The Tennessee Titans closed out their preseason on Saturday night with a 26-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Saturday night.
The contest was the final chance for those players on the bubble and competing for starting jobs to show their stuff, as the Titans will cut their roster down to the final 53 on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
But this might not be the end of the road for some players who get cut, as they could end up on the practice squad.
While there were several young players who shined on Saturday night, there were also others who fizzled and did not help their cause in making the roster.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s biggest winners and losers from Saturday night.
Winner: QB Malik Willis
Willis saved his best for last, completing 15-of-23 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown to one interception. He also added 79 yards on four carries, including a 50-yard scamper. In the first half, Willis was 12-of-15 and accounted for 167 of the Titans’ 187 yards.
Willis has looked more and more comfortable each week, and that was once again apparent on Saturday night. He did a good job staying patient in the pocket and going through his progressions, and looked more decisive.
The rookie has improved by leaps and bounds since preseason Week 1 and has flashed every part of his elite skillset. He has done more than enough to be the Titans’ backup over Logan Woodside, but it remains to be seen if the team is comfortable with him being an injury away from seeing the field in 2022.
Nevertheless, you can chalk this preseason up as a success for the rookie.
In between: Logan Woodside
Woodside saw just one series on Saturday night but led the Titans to a game-winning touchdown on a 75-yard drive that saw the signal-caller use his legs to find his first touchdown of the preseason. The Toledo product completed five of his nine passes for 43 yards, also.
Woodside had two cracks at throwing a touchdown pass, but he missed Mason Kinsey in the end zone on one play, and Dez Fitzpatrick dropped another would-be touchdown.
While this was a strong finish for Woodside, he hasn’t done enough to warrant the backup job. However, Tennessee’s potential desire to keep Willis away from the field in 2022 could save him.
Winner: Nicholas Petit-Frere
Petit-Frere had a good night overall despite a few hiccups, and during the broadcast of the game general manager Jon Robinson shockingly admitted Petit-Frere had won the starting right tackle job.
Now, that’s not to say the writing wasn’t already on the wall, but Robinson admitting it during the game was definitely a surprise.
The rookie was expected to need a full season of development before taking a starting job, but clearly he’s ahead of schedule. It also helped that Dillon Radunz struggled mightily, both in camp and the preseason.
Loser: Dillon Radunz
Petit-Frere winning the starting job is a massive blow to Radunz, who continues to look like a bust.
Radunz was the favorite to win the right tackle job when the offseason began, so this is huge disappointment for the former second-round pick. Now the Titans will look to convert him to guard, a position many thought he’d eventually end up at.
Winner: Treylon Burks
Burks finally made some noise in a preseason game after being quiet the first two weeks. He reeled in three passes for 33 yards and a score, all preseason-highs for him. Adding to that, Burks’ 33 yards were a team-high. This is exactly the kind of game the rookie needed going into Week 1.
One thing to watch: Burks injured his wrist during the game but was able to return to the field. After the contest he had a brace on the wrist, but the fact he was able to return (and score) is a sign he’s fine.
Losers: Dez Fitzpatrick, Mason Kinsey, Reggie Roberson
We grouped these three together because they are competing for what figures to be one spot left at wide receiver — and none of the three did much to separate themselves.
After outshining both Fitzpatrick and Kinsey in preseason Week 2, Roberson was held catch-less on Saturday. Fitzpatrick and Kinsey weren’t much better, with both reeling in two catches for 23 and 18 yards, respectively.
Fitzpatrick’s night was soured by a drop on a would-be touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Kinsey would have had a touchdown catch but Woodside missed him with a bad throw in the end zone. He also had a solid 18-yard punt return, one of his three attempts on the night.
It’s anyone’s guess who wins the final spot at this point.
Winner: Rashad Weaver
Weaver has been an absolute menace all preseason long. He notched seven tackles and had multiple pressures, one of which turned into a QB hit. He also blew up multiple plays, including getting a piece of Trace McSorley’s arm to force an incomplete pass.
Weaver’s motor and overall talent are undeniable. He should be the first pass-rusher off the bench at outside linebacker and we expect him to make some semblance of an impact in 2022.
Winner: Ugo Amadi
While a slew of Titans saw snaps at safety and the nickel, it was Amadi who shined the most. The newest Titan had a pair of pass break-ups, including a leaping one behind the line of scrimmage. He might have secured his roster spot on Saturday night despite very limited time in Nashville.
Winner: Ryan Stonehouse
Going into preseason Week 3, we wanted to see Stonehouse improve his touch in order to pin opponents deep in their own territory. Well, he delivered.
Not only did Stonehouse show his massive leg with two 60-plus-yard punts, he also dropped three punts inside the 20. Overall, Stonehouse averaged 49.4 yards per punt.
It remains to be seen if the rookie did enough to dethrone Brett Kern as the Titans’ punter, but this competition is a lot closer than anyone could have possibly imagined.
This could very well be the end for Kern, who didn’t play.
Loser: Titans' O-line depth
Another preseason game, another horrid showing from the Titans’ depth options along the offensive line. Willis was sacked four times, and while one of them was on him, he was running for his life most of the night.
The group’s overall showing this preseason doesn’t instill much confidence in the guys behind the starters, who have question marks of their own.
Winner: David Anenih
David Anenih continued to make impact plays. Anenih, who tallied three sacks in the first two games, added to his impressive preseason by batting down a pair of passes. The rookie has done enough to force the Titans to keep a fifth outside linebacker.
