Robert Saleh didn’t wait long to make a change in Tennessee’s linebacker room.
After the Titans gave up 23 points to the New York Jets in Week 1 and looked vulnerable against the run, the team is turning to rookie Anthony Hill Jr. to start at MIKE against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. It’s a notable shift for a defense that was under the microscope all week, especially with veteran LB Cedric Gray sidelined by a concussion.
Hill made his NFL debut count. He finished with a league-high 16 tackles, added one play that should have been a forced fumble but was ruled an incompletion, and also broke up two passes while posting eight stops. By any measure, it was a loud entrance.
That performance quickly pushed Hill into the starting conversation, and now he’s earned the job - at least for this week. It also creates a real question around 29-year-old Cody Barton, who was on the field in Week 1 but didn’t come close to matching the rookie’s impact.
According to PFF, Hill was the top-graded rookie in the league last week with a 78.7. Barton checked in at 57.7, which ranked him 40th among 69 eligible linebackers.
Hill was 10th. The gap wasn’t just noticeable; it was obvious.
Saleh said the team is "working through options" regarding both Gray and Barton moving forward. Gray also had another full practice today, but for now the clearest answer in the room is that the best healthy linebacker will be on the field from the opening snap.
If Hill’s start helps Tennessee hold up better against Philadelphia’s run game, that’s a meaningful step. And for Saleh, it’s also a strong early move - the kind of decision fans were asking for after a rough opening week.
In Other News...
Titans Have An Offensive Problem Cam Ward Cant Keep Hiding
The Titans offense has spent too much of the past 18 games fighting the same problems in plain view, and the screen game has become one of the easiest to spot. What was supposed to be a simple way to help Cam Ward settle in has instead turned into another source of frustration, with the operation around those plays not matching the kind of rhythm Tennessee needs to get moving.
Brian Daboll now has to decide whether those calls are worth keeping in the playbook at all, or whether the Titans are better off leaning on other ways to simplify the offense and create cleaner answers for Ward. Tom Bradys recent comments about the early weeks under a new coordinator only sharpen the point here: this is the stage where good offenses start trimming the fat, and Tennessee still has to figure out which part of its passing game is helping and which part is just getting in the way. [Read more 🡒]
Cedric Gray Could Change Everything For A Titans Defense Under Pressure
Cedric Gray was back on the practice field Wednesday and Thursday, a strong sign the Titans linebacker is on track to clear concussion protocol and return for Week 2 against the Eagles. His availability matters more than it might in a typical early-season game, because Tennessee already got a preview of how thin the margin can be when a key linebacker is missing and the defense is forced to lean harder on the next man up.
Anthony Hill handled a bigger role in Grays absence against the Jets, but the Titans still have to prove that performance can translate against a far more demanding opponent. Grays return would give Tennessee a steadier look in the middle and another piece to help a defense that is already under pressure to hold up as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Suddenly Have A Real Concern Up Front Before Eagles
Austin Schlottmann arrived in Tennessee with a chance to stabilize the middle of the offensive line, but his first game in a Titans uniform did not go the way the team wanted. In the Week 1 loss to the Jets, the offseason addition and expected starting center had a rough outing, including a low run-blocking grade and trouble handling solo assignments inside.
Now the Titans are staring at a real question up front as they prepare for the Eagles. Center is supposed to be one of the spots that anchors an offense, and Tennessee does not have much time to sort out whether Schlottmann can rebound quickly or whether the line needs a different answer before the next kickoff. [Read more 🡒]