What We Saw: Preseason Week 1 2018

Titans vs. Packers

First off, I want to say, it is going to take some time to get used to the Titans’ new uniforms. It’s also going to take time to get used to seeing Dion Lewis outside of New England. I was interested to see the carry split heading into tonight between him and Derrick Henry. Lewis and Henry divided the five carries and gained eight and 11 yards respectively. You can expect a similar situation once the regular season begins. Henry should certainly dominate the early-down work, but Lewis is clearly someone the Titans want to mix in and utilize on passing downs. One unexpected player to catch my attention was running back David Fluellen. He averaged seven yards on three carries and could be a name to watch if anything were to happen to Lewis or Henry.

Marcus Mariota came in and took care of business. Going 2-of-3 with 42 yards and a touchdown. Blaine Gabbert relieved him and looked like someone other than Blaine Gabbert. He should be a serviceable enough back up were Mariota to go down.

No one really jumped off the screen in the receiving game for the Titans. Taywan Taylor disappointed me, after I had heard all offseason that he could be a sleeper candidate. Rishard Matthews and Delanie Walker seem to be leading candidates in the passing game again this year, unless Tajae Sharpe or Corey Davis finally separate themselves.

The Titans have one of the best offensive lines in football and seem to be solid on defense as well. Rookie linebacker, Harold Landry, showed good speed off the edge and notched a strip-sack. The Titans surprised last year by making it to the playoffs and it will be interesting to see how they build on that momentum heading into this season.

The Packers have a running back that I continue to like more and more. Jamaal Williams will get the first crack at the starting gig with Aaron Jones suspended. He ran effectively tonight and even showed that he had some pass-catching chops; when hauled in an eight-yard touchdown. Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones will get there work as well, but Williams could really separate himself in the coming weeks.

DeShone Kizer and Brett Hundley seem to have a battle brewing for the backup quarterback spot. Both had similar stat lines and each has starting experience. Either one will fail in comparison to Aaron Rodgers of course, but the hope is that he stays healthy, unlike last year.

The wide receivers are also an interesting group on this team. Once you get past Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, it’s a toss-up. Many think it will be Geronimo Allison, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling (try saying that five times fast) and Jake Kumerow showed some flashes tonight that hint they could carve out a role on this team.

The offensive line seems to be improved, but there is still some question about the guard position. Keeping Rodgers protected is priority number one. The Packers also have question marks on their defense. The team spent much of their draft picks bolstering that side of the ball, including the first two being corners. If the Packers can improve on defense and keep Rodgers healthy, there is no reason they cannot be a top NFC contender.

-Aaron Rader