SB Nation - Javon Ringer

Steelers 13 Titans 10: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Jimmy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:18:05 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Last night was a tough way to open the season, no doubt, but it is important to remember that it was only one game. Here is what I take away as the good, bad and ugly from last night.

The Good

The run defense. The Steelers had 23 carries for 36 yards. We will take that.

Kenny Britt. Britt had 4 catches for 85 yards last night. I think that already makes him the best rookie receiver the Titans have ever had.

The Bad

The defensive play calling. I still can't understand how they don't either blitz, press the receivers, or both in overtime. And don't come at me with the crap excuse that blitzing Ben Roethlisberger doesn't work. How did giving him all day to do that stupid pump fake work out for you? Combine that with giving his receivers a 10 yard cushion, and you have the recipe for not seeing the ball in overtime.

Dropped passes. Alge Crumpler let a ball hit him in gut. Justin Gage dropped a catchable ball in the end zone (now in fairness, he may have had that ball knocked loose when he got popped afterwards). Gage also had the final third down of the game go off his finger tips. They never gave us a replay that showed us how catchable that ball really was, but an NFL receiver needs to make that play.

Offensive play calling. Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for 23 carries in the game. That simply isn't enough, and it wasn't like the run wasn't successful. They averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Now that isn't setting the world on fire, but it is more than serviceable against the Steelers' vaunted defense.

The Ugly

Special teams. All facets of special teams were bad last night. Stefan Logan averaged 29 yards per kick return while Javon Ringer averaged 19.7.

Cortland Finnegan looked lost on punt returns, but you can't blame that on him. The blame for that falls squarely on the shoulders of Jeff Fisher. Cort had only returned 4 punts in the NFL before last night. He looked lost because it is something he has never really done, and it killed the Titans last night. Signing a guy that can help in the return game should be the #1 priority before the game against the Texans. Heck, I don't care if you bring Mark Jones back with only one hamsting. At least he catches the ball when it is punted.

Craig Hentrich shanked a punt at the most inoportune time.

And then there was the field goal team. It really doesn't matter if you blame Rob Bironas, Ken Amato, or the line. In the end all that matters is both of those kicks have to be made.

Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preview

Jimmy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:24:18 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

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I am so excited that there is finally some real life football to talk about. We have been talking about this game for so long that it is almost hard to believe that it is actually happening today.

Entirely to much talk surrounding this game has focused on the terrible towel stuff that happened at the end of the last game. That stuff is great for blogs, radio shows and message boards, but it means nothing when the ball is kicked off tonight night.

The key for the Titans in this game is to play the same game they did against the Steelers in week 16 last season. I know that is over-simplified, but it really is the truth. The Titans got after Ben Roethlisberger all day long, and in doing so they were able to keep him funneled into the pocket. From all reports I have heard, the Steelers spend a significant amount of time in practice working on plays where Big Ben has broken contain. Last season the Titans were able to really punish him without letting him escape. That will be key once again tonight.

Take a look at these numbers from that game last season:

Those numbers don't even show the 5 fumbles the Titans defense forced or the 5 times they were able to sack Roethlisberger.

The other key you see there is that the Steelerswere only able to gain 73 yards on the ground. If the Titans can put up a similar effort tonight, it forces the Steelers into obvious passing situations. That is where the Titans defense will excel.

As you can see below, the Steelers defense was very, very good against the run last season. The Titans actually had success against them last season. Chris Johnson racked up 69 yards on 16 carries and LenDale White added 48 yards on 15 carries. We all know the Titans are committed to the run even when it doesn't work. We will probably see quite a few running plays tonight that go for next to nothing, but it only takes a couple of seams for CJ to keep the defense honest.

Kerry Collins was also very good in that game last season going 20-29 for 215 yards with 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. We all know that is the game the Titans need him to play. If he puts up similar numbers tonight it will be a good night.

As always in a game like this, special teams will play a huge role. The Steelers have a new return man, Stefan Logan, who has apparently lit the world on fire this preseason. Containing him will be very important for the Titans.

Special teams is a bit of a question mark for the Titans. I expect to see Javon Ringer returning kicks, andall indications are that Cortland Finnegan will handle the punts. The long term goal is for Ryan Mouton to handle punts, but they don't think he is ready tonight because of his injury. They also probably don't want to throw him right into the fire coming off that injury as a rookie in a game of this magnitude. Say a little prayer every time a punt goes in the air that nothing happens to Finnegan. We all know what losing him would mean.

There is no doubt that this is a tough game in a tough atmosphere against a tough team, but it is a game that the Titans match-up well in. Take care of the ball and good things will happen.

Last year's stats:

Titans	2009 Stat	Steelers
137.4 (7th)	Rush Offense	105.6 (23rd)
200.5 (17th)	Pass Offense	206.3 (17th)
313.6 (21st)	Total Offense	311.9 (22nd)
23.4 (14th)	Scoring Offense	21.7 (20th)
8.8% (14th)	Offense DVOA	1.7% (20th)
93.9 (6th)	Rush Defense	80.3 (2nd)
199.8 (9th)	Pass Defense	156.9 (1st)
293.6 (7th)	Total Defense	237.2 (2nd)
14.6 (2nd)	Scoring Defense	13.9 (1st)
+7 (8th)	Turnover Ratio	+10 (2nd)
-17% (5th)	Defense DVOA	-26% (1st)
27% (5th)	Total DVOA	27% (5th)

Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns: What Are The Titans Looking To Accomplish?

Jimmy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:00:17 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Your preseason MVP. (AP Photo/John Russell)

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Most teams use this preseason game, the third for most teams and the fourth for this team because of the Hall of Fame Game, as the game where they play their starters into the second half to get them used to warming back up after the intermission. Over the last few years Jeff Fisher has played this game more like any other preseason game and used the fourth one for that. I think this will be the year that the starters come out after halftime, and we will see a lot of the starters not even play next week.

With that in mind, this is the most important preseason game the Titans have played to this point. As good as we all think this team is going to be, there are still some things that the Titans haven't accomplished this preseason that they need to tomorrow night in Cleveland.

Get the running game on track

Let me say again that I am not worried about the running game because the offensive line has been healthy and it is the preseason, but it will make me and everyone else breath a little more easily if Chris Johnson could have a solid performance tomorrow night. It looks like there is a decent shot that Mawae is going to play, so the Titans will have 4/5ths of their offensive line together for the first time since the Hall of Fame game. No better time to get some things on track in the running game.

Get Mark Jones some return opportunities

Javon Ringer, the preseason MVP to this point, looked good returning kicks last week, but the Titans signed Jones because they feel he can have a similar impact to what Chris Carr did last season. We haven't gotten to see Jones do anything because of the hamstring injury and tomorrow night may be his shot to make this roster.

Get some pressure from the defensive line

The defensive line let Tony "The Tool" Romo have all day to throw last week in Dallas, and he marched all over the field on them. We all know the biggest question surrounding this team heading into this season from the national media, and it would be nice for them to take some steps toward answering that tomorrow night.

Get a chance to run a two-minute drill with the first team

You can never have too many chances to practice the two-minute drill, and I would be good if the Titans could get a shot to do it tomorrow night before the half. It would also be a good chance to see Kenny Britt in that situation as the #2 receiver. I don't know about you, but a two-minute offense with CJ, Britt and Jared Cook seems pretty exciting to me.

Those are four that come to mind for me. Anyone have anything to add to the list, and please don't make this another "which punter should they keep thread." Spoiler alert: The answer is Craig Hentrich.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Meager Upside Edition

August West — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:37:35 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

I'm sure Kevin Mawae is very happy to have dumped the PUP list...

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An MRI showed no major damage to Nate Washington's hamstring, but his status for the season opener at Pittsburgh is still very much in doubt. Given how tough the early third of our schedule appears to be, this could be a significant injury due to the lack of experience behind him. The meager upside to the situation is that coaches will get a good long look at those young guys over the final two preseason games with the starting unit.

Traditionally Coach Fisher has had the starters play into the first few series in the third quarter during the third preseason game so that they get a feel for the halftime process and making adjustments. This squad is so experienced, however, that Fish is saying he may forego that route this time.

Graduating from Vanderbilt and carving out a good career in the NFL is more than most people can accomplish, and it doesn't get a bit easier if you throw dyslexia in the mix... just ask Jovan Haye.

Follow us through the jump to see why the Titans aren't sweating the ground game's lame preseason production...

Teresa Walker explains why the Titans aren't concerned about the lackluster production in the running game over the preseason: mainly because there's no sense of urgency due to the fact that these guys have proven themselves in real action. You can also point to the O-line injuries as affecting the running game as well.

Paul K watched a big-time goal line stand in practice yesterday, and then decided to quiz those involved to see how it looked from their perspective.

Peter King can name at least 10 rookies who have been more impressive than Jared Cook or Javon Ringer? Really?

Former Titans camp player from last year and local (Montgomery Bell) product Ingle Martin has an audition for the Denver Broncos.

The Football Outsiders take a look at what they perceive (via their proprietary DVOA stats) to be a steady decline in the competitive balance across the NFL.

If there's anything you would like to share with the MCM community, please take advantage of the comments, fanshots and fanposts to do so! Or, you can always email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Put 'em Through The Ringer Edition

August West — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:13:46 -0000

More photos » by Sharon Ellman - AP

Cowboys fans realize that their screen is so big and so clear it's like the FAIL is happening in the seat in front of you.

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The one thing to really take away from Friday's preseason game was that Javon Ringer has the 3rd running back spot pretty well locked down. Adding some specials teams value with his big kick return just sealed the deal. That man looks better and better every time he gets the ball, and he has the variety of skills you want in a running back who is there to provide depth.

Finally, after weeks of lingering injuries kept him confined to the training room, return specialist Mark Jones will be practicing. Lets not forget that he has had some pretty solid success with the Panthers, and most importantly, has a very solid history of protecting he ball. If all goes well we should some quieting down of the panic over the return game.

Jim Wyatt says Dominique Edison is a serious threat to bump the recently booked Chris Davis off the 53 man roster. If that happens then you obviously have to look at the DUI as a part of that formula, but it'll still be a good story for an undrafted free agent a sixth round pick to make the roster over several more heralded prospects.

Follow us through the jump to find-out who is calling Jeff Fisher a liar from a safe distance....

Tony Brown got fined $7,500 for tackling Byron Leftwich to the ground. That may be one of the worst penalties and fines I can remember in a long time. All Brown did was wrap him up and finish the tackle. If the league is going to be even more protective of QBs then they better start making them carry those play charts in purses.

Ringer has impressed Smash and Dash, but he's still got a good ways to go before they'll just drop a nickname on the rookie.

SoCal Titan points us towards a recent radio interview Jeff Fisher did with ESPN Radio in Dallas. There's good stuff in here about replacing Albert, coaching Vince Young and much more.

Sunday was apparently a very good day for VY throwing the ball out at Baptist Sports Park, which is nice because Friday sure wasn't much to shake a stick at.

David Stewart sounds like a bowl full of laughs. Who cares as long as he's mauling anything in his path at right tackle.

Mike Florio called Jeff Fisher a liar, then offered no evidence or reporting to back it up. Sounds about right for the NFL's resident insult to brainpower journalism.

Dallas Cowboys 30 Tennessee Titans 10 Recap: It's Only Preseason

Jimmy — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:44:20 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Fisher: "Thanks for the beatdown. My job is still more secure than yours. Good luck with that." (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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The only good news from this game is that it is only preseason, so there is really no need to spend a lot of time worrying about the things we saw tonight. Are there some causes for concern? Sure, but at the end of the day this game means absolutely nothing. As JimR said in the open game thread (which was excellent tonight):

Just keep repeating:

"It’s only a pre-season game." Remember, Detroit won all their pre-season games last year.

The first team offense looked lost for the second week in a row. Chris Johnson and LenDale White combine for 7 yards on 4 carries. I do realize the Titans aren't doing any type of scheming for these games, but I am a slight bit concerned at the inability to get anything done on the ground.

Kerry Collins was better this week than last but still didn't light the world on fire. He ended the game 8 of 11 for 55 yards and a touchdown. Both of the guys behind him looked pretty bad.

The lone bright spot of the game was Javon Ringer. Ringer may end up being the steal of the 2009 draft. He is the classic guy who doesn't have the measureables teams are looking for, but he is a really good football player. He has good vision, which is what will most likely make him end up as the kick returner, and he has good game speed. He cannot replace CJ, but he can step in and make some plays if CJ misses time because of an injury.

Shake this one off. There are obviously a lot of things this team needs to fix, but at the end of the day this game doesn't mean anything. I hope that is going to help me sleep.

Be sure and check back tomorrow for the roll call and some statistical analysis from the game.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Ribonucleic Acid Freak Out Edition

August West — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:32:56 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Chris Davis dropped the ball... in life. /goes back to writing after school specials

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Chris Davis certainly didn't help himself get a roster spot by getting popped for a DUI last night around 4 a.m. The team had already left for Dallas, but Davis was staying behind due to a hamstring injury. In an incredibly weird twist, the arresting officer was the same guy who was suspended after pulling McNair over in 2003, and the same cop who pulled McNair and his killer over (she got a DUI) two days before his murder.

This is about as close as we'll get to an apology from LenDale for his fumble in the Baltimore game, and it was actually nice to read:

"I'm a humbled man," White says. "When the clock strikes triple zeroes and you have to walk off the field knowing you're one of the reasons your team lost, it hurts man."

To his credit, White didn't duck reporters afterward. He made himself available for waves of repeat questions, and came away saying the experience taught him three things.

"I think I learned how to be a football player, and I learned how to grow up," he says. "And I learned I need to hold on to the damn football."

This week's edition of the Friday Jams features my boys Clutch (who I've linked to before, but they're that good), and their binary coded masterpiece: 10001110101.

Follow us through the jump for a mountain of links...

After being told he had too many carries in college to have a long NFL career, Javon Ringer is dead-set on proving those folks wrong. Given that he's about to take a former 2nd round pick's roster spot, I'd say he's well on his way. Here's another post from the excellent blog Sparty and Friends by a Michigan State fan who is pulling for Ringer.

SI.com's John P. Lopez goes through the AFC and comes up with the player each team could least afford to lose. Ours was Boom King, but there are legit concerns about his health that he really needs to answer this year. if he's able to stay relatively healthy, then I'd expect him to have another Pro Bowl caliber year.

Tonight's game is extra exciting for a few Titans, namely former Cowboy Ryan Fowler and Texas native DeMarcus Faggins, as they'll be part of history by breaking in the new Cowboys stadium.

Stephen Tulloch is out for tonight, but plans on practicing all next and resuming his starting role against Cleveland. I hope he can get back to 100% soon, but it is nice knowing that we have reliable back-up like Fowler right there when we need him.

The ever-dligent SoCal points us towards this season preview on examiner.com.

Colin Cowherd is a definite douchecanoe, even if he did side with our boy here. You gotta love that this is cutting edge programing on ESPN. I'm just waiting for them to come up with a Chelsea Handler type show where three comedians and friggin' Erik Kuselias sit around and crack jokes in the 'Best Week Ever' vein... you know this is coming soon.

So will Dungy go out on a limb for the other Vick brother? Hell, the worst he ever did was stomp on Elvis Dumervil back in college. Marcus had the same crappy raising and influences, so where's the out cry for his 'second shot'?

I'll have to admit, when Ochocinco is in a good headspace, he can be one of the funnier players in the league.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Baby Steps, Big Boy Checks Edition

August West — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:49:32 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Chuck Cecil is the man. He's got to learn how to compose himself a little better on the sideline, but that fire and passion will be contagious, and combustible, as the season goes on.

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Kerry Collins struggled mightily Saturday night, but I would advise against reading to much into that just as I'd advise against arguing that VY is ready to take over after a meager sample size. The real difference between the two players is that Kerry is experienced enough to learn from that game and settle back into his game management role like we need him to. The only way Kerry gets in trouble with this team is if he starts thinking he can make every throw and starts to gamble; that could be disastrous for this squad.

Vince Young's solid performance Saturday most likely earned him some extended reps with the first unit next week against Dallas. Vince looked more comfortable and confident against the Bucs than we've seen from him at the NFL level, and it's very encouraging. Next week his goal should be to maintain that mindset while still preparing as hard as possible. That will be key if he wants to experience some consistent success in the NFL, rather than wild fluctuations from week to week.

With every week of training camp and preseason contest, this year's rookie class is looking like one of the deepest and most talented we've seen in a good while. These guys were brought in to play specific roles, and that's just what they're doing right away.

Follow is through the jump to discover what we should all be a little more worried about than we are...

Kenny Britt made his debut Saturday like a boss, ending up with 5 catches for 89 yards. He did limp of the field with an injury though, and we should be hearing something today on the status of his ankle. i promised myself I wouldn't freak out about the injuries that keep creeping up with Britt just yet, so I'm staying focused on the excellent production and potential we all saw Saturday.

Should we be more worried about the mounting injuries to starters (Stephen Tulloch, Jason Jones and David Stewart) and key reserves (Jacob Ford, Colin Allred, maybe even Kenny Britt now) so early in the year? These aren't insurmountable, and all are expected back pretty soon, but adding just one or two more key names to that list could spell trouble through the tough early stretch of the schedule.

Paul K has notes from Saturday night's game, and plenty of thoughts on the Titans' youngsters.

Sure as heck sounds like Bud Adams took notice of VY's play Saturday, but I wish he'd not be quite so quick to start praising a guy whose career so far has been marked by wild ups and downs.

Javon Ringer really made a mark on the staff with his 51 yards on 7 rushes and a TD last weekend. Given how crowded the backfield is, that's an important step for the young man.

Ken Amato originally joined the Titans in 2003 as a linebacker at very bottom of the depth chart, but now a days he's secured himself a pretty solid career as a respected long snapper and emergency LB.

The distinction between DE and DT is becoming increasingly blurred on the Titans' D-line unit, writes Gary Estwick.

Tennessee Titans 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Recap: All Aboard the Kenny Britt Train

Jimmy — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:13:29 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Mike Reinfeldt and Jeff Fisher celebrated the same way after the game thinking about the '09 draft class. (AP Photo/John Russell)

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Did anyone else think Chuck Cecil was about to run out on the field and show Ed Hochuli what an unnecessary roughness penalty looked like? That call against Kevin Vickerson was absolute crap.

We will start with the good news from the starters: The first team defense has looked great for two straight weeks. They are flying all over the place and making plays. It is waaaay to early to declare that the loss of Albert Haynesworth isn't that big of a deal, but this unit is well on their way to being just as good as they were last season.

The bad from tonight was the first team offense. We did not see any of the sharpness from the passing game that we saw last week. Kerry Collins underthrew a deep ball to Nate Washington in the end zone and had another fluky interception.

The first team line was not able to open any holes for Chris Johnson tonight. They finally got on track at the end of their time on the field last season but weren't able to do that tonight. I am not overly concerned about that though because it is still really, really early, but it would be nice to see them get on track next week.

Some love for VY after the jump.

Vince Young came back from his poor outing last week and looked solid. He just looked like he was feeling good in the pocket. I didn't see the happy feet that I saw last week. VY made a nice decision on a screen pass that was blown up to throw the ball away, tucked the ball and ran when it was there, and kept the play alive on the TD strike to Kenny Britt. That is the VY we saw his rookie season.

Speaking of Britt, he was very impressive tonight. It is always good to see a receiver take a big hit and hang on to the ball. Hopefully he will continue to shine in this preseason and prove to the coaching staff he deserves to be on the field.

A few additional random thoughts:

Jevon Kearse was wreaking some havoc tonight. That was good to see.
William Hayes and Dave Ball also spent a lot of time in the backfield. The Titans have a deep group of defensive lineman.
Did I mention the call on Vickerson was crap?
Jared Cook is going to be a stud.
Cory Curtis got way to excited about the TD pass to Britt.
I like Javon Ringer.
Ryan Mouton is not the answer in the return game, but the pick 6 was awesome.
You gotta love seeing 3 touchdowns put up by rookies!
The Bucs have a guy named Stylez White on their roster.

Overall it was another fun night of Titans football. While the first team offense didn't look as good as they did last week, the first team defense was impressive again and the back end of the roster was impressive. You cannot ask for much more from a preseason game.

Tennessee Titans 21 Buffalo Bills 18: Hall of Fame Game Recap

Jimmy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:05:14 -0000

More photos » by David Richard - AP

Football is back! (AP Photo/David Richard)

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First and foremost, it is great to see football again. The offseason was always long for as a football fan, but since I started working on this blog it seems even longer. I know this game didn't count, but it was great to see the team take the field again. It means that games that matter are just around the corner.

The first team offensive passing game looked really sharp. Nate Washington made his presence know early and looks to have the speed this team has desperately needed on the edge. It will be even more fun to see the passing game once Kenny Britt works his way into the mix.

Alge Crumpler did not lose 40 pounds in the offseason, but he did make some nice catches early in the game. If they can get him involved in the passing game this season it will open a lot of things up that weren't there last season.

The first team did not look good running the ball. Chris Johnson was able to make a couple of nice runs, but on most of his carries he had nowhere to go. As good as this offensive line is, they weren't that good run blocking (ranked 15th DVOA, (thanks hal)). Some of that should work itself because teams are going to have to respect the passing game more this season, but they still need to get better in camp.

The first team defense looked solid. We all know Michael Griffin is a stud, and he started showing the nation tonight with a pick on the first series. Someone alert the media, game one without Albert wasn't a disaster.

I am sure there will be plenty of Vince Young discussion here going forward, but for now all I will say is that he looked terrible tonight. I definitely did not see the improvement I was hoping for with his alleged dedication in the offseason. He will be the #3 QB when the season starts if he doesn't look any better than that before the season starts.

A few quick thoughts:

You have to love that Jeff Fisher would run a fake punt to start the preseason.
Jared Cook continued to impress. His work came against 2nd and 3rd teamers, but he was open all night and caught the ball to the tune of 3 catches for 30 yards. Dinger is going to have some fun working him into the gameplan.
I liked what I saw from Javon Ringer. He looks plenty fast enough, and defenses will have trouble finding him behind the offensive line.
LenDale White can still drop the hammer with his weight loss. He is going to have a big year.

I will leave you with this question; What is the over/under on times we see this in 2009: