Wild Card Round GDT: Ravens vs. Titans

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

7 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

How Pittsburg chose to slow down Henry.

I forgot about the fact that we didn’t have a way to truly rotate Jelly at NT to keep him fresh. Having both Brandon and Jelly inside to rotate should pay dividends. Not to mention Campbell attracting additional attention, especially considering I thought he went from about 45-50% a month ago, to 65% two weeks ago to looking about 90% last week; I think it’s fully possible a 100% Campbell will be unleashed this game to impact the backfield.

I bet we see more 8 man boxes too when the Titans go 12 personnel like this instead of trying to play 2 deep safeties.

[SalvadorsDeli]

 

Looks like we'll be close to full strength on Sunday. 

[RavensTillIDie]

26 minutes ago, SalvadorsDeli said:

 

Looks like we'll be close to full strength on Sunday. 

Not that we'll need to go super deep at corner for the Titans, but I was wondering if/when Harris/Dorsey would be available again?

 

Right now we have:

Humphrey/Peters/Smith/Averett/Williams

However, given the injuries some of those guys are dealing with, I'd like one more guy in there just to provide security at the position - and ensure we avoid what happened at Cleveland.

[Ray Reed]

1 hour ago, SalvadorsDeli said:

 

Looks like we'll be close to full strength on Sunday. 

Please Tyre Phillips do not have an all-time bad game because there's no one to replace you if you're stinking it up.

[Boodgyman5220]

22 minutes ago, Ray Reed said:

Please Tyre Phillips do not have an all-time bad game because there's no one to replace you if you're stinking it up.

I would think we would see Mekari move out there and TPC move in to center

[M.10.E]

37 minutes ago, Boodgyman5220 said:

I would think we would see Mekari move out there and TPC move in to center

Zero chance this happens. If Fluker can't go, Tyre is going to be the RT.

Edited January 7, 2021 by M.10.E

[diamondbull424]

1 hour ago, M.10.E said:

Zero chance this happens. If Fluker can't go, Tyre is going to be the RT.

I could be reading this wrong, but I thought the context was in the event that Fluker can’t go and if Philips has a bad game, he’s suggesting that Skura goes center and Mekari moves over to RT.

Probably still little chance of Harbaugh benching him though considering Harbaugh really let Skura go an entire game snapping ducks at NE after having gone nearly an entire game snapping terribly the game before. Not much precedent this year to suggest we would bench him.

1 hour ago, Boodgyman5220 said:

I would think we would see Mekari move out there and TPC move in to center

Would certainly present the healthiest option if that were the case. Though outside of injury, it’s probably still not likely. Though hopefully this won’t be a concern since the Titans haven’t been particularly known this season for a strong pass rush.

[Boodgyman5220]

4 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

I could be reading this wrong, but I thought the context was in the event that Fluker can’t go and if Philips has a bad game, he’s suggesting that Skura goes center and Mekari moves over to RT.

Probably still little chance of Harbaugh benching him though considering Harbaugh really let Skura go an entire game snapping ducks at NE after having gone nearly an entire game snapping terribly the game before. Not much precedent this year to suggest we would bench him.

Would certainly present the healthiest option if that were the case. Though outside of injury, it’s probably still not likely. Though hopefully this won’t be a concern since the Titans haven’t been particularly known this season for a strong pass rush.

Ultimately I think fluker will play and we’ll see him and Phillips rotate. But yea I meant that in the event that fluker is unavailable and tyree is struggling/injured, I could see mekari bumping out and hopefully Castillo bumping into center. I’m done with skura at center. 

[RavensTillIDie]

LFGO!!!!! 

[drd23]

AJ Brown not being healthy could be a huge help

 

[diamondbull424]

1 hour ago, drd23 said:

AJ Brown not being healthy could be a huge help

 

I wouldn’t read too much into that. He’s usually given a day off in the week it seems. Marlon was also out and then limited in the reserve order of days, yet I’d expect both Brown and Humphrey to be full tilt.

From the most recent Titans injury report, the thing I find to be something to keep an eye on is their OL situation. Their depth is currently heavily challenged. They have both Saffold and Kelly not practicing. Saffold having left the previous game, seemingly having reaggravated his ankle injury from earlier in the season. Saffold’s backup who filled in for him and balled out, OL- Aaron Brewer, will be out of this game as he’s been placed on the Covid list as of 1/7; even if it’s a close contact placement, he’s going to be out of this game. According to PFF he’s at a 76.2 on 150 snaps, however in the game against the Texans he had graded above 80.0 and thus it’ll be a big loss.

So while Saffold has vowed he will play, if for some reason he can’t go, or if he has to leave the game for some reason, they will likely have no choice but to turn to Jamil Douglas, who to this point in the season has posted a 37.6 on 94 offensive snaps. Which seems to be early season Tyre Philips level atrocious. If he’s forced to fill in at any point in the game, it could really lead to the MonStars having their way upfront and getting plenty of pressure on Tannehill and get cleaner wins to meet Henry into the backfield.

I think that’s a situation certainly worth keeping an eye on that could have MASSIVE implications in this game. Not that you want to be an opponent at their worst, but still.

https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2021/1/7/22218996/titans-add-aaron-brewer-covid-list-activate-stephen-gostokowski

Edited January 8, 2021 by diamondbull424

[sp6488]

9 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

I could be reading this wrong, but I thought the context was in the event that Fluker can’t go and if Philips has a bad game, he’s suggesting that Skura goes center and Mekari moves over to RT.

Probably still little chance of Harbaugh benching him though considering Harbaugh really let Skura go an entire game snapping ducks at NE after having gone nearly an entire game snapping terribly the game before. Not much precedent this year to suggest we would bench him.

Would certainly present the healthiest option if that were the case. Though outside of injury, it’s probably still not likely. Though hopefully this won’t be a concern since the Titans haven’t been particularly known this season for a strong pass rush.

Eh, I’m not sure I can agree. There’s been multiple examples of linemen being replaced mid game this year for ineffectiveness, particularly on the right side where there’s less track record. Skura had a track record and has exhausted his banked goodwill, hence TCC playing the whole game last week. 

[sp6488]

On 1/4/2021 at 6:21 PM, DreamKid said:

The interior DL isn't the issue against the run, and it hasn't been for years. Rushers compile numbers against us outside, where we're more vulnerable, and then poor LB/S play and tackling compounds the issue.

Calais is special because he has the length and athleticism to disrupt a lot of outside runs as well, even when playing inside. That said, I doubt he'll be at 100% come game time though. So it would be unreasonable to expect a one man wrecking crew. The rest of the defense needs to step up.

Broken tackles handed our last meeting to the Titans, and it can't happen again. Players like Queen especially need to put on their big boy pants and finish at initial contact.

Playing sound football and sticking to our strengths will put this game away easily. Panic, sloppy play, S&*t game plans and play calling, etc..- all of it needs to be left behind in 2019 & 2020. Just get us the F'n playoff dub we've been waiting on and go from there.

I disagree with interior DL not being at issue here. The team was light there the last time we played the Titans and actually played really well against the Titans rush until late in the game when they wore down, culminating in Wolfe not being able to make a play that he should have given better circumstances on the OT TD.

Further, there’s overwhelming evidence at this point that this team, in various iterations, is significantly better against the run when it has  Williams available than when it does not. 
 

Finally, @diamondbull424 discusses potential O-line holes/issues for the Titans. This is an area our team SHOULD have been able to exploit last time given some of the issues they dealt with in that game, however, they were unable to. Having our full complement of IDL should better position the team in that regard as well. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by sp6488

[diamondbull424]

Saw this in the Titans forum, excellent watch. Man I love Ray Lewis, dude is just an excellent motivator.

Wish there was a way to add Ray Lewis onto this squad, we wouldn’t lose. Just his ability to get guys to calm down, to intensify, to play beyond their level of play... we wouldn’t lose with the level of talent we have on both sides of the ball. Throw in if we could get Ed Reed to patrol the middle with these corners.

This team would be absolutely filthy. Anyways... back to reality.

I will say that Calais Campbell seemed to be the heart of our defense early in the season and once he went down, we just didn’t have the same level of leadership in there... in addition to his impact upfront. It was akin to losing Mark Ingram last season. The defense just didn’t have that guy, Derek Wolfe TRIED to be that guy and Chuck Clark tries to be that guy in his own right, but none of them just have the ability nor the cache to just ignite guys like Campbell can do. Him being at what should be close to 100% is something that I really think has a great chance to push this defense to its peak ability, which will be important against a highly talented Titans offense. Campbell being able to collapse rushing lanes, push the pocket, and get sacks and/or batted passes as he did early in the season would be huge.

Also going back to those Ravens-Titans, classic battles, it makes me think back to those classic units and how important the return game was to our performances. Devin Duvernay has looked REALLY good in there as a punt returner. He’s looked awfully close to bringing some returns given opportunity. If the Titans coverage units give him a crease, it could result in a huge momentum shift at some point in the game. Unlike Proche, Duvernay has actually done an excellent job at fielding punts as well as deciphering when to pick his spots.

 

[KingTitan]

6 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

Saw this in the Titans forum, excellent watch. Man I love Ray Lewis, dude is just an excellent motivator.

Wish there was a way to add Ray Lewis onto this squad, we wouldn’t lose. Just his ability to get guys to calm down, to intensify, to play beyond their level of play... we wouldn’t lose with the level of talent we have on both sides of the ball. Throw in if we could get Ed Reed to patrol the middle with these corners.

This team would be absolutely filthy. Anyways... back to reality.

I will say that Calais Campbell seemed to be the heart of our defense early in the season and once he went down, we just didn’t have the same level of leadership in there... in addition to his impact upfront. It was akin to losing Mark Ingram last season. The defense just didn’t have that guy, Derek Wolfe TRIED to be that guy and Chuck Clark tries to be that guy in his own right, but none of them just have the ability nor the cache to just ignite guys like Campbell can do. Him being at what should be close to 100% is something that I really think has a great chance to push this defense to its peak ability, which will be important against a highly talented Titans offense. Campbell being able to collapse rushing lanes, push the pocket, and get sacks and/or batted passes as he did early in the season would be huge.

Also going back to those Ravens-Titans, classic battles, it makes me think back to those classic units and how important the return game was to our performances. Devin Duvernay has looked REALLY good in there as a punt returner. He’s looked awfully close to bringing some returns given opportunity. If the Titans coverage units give him a crease, it could result in a huge momentum shift at some point in the game. Unlike Proche, Duvernay has actually done an excellent job at fielding punts as well as deciphering when to pick his spots.

 

Great battles. 
Things you look back and say man those were some great games, but while watching them you felt so frustrated and heart almost popped. 
It was rare to see a game where one side just outright dominated the other. 
I can't believe the teams were quarterbacked by Anthony Wright and Kerry Collins at times. lol

But we have allowed a few returns here and there this season. I do think that it will come down to about 2-3 plays. 
Our bad losses can be tracked back to a couple plays. 
Against the Browns it was a bad spot and Henry fumble.
Against the Colts the first game it was a shanked punt and blocked punt.
Against the Steelers it was a missed FG.
Against the Packers (it was a lot of things) but our defense made a stop but a penalty kept a drive alive.

Seems like the talk now is if the Titans can defend the new approach to yall run game. 
I have so little confidence in our defense that I'm not sure what we will do at all. 

If your returners give you all a short field then yeah it is gonna be hard to see a win for the Titans.