Nate Washington should be able to play a full set of snaps and rookie cornerback Ryan Mouton should make his debut as a punt returner, but the biggest piece of good news for Titans fans is the health of rookie tight end Jared Cook.
Cook missed the Steelers' game with a foot injury, but Tennessee is ready to unveil it's secret weapon against the the Texans. He's got the speed of a wide receiver and the size of a tight end. And before he injured his foot in the preseason, he showed that he actually has an idea of how to use that size and speed.
If he misses the rest of the preseason, it's not that big of a deal -- it gives rookie first-round pick Kenny Britt more reps with Kerry Collins this week. But apparently Washington's injury could cause him to miss the season opener against the Steelers, which would be bad news for a team with only one other established veteran receiver.
It's time for football. Instead of coeds and keggers though, today's football players will be getting paid. That is as long as they can stay on the roster.
There are six NFL preseason games on the docket for Saturday, and a lot of questions to answer and position battles to watch over.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet the... Team with lots of unhappy talent. After Vince Young's injury and subsequent meltdown, he's cried loudly that he wants the starting quarterback job again. The team signed Kerry Collins to a new deal, so that won't be happening any time soon. LenDale White wants more touches and shorter buffet lines. He solved the buffet problem by working out and dropping 20 pounds during the offseason, but the playing time issue won't be solved with Chris Johnson in the backfield. White and Johnson are great complements to each other. They each have distinctively different running styles and the "Smash and Dash" approach will do great things for the Titans offense, but limit both running backs to under 300 carries.
Rookie receivers traditionally have one of the toughest transitions to life in the NFL, topped only it seems by quarterbacks. With that in mind, it seems pretty clear that Kenny Britt, the Titans' first round pick, will not start the season as a key part of the team's offense.
LenDale White is the heavyset chap who puts the "mash" in "Smash and Dash." On Saturday, he saw extended playing time due to a second-quarter Chris Johnson injury, and, well, let's just say he was underwhelming.
White fumbled on the Ravens' 15-yard line late in the first half, and he managed just 45 yards on 15 carries for the day. He's not the sole reason Tennessee's season is now over -- Alge Crumpler's fumble was arguably more back-breaking, and the defense had two huge lapses that resulted in 10 points -- but White's three-year career can kindly be described as disappointing.
Part of the problem has been attitude, but the bigger issue has been his commitment. White has routinely shown up for offseason workouts looking more like Albert Haynesworth's stunt double than an NFL running back. Apparently, entering your contract year changes your perspective. Or maybe White's just tired of being chubby. Either way, he's taking the 2009 season seriously.
Two things were proven in yesterday's clash of defense-first football teams. The Titans might be better than we first thought and the Ravens might be a little more scrappy than initially projected.
Tennessee outlasted Baltimore yesterday 13-10 in a game that saw four interceptions, two quarterback ratings in the low 50s and no running back or receiver eclipsing the 100-yard mark. The Ravens did what they have been doing for years while the Titans are getting used to this "simplify the offense, let the defense strut their stuff" mentality that appears to be working to perfection.
Titans center Kevin Mawae, who said he is getting really sick of all the paparazzi outside his house on a daily basis, said after the game that it was all they really needed to continue their unbeaten streak.
"I think it shows the character of this team, from the young guys to the most veteran guys," Mawae said. "It wasn't pretty, but we made the plays when we needed to and we won the game."
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Quarterback: If you can say with certainty that you know whether Vince Young is going to take a big leap forward this year, or stumble into mediocrity, I want to hear your stock tips. The Titans say they're happy with the way Young has improved his drops and his accuracy during training camp--we just haven't seen much of it in games. Kerry Collins is a very solid backup, but with the group of receivers these two are going to have to throw to, it's hard to know how much blame they deserve if the passing game struggles. Heat Index: 5.
Michael Vick has had a tough 12 months. He's been accused and convicted of puppy murder in the first degree, and it has recently come to light that he's broke. Even though, you know, he had earned more than $20 million in guaranteed loot.
Well, things are looking up for Mr. Mexico: in addition to possibly have a post-incarceration job lined up, he's also had some visitors. And not just the leeches looking for a loan, but important people. Like former Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler, for example.
Crumpler revealed that he visited with former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in prison in Leavenworth, Kan., just before the start of training camp....
"I visited Mike right before camp, and I had a chance to sit down with him and talk with him about a lot of things dealing with life," Crumpler said. "I tried not talk too much about football, but just what's going to happen when he gets out eventually and just being there in support of him, as I've been. This is a situation where I could go and sit down with a guy and not have to worry about telling the world."
Two games into the preseason, it's pretty clear that the Titans running game is in good shape, and there's little reason to worry about the defense. But it's fair to ask when the Titans passing game is going to make its first appearance.
If you were looking for Vince Young to build off of his uneven 2008 opener, you're still waiting. Young looked worse this week, bouncing passes to some receivers and overthrowing others. When it was over, he was a pretty brutal 4-for-13 for 37 yards. Actually that's the good news, as those stats don't fully tell the story--as the game went on, Young got worse and worse. He started out going 3-for-3 with a sack on his first four pass plays, then went 1-for-10 over the remainder of his short stay on the field. On third downs he was 1-for-5 with no first downs.
Now this isn't all Young's fault. As Kerry Collins' 4-for-15 follow-up showed, part of the problem is that the Titans have won of the worst receiving corps in the league. Presumed starters Justin McCareins and Justin Gage combined for one catch for 18 yards, and Brandon Jones was shutout. Tight end Alge Crumpler is supposed to be Vince Young's new security blanket--he has two catches for 12 yards in two games.
Nate Washington should be able to play a full set of snaps and rookie cornerback Ryan Mouton should make his debut as a punt returner, but the biggest piece of good news for Titans fans is the health of rookie tight end Jared Cook.
It's Saturday in August. 
With 
Rookie receivers traditionally have one of the toughest transitions to life in the NFL, topped only it seems by quarterbacks. With that in mind, it seems pretty clear that Kenny Britt, the Titans' first round pick, will not start the season as a key part of the team's offense.
LenDale White
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, 
Two games into the preseason, it's pretty clear that the Titans running game is in good shape, and there's little reason to worry about the defense. But it's fair to ask when the Titans passing game is going to make its first appearance.
