According to the NFL’s official player participation information, here’s how the Tennessee Titans lined up in yesterday’s 10-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons:
Offense (54 total)
QB: Zach Mettenberger 54
RB/FB: Dexter McCluster 39, Antonio Andrews 17, Jalston Fowler 3, Bishop Sankey 2
WR: Justin Hunter 51, Kendall Wright 40, Dorial Green-Beckham 36, Rico Richardson 1
TE: Delanie Walker 39, Anthony Fasano 22, Craig Stevens 14, Phillip Supernaw 6
OL: Byron Bell 54, Jeremiah Poutasi 54, Chance Warmack 54, Taylor Lewan 53, Andy Gallik 31, Joe Looney 23, Jamon Meredith 1
Defense (75 total)
DL: Jurrell Casey 60, DaQuan Jones 51, Al Woods 49, Angelo Blackson 16, Karl Klug 14, Mike Martin 12, Ropati Pitoitua 6
OLB: Derrick Morgan 73, Brian Orakpo 69, David Bass 9
ILB: Avery Williamson 75, Wesley Woodyard 42, Zach Brown 33
CB: Coty Sensabaugh 73, Jason McCourty 47, Blidi Wreh-Wilson 47, Cody Riggs 16
S: Da’Norris Searcy 75, Daimion Stafford 56, Marqueston Huff 2
Beau Brinkley, Steven Johnson, and Justin Staples each only appeared on special teams. Charlie Whitehurst was active but did not appear in the game except by the power of his inspiration from the sidelines.
Notes and whatnot:
1. One week after both teams played a normal amount of snaps, we’re back to the standard 2015 huge disparity between offensive and defensive snaps. This wasn’t the 31 of the Cleveland game, but it was the third time there was at least a 20 snap difference. In six games.
2. Ken Whisenhunt had a very definitive idea of how he wanted to play this game, featuring Dexter McCluster in the backfield, three receivers on the field on many plays, and lots of passing. Given how I expected this game to go, I don’t blame him for thinking the Titans would need to play this way. Given how the game actually went, I have my extreme doubts about the wisdom of this strategy.
3. Dexter McCluster has now led all Titans running backs in snaps for five consecutive games. Revealed preference says Dexter McCluster is the Titans’ starting running back, with Antonio Andrews as a rotational change of pace power back and the Titans are now where I am before the draft in wondering what it is about Bishop Sankey that makes people like him. The only difference is, I wouldn’t have drafted Sankey in the second round.
4. Notwithstanding point #2, the Titans actually did use tight ends a fairly normal amount, an average of 1.5 TE snaps per play. That’s actually up from last week’s 1.39, though of course the game script could not have been more different, and in line with the Cleveland game, though again game script.
5. I didn’t think Taylor Lewan missed more than one play watching the game live, so I was surprised to see his absence described as part of the Titans’ injury woes. I could have easily missed something, but it turns out that I did not.
6. The Falcons play an overwhelming amount either 21 or 12 personnel, to which the Titans responded with overwhelmingly base 3-4 personnel. Thus, the base defensive linemen played a lot and Karl Klug did not play many snaps.
7. I’m still surprised Jurrell Casey is playing this many snaps.
8. Snaps by week for the Titans’ 7th defensive lineman: 6, 0, 2, 7, and 6. Is this the best possible use of both the 53 and 46? I remain skeptical.
9. I’ll have to take a rewatch to see what the Titans used as the basis for switching between Zach Brown and Wesley Woodyard, since it clearly was not just a base vs. sub package situation, nor was it based on which back Atlanta was using, nor was it related to Atlanta’s fullback snaps.
10. Jason McCourty’s injury time means weekly nickel/third receiver watch is canceled, though I will note Falcons WR3 Nick Williams played 33 snaps.
11. If I wanted to overread thin evidence, I’d say Marqueston Huff is another player where the Titans took a position in the draft at one extreme end of the spectrum and have no adjusted their evaluation to more where other analysts had the player. Then again, maybe he’s Searcy’s backup. I still need to spend more time watching the safeties specifically and then write it up, something I would have done long before now were I not a horrible person.
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