Tennessee Titans 2015 Week 16 Snap Report

According to the NFL’s official player participation information,  here’s how the Tennessee Titans lined up in yesterday’s 34-6 loss to the Houston Texans:

Offense (66 total)
QB: Zach Mettenberger 66
RB/FB: Bishop Sankey 30, Antonio Andrews 18, David Cobb 15, Jalston Fowler 2
WR: Harry Douglas 59, Dorial Green-Beckham 59, Tre McBride 16, Kendall Wright 9
TE: Delanie Walker 59, Anthony Fasano 47, Craig Stevens 14, Phillip Supernaw 2
OL: Joe Looney 66, Quinton Spain 66, Chance Warmack 66, Byron Bell 65, Jamon Meredith 50, Taylor Lewan 16, Andy Gallik 1

Defense (72 total)
DL: Jurrell Casey 58, DaQuan Jones 36, Karl Klug 30, Angelo Blackson 21, Sammie Hill 21, Al Woods 17
OLB: David Bass 69, Brian Orakpo 64, J.R. Tavai 5
ILB: Avery Williamson 71, Wesley Woodyard 30, Zach Brown 27, Justin Staples 4
CB: Coty Sensabaugh 72, Perrish Cox 64, B.W. Webb 40
S: Michael Griffin 72, Da’Norris Searcy 67, Daimion Stafford 24

Beau Brinkley, Steven Johnson, Marqueston Huff, and Cody Riggs each only played on special teams. Alex Tanney was active but did not appear in the game.

1. Subtle sign this game and the Titans aren’t as bad as it feels: they spent almost as much time on the field as the Texans, even in the first half (for measuring “time on the field” I pay attention to plays, not time of possession). Yes, a defensive touchdown by Houston affected those numbers in a way that makes Tennessee look better than they were, but -6 in snaps overall and -4 in the first half in a game you trailed 17-0 and lost 34-6 is close. For the year, the Titans have had 980 snaps on offense and 989 snaps on defense. For comparison’s sake, they were -175 last year and were -131 in 2012, while 2014 was +9.

2. I thought from the way the Titans pumped him up in the offseason that Bishop Sankey would lead all Titans backs in snaps many times, thanks to a steady diet of committee work and plenty of passing game snaps. Instead, it took until the next to last game of the season for that to happen, and in a contest he only had 2 carries.

3. Confirmation Dorial Green-Beckham’s fantasy goose-egg was not a product of lack of time on the field. The 59 snaps matched his high for the season, set in the loss in Jacksonville. Thanks to Kendall Wright’s injury, Tre McBride broke through the ceiling of 11 snaps he hit in the last two games.

4. Anthony Fasano’s 47 snaps matched his season high, set back in Week 2 in Cleveland in the game Delanie Walker missed. Delanie Walker’s 59 were the most he has played in a game this season, surpassing the 54 in that Week 11 loss to the Jaguars. But it wasn’t all wine and roses for the tight ends, as Craig Stevens’ 14 snaps matched his season low (against Atlanta and Carolina).

5. With Taylor Lewan in the concussion protocol, I’m curious to see what the Titans do at tackle this week. It’s possible he could clear in time for the game, but given the status of things I’d prefer to see them shut him down and maybe give Jeremiah Poutasi a chance to see action for the first time since his in-game benching Week 8 against the Texans.

6. Karl Klug’s 30 snaps were the most he played since Week 1 against Tampa, when he got some of the copious garbage time work.

7. Titans CB3 B.W. Webb 40 snap, opposing WR3 Jaelen Strong 51 snaps. Normally that goes the other way.

8. This was the 8th time this season Marqueston Huff has been active but not seen any time on defense.

9. Last year Week 17 is when we saw the Titans change their rotations up like they were preparing for next season instead of this one. If they want to do something similar this year, what changes could we see? I’ve seen calls for this before now, without any specifications for what people might like to see. Playing DaQuan Jones over Ropati Pitoitua was an easy change to see last year; this year it’s second-year man Jones playing the most snaps behind Jurrell Casey. Is it worth taking away snaps from Jones to give them to Angelo Blackson? More J.R. Tavai for Brian Orakpo, perhaps, if you value your #6 outside linebacker? I could see that as a second half change. I thought Cody Riggs could have seen more action against New England, but the Titans are trying to see what they have in B.W. Webb. I could see Blidi Wreh-Wilson over Coty Sensabaugh; both have struggled, but Sensabaugh’s deal is up after this year. I’m not sure if they like Huff at all, and I think he’s more a high player while Michael Griffin has played more in the box and as a run blitzer than they’d be comfortable with him doing. Lewan’s injury will affect the offensive line, but getting Poutasi some work instead of Byron Bell or Jamon Meredith is one idea. Antonio Andrews versus David Cobb or Bishop Sankey is a matter of which back who was in college two years ago you want to see. Harry Douglas is the only veteran receiver healthy, and playing with all kids creates (more) issues. They don’t have any young tight ends. We could see some of these changes, or none of them, but by and large the Titans are playing their young players.