Coming off of a lackluster, albeit a winning performance against the Raiders, the Titans continue their preseason schedule with a skirmish in Hotlanta tonight with the Falcons.
A lot has changed since these two teams last faced each other in an October 2007 battle. The teams have swapped tight ends, with Alge Crumpler and Dwayne Blakley coming to Nashville and Ben Hartsock now a member of the Falcons.
The Falcons started QB Joey Harrington against the Titans last year but tonight, they will unveil their rookie QB, first round draft pick Matt Ryan, who will be making his first NFL start.
Here are a few things that I will be keeping my eyes on tonight.
Vince Young’s performance
Last week was a rough outing for Vince, as he went 4-of-13 in limited action against the Raiders. Despite his poor performance, Vince still has the unwavering support of Jeff Fisher and veteran teammates such as Kevin Mawae.
It’s expected that Vince will take his lumps as he transitions into the new offense. However, at some point, some progress in the form of production has to be displayed.
Hopefully, tonight we will see some production.
The WR’s
Production is also something I’d like to see out of the wide receivers tonight. With very few of the receivers distinguishing themselves thus far, and the one who has played perhaps the best, Lavelle Hawkins, ruled out of tonight’s contest, I’d like to see some of the other guys step up against Atlanta.
Players such as Paul Williams, Biren Ealy and the Chris Davis duo are fighting for roster spots and with cutdown day looming on the horizon, it is paramount for them to show something that will enable them to remain on the team’s roster.
Ganther vs. Henry
Quinton Ganther’s 115 yard performance during the team’s first preseason win, initiated a potential battle with 2007 2nd round pick Chris Henry for the 3rd running back spot.
Ganther is definitely the underdog in this fight but I admire his tenacity and his work ethic. Henry is blessed with intriguing physical gifts but has yet to tap into his potential.
We’ll see who performs the best in round three of this heated fight for a roster spot.
William Hayes
Last week was the first time we saw Hayes in extended action. He didn’t do bad at all, often displaying a nice motor while being in the vicinity of the football on many plays.
Hopefully, we will get the chance to see a lot more of “Big Play” Hayes against the Falcons.
Which Titans will you be paying close attention to during tonight’s game?
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