The Tennessee Titans will play their second preseason game of 2022 on Saturday night at Nissan Stadium in Nashville against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Following the contest, the Titans will make their next round of cuts on Tuesday afternoon, trimming their roster down from 85 to 80. The final cutdown to 53 will be on Tuesday, Aug. 30 after the final preseason game.
The Titans and Bucs took part in joint practices with one another this week for the second straight year, which was a big step in the evaluation process.
Now, those Titans on the roster bubble will look to further help their cause in the second-to-last exhibition contest. Here’s a look at 10 things to watch for.
Malik Willis vs. Logan Woodside
It’s safe to say rookie quarterback Malik Willis took the lead in the battle for the backup spot after he outshined Logan Woodside in preseason Week 1.
But Willis is coming off a tough week of practices and it isn’t clear if the Titans will even consider carrying him as the lone backup without a buffer between him and the field.
As much as Willis has struggled with typical rookie issues, Woodside hasn’t been any better. Still, we’re not going to make the same mistake we have in the past of writing Woodside off, and it wouldn’t shock us at all to see him rebound in preseason Week 2.
In the preseason opener, Willis started and both quarterbacks got a half, but the Titans have been giving the rookie more reps recently, so it’s possible we see more Willis this time around. It still isn’t clear who will start, though.
“I just think we have to continue to develop Malik in the system,” Vrabel said, per John Glennon of Sports Illustrated. “We’ve had conversations with Logan about his opportunity to compete. But I also feel like we have to see how quickly we can bring Malik along.”
Another thing to keep an eye on is Willis’ tendency to hold on to the ball for too long or pull it down too quickly. It would be a good sign to see progress in that area on Saturday night.
Dillon Radunz vs. Nicholas Petit-Frere
Dillon Radunz got the start at right tackle while Nicholas Petit-Frere started at left tackle before moving over in preseason Week 1. The Titans have been rotating at the position in practice, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see NPF get the start at right tackle this time around.
By all accounts, Radunz remains the favorite for the job, but NPF has been giving him more of a run for his money than we expected. Radunz will ultimately win the starting role, but NPF’s start in Nashville has been encouraging.
Does Jamarco Jones make headway?
We’re hesitant to even call this a competition anymore, as the Titans haven’t been rotating first-team reps in practice at left guard like they have at right tackle, giving Aaron Brewer all of the looks over Jamarco Jones.
Jones did start at left guard in preseason Week 1, but that was likely only because Brewer was needed at center. Jones will have to make serious headway if he wants to upset his competition.
Wide receivers trying to earn their role/spot
There’s a lot to watch here.
Rookies like Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips, both of whom were quiet in preseason Week 1, are looking to cement a significant role for themselves with a strong showing this week. Both have played well in practice, with Philips being among the team’s biggest standouts.
Then you have guys on the roster bubble like Dez Fitzpatrick and Mason Kinsey who need to step up in order to secure their spot. Kinsey was third in receiving yards in preseason Week 1, while Fitzpatrick had one catch for 10 yards.
Caleb Farley trying to fend off Roger McCreary
We still believe Caleb Farley will start opposite Kristian Fulton, but Roger McCreary been giving Farley a run for his money.
While Farley has had his moments, there have been plenty of struggles, also. He had a rough first day of practice against the Bucs before rebounding on Thursday.
Meanwhile, McCreary has been outstanding for a rookie and has even been getting first-team reps in Farley’s projected spot in practice. Overall, he looks ready to make a significant impact in his first season.
If Farley wants to fend off the rookie, he’ll have to elevate his game on Saturday night.
Debut of new Titans
It hasn’t been confirmed, but the Titans will likely see the debut of two recently-acquired defensive players, safety Tyree Gillespie and cornerback Lonnie Johnson, who also has the versatility to play at safety.
Both players have a shot at making the roster despite their late arrivals, as Tennessee’s secondary depth options have been lackluster thus far. It’ll also be interesting to see if the Titans use either or both in the tight end matchup role previously owned by Dane Cruikshank.
Secondary depth
Piggybacking off the previous thing to watch, Tennessee’s secondary depth options at cornerback and safety were not good in preseason Week 1, and it’s clear the Titans thought the same after the additions of Gillespie and Johnson.
If the incumbents want to fend off the new guys, they have to play better in this week. On top of Gillespie and Johnson, Greg Mabin, Theo and Chris Jackson and Shakur Brown are among the top depth options to watch on Saturday night.
Both Jacksons were absent from practice on Thursday, so it remains to be seen if they’ll even play. Missing this game could prove to be a big blow for both players’ chances of making the roster.
Larrell Murchison trying to keep his head above water
A 2020 fifth-round pick, Larrell Murchison is in danger of not making the cut thanks to the impressive depth Tennessee has upfront ahead of 2022.
At this point, it feels like Murchison’s best bet to make the cut would be for the Titans to carry six defensive linemen, as he has routinely been outshined by veteran DeMarcus Walker, who will grab the fifth spot.
Murchison was quiet in preseason Week 1, and that has been the theme of his offseason thus far. He needs to start making noise if he wants to force the Titans to carry a sixth.
The returners
In preseason Week 1, Racey McMath, Trenton Cannon and Terry Godwin returned kicks, with McMath shining out of the group thanks to a 35-yard return. It’ll be interesting to see if the Titans deploy any new faces in this spot, like Treylon Burks, who has been getting looks in practice.
As far as punt returners are concerned, Kyle Philips was the only player to return punts in preseason Week 1. It would be a good indication Philips is in line to take the starting job if that happens again in preseason Week 2.
Injuries
The Titans came away mostly unscathed in preseason Week 1, as no players suffered any major injuries. Tennessee is likely to play at least some starters in preseason Week 2, so hopefully the team can avoid the injury bug again.
