The Tennessee Titans’ preseason has offered more reasons for optimism than the scoreboard might suggest, and the clearest positives have come in two places that can travel when the rest of the offense is still finding its footing: the run game and special teams.
Start with the backs. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears have given Tennessee a steady, reliable punch, and that showed up again in joint practices against both the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, where the ground game was described as very effective by all accounts.
Through the preseason games, Pollard and Spears have combined for 17 touches, 122 yards and a touchdown. If the Titans hit a lull through the air, those two look ready to keep drives alive.
That matters even more because the passing game may need time to come together. When Cam Ward checks the ball down, Tennessee has been making the most of it, and the offensive line has helped by opening lanes throughout the preseason. That combination gives the Titans a safety blanket while the offense settles in.
The same kind of stability has shown up on special teams, where Bones Fassel has the unit humming again. Joey Slye has been a major part of that.
He is 8-for-8 on field goals so far, and four of those makes have come from 50 yards or longer. After a slow start to training camp, he has bounced back in a big way and has scored 26 points in two exhibition games.
The return game has been merely average, with All-Pro Chimere Dike not returning kicks in the preseason, but the coverage teams have stood out. Julius Chestnut and James Williams have done strong work getting returners on the ground, and Tennessee has been winning the hidden yardage battle in these exhibition games.
There have been encouraging flashes from the passing game and the defense, and there are plenty of reasons to believe both will look better than they have so far. Even so, the most dependable parts of Tennessee’s preseason have been the run game and special teams. Those are the phases that deserve the most credit right now, and they may be the ones the Titans lean on early in the season while everything else catches up.
In Other News...
Titans Just Got An Unexpected WR Decision To Make
The Browns decision to move on from Cedric Tillman has suddenly put a young receiver with some untapped intrigue on the market, and that has to be at least a passing consideration for the Titans. Tennessee has been looking for answers in its wideout room, and Tillman fits the kind of profile teams often circle this time of year: a recent draft pick, still looking to establish himself, with enough playmaking flashes to make a front office think twice before letting him get away.
Tillman was a third-round pick in 2022 and had returned to camp after an injury, but Cleveland still chose to release him rather than keep him in the mix. For Tennessee, the question is whether there is enough upside there to justify a look, especially with a roster spot and a potential depth need in play. No move has been reported yet, but it is the sort of decision the Titans could revisit quickly if they want to add another receiver with some developmental appeal. [Read more 🡒]
Titans-Bears Just Put Carnell Tates Family Loyalty In The Spotlight
The Titans preseason finale against the Bears brings a little extra family intrigue to a game that already has some storyline juice for Tennessee. Rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate may see only limited action, but he is still expected to be a key target for quarterback Cam Ward as the Titans continue sorting out their passing game before the regular season arrives.
Tate also comes into the matchup with a personal twist, since he and his father have long been Bears fans. Even with his son now wearing Titans colors, Tates father said he will still be backing Chicago in the preseason meeting, which adds a small but noticeable layer of split loyalties to an otherwise routine August game. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Suddenly Have A Linebacker Decision They Cant Ignore
The Titans went into the preseason with Cody Barton penciled in as a starting linebacker alongside Cedric Gray, but the competition around that spot has become harder to ignore. Barton has had some slow stretches in exhibition action, while the younger options behind him have started to make a stronger case for themselves. James Williams has flashed, and rookie Anthony Hill has particularly stood out with the kind of active play that tends to get a coaching staffs attention fast.
Hills recent preseason work has included impactful moments, which is exactly the sort of production that can force a depth-chart conversation before the games start to count. Tennessee still has time to sort out how it wants to use its linebacker group, but the contrast is now clear enough: experience is holding the current projection in place, while youthful playmaking is pushing to crack it open. [Read more 🡒]