hundred yard game. Nick Westbrook Akina has stepped 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:42.960 in and had a hundred yard game. Cody Hollister, who 0:03:43.000 --> 0:03:45.600 hadn't played football all fall, had to step up and 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:49.360 start the other day. That's good coaching to have receivers 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:52.000 ready to play. And I know you're close with Rob Moore, 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:54.480 so Coach Mack, you're probably very proud of the job 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:56.760 he's done. It doesn't surprise me. He was that type 0:03:56.760 --> 0:03:59.320 of player for me at Arizona. I mean's he was 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.360 always ap up guy when things were going good and 0:04:02.400 --> 0:04:04.760 when things were not going so good. Didn't surprise me 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.720 a bit. Plus, if you know Rob his personality, it's 0:04:07.840 --> 0:04:11.120 very even killed. Rob is not an up the escalator, 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:14.040 down the escalator type of guy, and so his even 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:17.320 kill ability and plus, look, he's got major respect in 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:19.800 that room because of the type of player that he was, 0:04:20.080 --> 0:04:22.840 and so he brings all of that dimension to his coaching. 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:26.960 All right, most impressive part of the defense through twelve games, 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:29.560 Coach Mack, you lead off this second, it's been the 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:31.960 ability to get a four man rush when we have 0:04:32.000 --> 0:04:36.279 all our guys. That changed this defense. That changed this 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.320 defense from some defense that was really scrambling to try 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:41.120 to figure out how to get off of the field 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:44.680 to a defense that was really getting people on the ground. 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:48.080 And that's extremely important. The ability to rush with four 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:52.000 people when we had our good people healthy and then 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:54.880 the people that added in. Now, once you start losing 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.000 some of that and we saw it, you know again 0:04:57.080 --> 0:04:59.640 this last week. It's hard when you only have a 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:02.239 limit to the number of those people across the front. 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:05.520 But when we can get those people back, that ability 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:08.440 to rush with four and cover with seven, and you 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:11.040 cover with seven with zone, then then you're able to 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:14.120 go four over three, three over two on five eligible receivers, 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:16.120 and then you're able to if you're playing a man 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:18.000 to man, you're still able to have a spy, You're 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:20.080 still able to have a low whole robber. If you 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:23.800 can get there with four, that's what's impressed me. Yeah, 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:26.039 and tremendous. There's no doubt about that. I'm gonna go 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.120 with the run defense, and with so many injuries in 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:30.720 the middle, I mean, Rashaun Evans has been out, John 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.320 Brown has missed time, David Long's missed time, money rising 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:36.719 down miss time. The inside bikers continue to do a 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:39.360 good job, still doing a good job defending the run. 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:41.960 That's where I'm going. I think it's that they already 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:44.440 have twenty nine sacks to this point in the season. 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:47.720 For reference, they only had nineteen in twenty twenty, so 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:49.880 the amount of pressure they're able to get. Guys like 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.640 Harold Landry with ten sacks already this year. Jeffrey Simmons 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:55.520 was seven and a half already this year. There are 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:59.320 guys who are consistently getting to opposing team's quarterbacks, and 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:02.640 I think that's a huge improvement and a very welcome surprice. 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:05.040 Most impressive part of the defense to me is the 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:08.520 re emergence of Kevin Byard. What a year this guy 0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:12.200 has had so far, sixty four tackles, five interceptions, He's 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:15.480 caused a fumble, he's got a quarterback sack. He scored 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:19.040 the first two touchdowns of his career, Jim. The Titans 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:21.720 needed him to be a big play guy again in 0:06:21.720 --> 0:06:24.440 this defense and the mayor of Murphy's Burr's doing it. Yeah, 0:06:24.440 --> 0:06:25.720 and he vowed to do it. I mean, that's one 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:27.360 thing I remember about the end of the last season 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:29.400 he took was so hard on himself on a kind 0:06:29.440 --> 0:06:31.600 of a season ending zoom called. Vowed to be better, 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:33.680 vowed to work more, vowed to be a better player. 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:35.960 Who's done exactly that. I mean, he has been a 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:38.720 consistent performer for this team. Is leadership has been great. 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:43.080 The biggest surprise for the Titans offense through twelve games, well, 0:06:43.120 --> 0:06:44.200 I have to say it. I don't mean to go 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:47.200 negative here. I guess the turnovers by Ryan Tannehill and 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:50.560 it's the only time I'll go negative here. Seven interceptions 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:55.400 in sixteen games last year, only six and ten stars 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:58.760 previous year. This is not all on Ryan Tannehill. Obviously, 0:06:58.760 --> 0:07:02.080 we know we know the situations with his team, Asia 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:05.120 Brown being out, Hulu Jones been out, MARKA. Johnson being out, 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:08.200 young guys stepping in. But it's been uncharacteristic some of 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:10.640 the mistakes that he has made. And obviously if his 0:07:10.760 --> 0:07:13.000 team is going to get its footing back in the 0:07:13.000 --> 0:07:14.520 second half of the the season. That's going to have to 0:07:14.560 --> 0:07:17.720 be better, coach Mack. It's being able to switch from 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:20.600 a singular running back to a running back back committee. 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:23.280 That's not as easy as it sounds, and it's not 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:25.480 as easy as it sounds for this reason. When you're 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:28.240 game planning and you understand your singular back and what 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.000 he can do, and you've got two and a half 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:32.840 years of knowing what this guy likes and what he 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:37.000 does best, and how to formulate a game plan individually 0:07:37.000 --> 0:07:39.880 against the opponents with what he likes to do. Now 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:42.679 with him gone, you're trying to find out not only 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:44.960 what you can do structurally, but you need to find 0:07:44.960 --> 0:07:48.440 out what the strengths are of the core of running 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:50.360 backs now that you're trying to run the ball with 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:53.320 being able to make that switch. That's hard to do 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:55.360 in the middle of the season, and especially when you're 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:58.000 in a playoff push. That's impressed me. For me, it's 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:01.040 the consistency within the offensive life. Despite all of the 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.880 changes they've seen this season through twelve games, they still 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:08.600 haven't had all five starters finish a game together. So 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:12.600 going week to week, with different injuries, going almost minute 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.800 by minute play to play with different guys on the field, 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:19.680 you haven't seen huge drop offs in their level of 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:22.720 play and consistency in what they're able to do. And 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:25.760 I think that's very impressive because in years past we 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:28.520 haven't always seen that when someone goes down there's a 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:30.480 bit of a drop off in what they're able to do. 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:32.680 This year, we're not seeing that. I'm kind of coming 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:35.679 off your topic. My biggest surprise about the offense is 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:39.839 David Quessenberry starting twelve games at right tackle, playing well. 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.640 We know he's a great story. We know he had 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:45.360 a four year battle with cancer. We know he battled 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:47.880 his way off the practice squad. We know he started 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:50.600 the end of last year at left tackle, which was 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:53.160 certainly not his natural position. But at the age of 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.880 thirty one, he is the Titans starting right tackle, has 0:08:56.880 --> 0:09:00.840 played all twelve games and has done a fantastic job overall. 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:03.160 For me, David Questenburry, we didn't think he'd be the 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:07.440 starter in the offseason. He has emerged as the most solid, 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:11.520 consistent piece at least to this point for the Titans. 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:15.840 All right, biggest surprise about the Titans defense through twelve games. 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:18.839 Coach Dave McGinnis. The biggest surprise to me was an 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.800 improvement a third down defense, and that goes with the 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:23.920 last segment of what I said about a four man rush. 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.719 Anytime you can win first and second down, you can 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:29.440 take all of the angst off of your defense on 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:32.040 third down. It's a huge plus. But to do that, 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:34.240 you have to be able to win first and second down, 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:36.600 and to win first and second down, you have to 0:09:36.640 --> 0:09:38.960 be able to deploy yourselves to put the offense in 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:41.640 conflict first and second down. We've done that, and then 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.959 our third down defense has gotten markedly better. Now it 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:46.680 goes off of what I said in the first segment 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:48.600 about being able to rush with four We need to 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:50.760 be able to get back to that because all three 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:54.040 of those elements cascade off of that. For me, it's 0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:56.880 that the Titans defense has become one of the strengths 0:09:56.880 --> 0:09:59.520 of this Titans team. In twenty twenty, that was not 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:02.439 the case, and you could tell it really bugged not 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:05.240 only the guys on defense, but Mike Rabel and he 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:09.319 really put a concerted effort into changing this defense and 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:12.359 really getting them back on track, and they've become a powerhouse. 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:15.120 They are the game wreckers for this Titans team. They're 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:18.960 making plays, they're generating points, They're doing all the things 0:10:18.960 --> 0:10:22.680 that you needed defense to do to play complimentary football 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:25.720 and win football games. So I think that that has 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:29.559 been surprising, not only that they're better and they have improved, 0:10:29.800 --> 0:10:32.800 but that they make such an impact every single Sunday. 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:35.040 And we've say so many players step up and play well. 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:37.640 Was Jeffery Simmons or Kevin biod or Harold Landry. I'm 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:39.680 gonna go David Long just because of the way he 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:42.839 played is very Unfortunately he got hurt, but begin the season, 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:45.240 there's so much conversations about Rashaun Evans and so much 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:48.800 conversation about Jayon Brown, and once David Long got an opportunity, 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:51.240 he's just kind of took office. Unfore she got hurt. 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:53.920 Hopefully he's back here quickly after the Bob, but really 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:56.559 impressed with the way he played. The Titans strength too, 0:10:56.760 --> 0:11:00.360 and maybe a surprise is the incredible versatility in the 0:11:00.400 --> 0:11:03.600 defensive line. Look at all the guys who have stepped 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:06.200 in during the course of the year, with not just 0:11:06.320 --> 0:11:09.199 Jeffrey Simmons and Denico Autry who have been excellent, but 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:12.240 tier Tard has been a factor. They've been able to 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:15.720 get Laurell Murchison in there, and then Peco and a 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:18.720 whole group of different guys who have stepped in and 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:22.160 been productive. Some guys for just one game when they 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:24.839 were called up from the practice squad and then unfortunately 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:26.960 for them, they were let go the next week. But 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:30.359 a nice job by the defensive staff and the defensive 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:33.720 line coaches as a whole getting these guys ready to 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:37.000 play and certainly giving them a chance to make a 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:40.280 difference in the course of ballgames. No matter what the 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:43.120 combination was. Amy Wells is going to lead it off 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:46.240 here as we talk about the player on offense who 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:48.520 has impressed you the most through the first twelve games, 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:52.520 it's Nick Westbrook Akina. He is someone who even throughout 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:56.080 training camp we thought would be a solid supporting cast player. 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:58.880 That's kind of what I expected out of him anyway, 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:01.160 to see the way that he has stepped up when 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:03.840 his number is called. He's got twenty five catches for 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.280 two hundred and ninety seven yards and three touchdowns so 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:09.280 far this season. He showed up in a big way 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:12.040 and at times when the team really needs someone to 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:14.920 make a play. So for him to step beyond being 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:17.920 a supporting cast member and to be a star player 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:21.280 on this offense, very impressive by him. I'm going deck 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:23.559 Henry just because he's still on this football team even 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:25.800 though he's on injured reserve. The start he got off too, 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:28.679 he was at an MVP pace. He was going to 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:31.360 lead this league and rushing again hopefully weekend. I'm back 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:33.400 in a Titan uniform again the season. But I just 0:12:33.440 --> 0:12:35.280 think the start that he got this team off too 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:37.240 is really going to put this team in a position 0:12:37.360 --> 0:12:40.080 when the AFC South. Ben Jones has been a solidifying 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.040 factor in the middle of that offensive line. In previous segments, 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:45.959 we've talked about the offensive line juggling people. Quisenbury is 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.560 another nice story, but Ben Jones is the rock of 0:12:48.559 --> 0:12:51.199 that offensive line. He has had different people on the 0:12:51.280 --> 0:12:53.280 left and the right side of him, and also on 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:55.640 the edges. The center in the National Football League is 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:58.439 so important, especially if you're running check with me is 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:00.760 if you're identifying fronts, all of those things. The other 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:04.000 thing is is he's been available. An availability on this 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:06.760 football team has been at a premium this year. That's 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:09.720 been extremely important. My vote goes for Ben Jones because 0:13:09.960 --> 0:13:12.480 I can say this, and I think Ben Jones won't 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:15.360 mind that I say this. He's not completely healthy. He 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:18.040 has been playing through some things and has been playing 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:20.360 very well. Ben Jones is my guy. Guys, you took 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:22.599 all of mine. I would have said Ben Jones. I 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:24.679 would have said Derrick Henry because he was on a 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:28.680 historic pace. I would have said Nick Westbrook, akena. So 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:30.480 what do I have left? I guess I have to 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:34.240 go back to David Quessenberry being there for all twelve games. 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:38.640 But I lose. I lose going like, can I say this? 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:41.000 You don't lose because you picked this staff for this 0:13:41.120 --> 0:13:43.880 segment here, and you picked a quality staff. Thank you, coach. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:46.839 That's a great quality of a head coach being able 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:48.640 to pick a really smart well to let me throw 0:13:48.679 --> 0:13:51.959 the bouquet right back at you and you start this segment. 0:13:52.360 --> 0:13:56.000 Dave McGinnis. The defensive player who has impressed you the 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.920 most during the first twelve Jeffrey Simmons. Jeffrey Simmons has 0:13:58.960 --> 0:14:01.800 been everything that we thought and more. And he said, 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:06.480 you know, he talked about you know, Kevin Byard declaring 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:08.080 coming into a season that he was going to make 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:10.640 a difference. Well, Jeffrey Simmons did the same thing, and 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:14.360 not for recency bias to come up and what I'm saying, 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:16.800 but this last ball game, to see it a defensive 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:19.960 tackle the twelfth week of the season, making perimeter plays 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:24.760 against screens, being the primary tackler against screens, that's impressive. 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.240 I mean, this guy has done it all and more. 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:30.320 And plus he's been available too. Jeffrey Simmons, to me, 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:33.320 by far is the dude I'm looking at and we 0:14:33.360 --> 0:14:35.880 need him to continue that for the rest of the season. 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:40.680 Harold Landry, he has been a quiet consistent contributor and 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:43.560 Mike Keith, you talk all during the games on Sundays. 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:46.440 How many times do you say Harold Landry's name. He 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:49.960 is just always there. He's always getting that pressure and 0:14:50.040 --> 0:14:52.440 he's on pace to do some pretty incredible things in 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:56.000 terms of sack numbers and disrupting some sack records for 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:58.960 the Tennessee Titans. So that's an exciting thing to watch 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:02.800 going forward. But man, he just he doesn't talk a lot. 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.320 He kind of does his own thing and is really cool. 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:07.760 But then you get him on the field on Sundays 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:09.960 and he is a major player, and he's making a 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:11.680 lot of noise. And we've hit on some of the 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:14.320 big stars. I'm gonna go, who go back to Denico Autry, 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:16.400 who I think has really played well for this team. 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:19.200 I mean, his numbers may not look like Landry's and 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:21.640 may not look like Simmons, but they're not necessarily supposed 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:24.200 to with what he's doing. He's getting his hands up, 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:27.840 he's knocking balls down, he's working in tandem with Jeffrey Simmons. 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.760 He's brought a big boost to this team's defense. So 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:32.760 I'm going Autry. And the big news about Autrey is 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:35.840 he doesn't play against us anymore. God Lee, I was 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.200 so sick of seeing that guy with the Raiders and 0:15:38.240 --> 0:15:42.400 the Colts. The Titans never blocked him ever, and it 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:44.240 was like we signed him. I wanted to hug him 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.840 and say thank you for not playing against us anymore. 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.400 But I'm actually looking at the defense, and obviously Kevin 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:53.440 Bayard as a player that would be easy to mention 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:56.720 in this I'm gonna go Christian Fulton and here's why, 0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:01.200 vastly improved corner. And I know he's missed some time 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:04.160 with injury, but I think he's a key player down 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:06.600 the stretch, because in the early part of the year 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:11.200 he looked like a shutdown corner. His improvement from year 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:15.000 one to year two vast excited to see more of 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:17.280 him coming up during the rest of the year. I 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:21.440 think he could be a centerpiece for this defense going forward. Coach, 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:24.920 it's hard to find shutdown corners, well, a shutdown corner. 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:27.840 I mean, it's easy to say, it's extremely difficult to do. 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:29.960 I coached for thirty one years in this league. I 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:32.800 had won Anis Williamson, He's a Hall of Famer and 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:35.640 so that's usually what those guys are. And Christian Fulton. 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:38.320 I agree with you a lot on this, Mike. You 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:40.640 could tell the difference when we first got to training 0:16:40.680 --> 0:16:42.920 camp and just watched him come out on the field. 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:45.760 He looked different physically, so he put in that type 0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:48.000 of work and then he was really having a nice, 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:51.280 nice year, and like a lot of our other good players, 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:54.040 unfortunately they've missed some time. But I agree with you 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:56.040 one hundred percent on that. Good to have him back. 0:16:56.240 --> 0:16:59.880 Great to have him back. Player to watch on offense 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:03.160 during the final five weeks of the regular season and 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.840 hopefully into the postseason. Jim Wyatt, you take the lead here. 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:08.880 I'm going back to Ryan Tannehill. You know I talked 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:13.560 earlier about some of his turnovers. Uncharacteristic turnovers have been 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:16.280 a little bit surprising. He's a good quarterback. I think 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:18.359 we all know that he's proven that during the course 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:20.320 of his career. I think once he starts getting some 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:23.880 of his pieces back a j Brown, Julio Jones, some 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:26.080 guys start to get healthy. I think Ryan Tannehill is 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:27.639 going to take off. He's going to play like the 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:29.600 Ryan Tannehill that we've come to know here over the 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:32.080 last couple of years. So I'm looking for a strong 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:34.639 finish from Ryan Tannehill. He's a guy that we're obviously 0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:37.000 all going to be watching. I had Ryan Tannehill as 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:39.840 well because of his mindsett and his mentality going into 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:42.880 these last five games, but because Jim Wyatt took mine. 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:45.520 I'm also going to say Dante Foreman because I think 0:17:45.560 --> 0:17:48.600 that as he continues to get comfortable in this system, 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:51.879 We've seen him already have a one hundred yard plus 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:55.600 rushing game. I think that as he continues to get comfortable, 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:58.680 learn more about this offensive line, get more in sync 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:01.399 with Ryan Tannehill, all those things that happen in training 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:03.639 camp and OTAs and those times that he just didn't 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.119 have with this Titans team. As he gets in the 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:07.720 groove a little bit more, I think we're going to 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:10.880 see more and more of those big plays and hopefully 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.000 we're going to see him breakaway for even more of 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:15.760 those big yardage moments that we all love so much. 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:18.240 Talking about big yardage, I'm gonna give you two headed monster. 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.240 We need aj Brown Julio Jones to show up the 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:23.040 last part of this season. That's going to be a 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:26.240 major major for this football team because what we're lacking 0:18:26.359 --> 0:18:29.080 right now offensively, and it's through nobody's fault, is the 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:32.200 explosive plays you start talking about forming in the run game. 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:34.600 We talked about the run game starting to coalesce a 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:38.080 little bit and come together. Ryan Tannehill is going to 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:40.040 be on track to be on track though. We need 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:43.000 more explosive plays down the field. Those two guys can 0:18:43.080 --> 0:18:45.400 provide it for us. That's who I'm looking for. I'm 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:47.879 going with the left side of the offensive line, Roger 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:51.000 Saffold and Tator to one. The buy think comes at 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:55.160 a fantastic time for these players. Older players a little bit. 0:18:55.440 --> 0:18:58.320 They've been dinged up. They've certainly done some good things, 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:01.440 but when they're rolling, I think it's the best left 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:04.000 side of the line in the National Football League. As 0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:06.320 they get healthy and have a chance to take over 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:09.920 in cold weather, I think for foreman, for Hilliard, for 0:19:09.960 --> 0:19:13.600 everybody who carries the ball, for protecting Tannehill, I think 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:17.680 those guys can be absolutely huge for this football team. 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:20.760 I think the buy comes at an incredible time for 0:19:20.880 --> 0:19:24.280 Roger Saffold and Taylor to one player on defense to 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:27.440 watch in the final five games, Dave McGinnis, you go first. 0:19:27.480 --> 0:19:30.000 I'm gonna go to Deneico Autry and Denico Autry for 0:19:30.000 --> 0:19:32.320 this reason, people have a lot of film on us 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:35.040 right now, and they're going to zero in on Jeffrey 0:19:35.040 --> 0:19:37.240