Seahawks @ Titans
Final Score: Titans 16 – Seahawks 15
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
With both teams electing to keep their starters on the sidelines for the whole game, the Tennessee Titans backups pulled out a 16-15 win over the Seattle Seahawks bench. The Titans’ rookie kicker, Brayden Narveson, connected on a 59-yarder midway through the fourth quarter as well as the walk-off 46-yard game-winner as time expired; but more importantly, both teams were looking to see which of their players deserve a spot on the roster and potentially earn a role as a key depth piece behind their resting starters. After a shaky first two drives, Sam Howell found his groove by connecting on a 23-yard touchdown to Easop Winston Jr., and capitalized on his following drive with quick chunk plays down the field to set up a 48-yard field goal to go into halftime with a 12-7 lead. Malik Willis started the game for the Titans and showed his ability to extend plays with his legs, but Mason Rudolph gets the glory after leading the final 9-play, 42-yard drive to set up the game-winning field goal.
Three Up
- Julius Winston Jr. – Not only did he bring in the first touchdown of the game, but each of his reps showed his ability to get off the line and create space. Throughout the game, he showed he could beat press coverage or find pockets against the zone.
- Julius Chestnut – Taking advantage of the opportunity by being on the field for the lion’s share of snaps, Chestnut displayed his well-rounded skillset: vision, patience, and explosiveness.
- Jha’Quan Jackson – Despite Nick Westbrook-Ikhine continuing to demonstrate his dependability, Jackson proved to be a valuable asset in the Titans receiving room as well as getting reps on special teams.
Three Down
- Hassan Haskins – Losing most of the snap share to Julius Chestnut hindered his ability to make his mark, and Jabari Small also showed explosiveness in the pass game that Haskins did not. He may also be losing a role on special teams to Jha’Quan Jackson.
- PJ Walker – A very lackluster performance coupled with Sam Howell‘s success will make it nearly impossible for Walker to prove he is a viable second-string option.
- George Holani – Similar to the Titans’ backfield, the opportunity to be the third back is hard to earn when you’re on the sideline watching your teammate performing well.
Seahawks
Quarterback
Sam Howell: 11/14 153 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT | 2 carries, 11 yards
Howell struggled on his first two drives behind his thin offensive line resulting in back-to-back three-and-outs. He responded quickly and strongly: an 8-play 84-yard touchdown drive, a 10-play 78-yard drive that settled for a field goal, and a speedy 6-play 43-yard drive in under 38 seconds to set up another FG to end his day.
Notes
- Howell displayed his ability to adapt after the shaky start. He completed passes under pressure, firing to his first read when recognizing an incoming blitz, and never turned the ball over. His 23-yard touchdown throw was a perfectly placed ball over the defender, and his successful two-minute-drill at the end of the half further separated him as the clear #2 behind Geno Smith.
Missed Opportunities
- His first two throws of the game were on a screen that forced the WR to spin around to catch it, and sailing a throw over the middle that luckily went incomplete. He fumbled on the first of his two sacks, which was fortunately recovered by his own team.
PJ Walker: 4/8 38 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT
Walker came in for the second half of the contest and failed to turn any heads after only converting for two 1st-downs through all four of his possessions. An interception from the defense set up a meager 22-yard drive for a FG, producing the only points scored of the Seahawks’ second half.
Notes
- Failing to get through his progressions and taking a sack, Walker showed signs of tunnel vision and lack of pocket presence. Three of his four completions came from throws within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, and his only remaining completion was an impressive diving catch by his TE Brady Russell.
Missed Opportunities
- Walker’s shots down the field were simply off the mark. Whether it was a deep out, back shoulder, or fade up the sideline, the only people capable of catching those throws were members of the coaching staff. To be fair he was under pressure more times than not, but he failed to feel the pressure and show the ability to step up in the pocket or try to extend the play.
Running Back
Kenny McIntosh: 8 carries, 46 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
Kenny McIntosh had a productive day and appears to have cemented himself as the coach’s third-string back behind Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. His output was constrained early as the offensive line struggled, but he was able to break off a few good runs and complete catches out of the backfield as the game progressed.
Notes
- McIntosh showed his vision by making strong cutbacks on a few inside zone plays and explosiveness to get to the second level. His speed was also on display getting around the edge on toss plays to the short side of the field. He’s also a capable pass catcher, making himself a checkdown option from Howell on a broken play as well as a one-handed grab on a slip screen from Walker.
Missed Opportunities
- While it’s easy to attribute failed run plays to poor blocking, McIntosh hardly showed the ability to make something out of nothing through either breaking tackles or evading the first defender. He is a capable ball runner but lacks the elusiveness to bring his game to the next level.
George Holani: 2 carries, 3 yards
Unfortunately for Holani, his reps in this game were limited and the touches he got were snuffed by a swarming defensive line. Holani will have to hope to see more opportunities in the final week of preseason to have a chance to work his way up the depth chart and guarantee his spot on the 53-man roster.
Kairee Robinson: 1 carry, 0 yards
Kobe Lewis: 4 carries, -1 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Easop Winston Jr.: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD
Battling for a chance to see the field in the regular season, Winston Jr. exploded onto the scene early with a 23-yard touchdown at the end of the first quarter, and he continued to get open down the field as the game went on. This game’s performance may be the most valuable of any player from this game given his position on the depth chart and the receiving room he’s competing with.
Notes
- Regardless of if he was targeted, his mechanics against press coverage is at the top of his skillset.
- Aside from his 1-on-1’s, another chunk play came from his ability to read the zone coverage and settle into a window.
Missed Opportunities
- The only incomplete ball thrown his way was a poor, uncatchable throw from Walker that was short and out of bounds despite Winston Jr. having a step on the defender.
Laviska Shenault Jr.: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 27 yards | 1 carry, 5 yards
Catching every ball thrown his way, Shanault Jr. demonstrated his reliability. Like Winston Jr., one of his catches came from a curl route where he read the zone and found a window between two defenders. It was clear that Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb wanted to get Shenault Jr. involved by calling plays designed for him. The first play of the game was a designed screen pass to him, and he also was given a designed run on a jet sweep where he broke a tackle and spun forward for a 5-yard gain.
Brady Russell: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards
Russell made an impressive diving catch for a gain of 13 on Seattle’s last drive of the game, but he also dropped a pass that was initially called a reception and fumble on the field before being overturned via challenge. The TE battle for the 3rd spot between him, AJ Barner, and Tyler Mabry is still anyone’s game going into the last week of preseason.
Cody White: 3 targets, 1 reception, 33 yards
AJ Barner: 1 target, 1 reception, 17 yards
Jake Bobo: 3 targets, 1 reception, 14 yards
Tyler Mabry: 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards
Dareke Young: 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
Hayden Hatten: 1 target, 0 receptions, 0 yards
Titans
Quarterback
Mason Rudolph: 10/17 125 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT | 4 carries, 15 yards
Rudolph entered the game midway through the second quarter and immediately marched 78 yards down the field and hit Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a 15-yard strike for the TD. He returned in the fourth quarter and led an 11-play, 41-yard drive connecting on three solid chunk plays to set up a 59-yard field goal. After Willis threw an interception on the following drive, Rudolph returned for the final possession of the game and went 42 yards in 9 plays in under two minutes to set up the game-winning field goal.
Notes
- His production may not be flashy and is somewhat inconsistent, but the results speak for themselves. Rudolph stands tall in the pocket and knows how to use his eyes to move the defenders.
Missed Opportunities
- Rudolph missed his target a number of times throughout the game, with a few passes that got away from him and were almost intercepted. He doesn’t shy away from throwing the ball into traffic, and got away with it a few times throughout the game.
Malik Willis: 12/16 116 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT | 4 carries, 30 yards
Callahan gave Willis the start, but despite making some good plays with his legs he was unable to convert any of his drives into points until a 73-yard drive in the 3rd quarter where they had to settle for a FG. Nonetheless, Willis’s ability to step up in the pocket and extend plays continues to keep him in the conversation in the backup QB battle with Rudolph.
Notes
- The lone blemish on the stat sheet was an interception late in the fourth quarter that came from a high pass deflected off the receiver’s hands into the arms of a diving safety. Multiple times throughout the game, Willis’s ability to run allowed him to get away from pressure or pick up a decent gain on designed QB draws. This aspect of his skillset is something that is missing from Rudolph’s, so Willis needs to learn to put complete drives together to earn an edge for the second spot on the depth chart.
Missed Opportunities
- The interception wasn’t the first pass that sailed high over the middle for Willis. He had two throws in the first half where he overthrew his receivers that would’ve easily gone for 15-20+ yards. He also failed to reach the endzone despite getting his team down to the 3-yard line.
Running Back
Julius Chestnut: 13 carries, 45 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards
Despite the woes of the offensive line on the first two drives, Chestnut was kept in the game, and for good reason. Midway through the second quarter, he broke off his best run of the day on an inside zone by waiting for the play to develop before exploding through the line and past the second level for a 27-yard gain. He was the clear leading RB of the first half before a more even rotation in the second half.
Notes
- The combination of his vision and patience puts him in position to succeed, and he has the physical skills to do so. He’s an efficient runner and makes the first man miss more times than not. It’s no surprise the coaching staff wanted to see him on the field more, and he seized the opportunity this week.
Missed Opportunities
- Being bigger-bodied, Chestnut had a hard time getting to the edge on tosses and outside run plays. The few tosses and outside zone plays given to him were for little to no gain.
Jabari Small: 7 carries, 13 yards | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 24 yards
Fighting for a spot on the roster, Jabari Small had a quiet but meaningful impact on this Titans offense. He caught all four passes out of the backfield and was elusive in open space. He will hope for more opportunities next week to put his explosiveness and pass-catching ability on further display.
Hassan Haskins: 5 carries, 13 yards | 1 target, 0 receptions, 0 yards
Haskins was given more opportunities in the first preseason game against San Fransisco, but the few he received in this game were average at best. His best run of the day went for 9 yards but was called back on a penalty.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jha’Quan Jackson: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 57 yards
Jackson hauled in all four balls thrown his way, proving to be a reliable target for either quarterback. The full route tree was on display as he beat both man and zone coverages to bring in catches that made the quarterbacks look good.
Notes
- Getting reps on special teams is usually a sign of speed and explosiveness, but his most impressive plays of this game came when he was lined up out wide: holding on to the catch through a big hit, coming back on a curl to get to the ball before the defenders, and creating space getting out of the break.
Missed Opportunities
- Mostly limited to fair catches on his punt returns, the one he was able to field went for a respectable 14-yard gain but could have gone for much further had he broken the tackle.
David Martin-Robinson: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 38 yards
The 250-pounder is built like a TE and isn’t afraid of the middle of the field. His lone incompletion went off his fingertips and was intercepted, but was a high-thrown ball that would’ve been an incredible catch had he brought it down.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 20 yards, 1 TD
The 5th year veteran remains a known commodity. He showed his hand strength by catching his first reception amidst a big hit, and fought through three defenders on his second to score the Titans’ lone touchdown of the game.
Mason Kinsey: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards
What could have been a more productive day was stifled by a miscommunication with Mason Rudolph and two drops, one of which was a contested catch on the sideline he attempted to trap to his body and deflected off his shoulder pads.
Bryce Oliver: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 22 yards
Sam Schnee: 2 targets, 1 reception, 14 yards
Thomas Odukoya: 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards