Led by several members of their most recent draft class, the Tennessee Titans overcame a sluggish start to pull away from the Tampa Bay Bucs in the second half of their 27-20 victory last night.
2009 draftees Kenny Britt, Javon Ringer and Ryan Mouton each contributed with a score in the second half as the Titans’ freshman class continued to make impressive first impressions.
Here are some of my thoughts and observations regarding the Titans’ performance in their second preseason game.
Mike Reinfeldt is one happy man
I can’t say enough about the impact the ’09 rookies are making so far. Javon Ringer continues to look like a veteran at running back, and his impressive touchdown scamper against the Bucs was without a question one of the plays of the night.
In the passing game, Kenny Britt made his presence felt in his first action, snagging 5 balls for 89 yards and a score. Jared Cook also chipped in 6 catches for 56 yards. I know we’ve debated before about which rookie will have the greater impact, but at this point, I wouldn’t be shocked if both guys become integral cogs in the Titans’ vertical attack in ’09.
Last but not least, Ryan Mouton showed great instincts on his interception return for a touchdown. I know a lot of Nashville area guys were upset on draft day about the Titans overlooking local kid D.J. Moore, but if Mouton keeps it up, that decision will continue to look better and better as time goes by.
A rejuvenated Vince Young
I liked what I saw from VY last night. He played with a ton of confidence and was by far the team’s best quarterback against the Bucs. Despite pulling up lame with an apparent hamstring injury, Vince stayed in the game and tossed a TD pass to a wide open Kenny Britt.
Hopefully, we’ll continue to see this type of production from Vince. I know he’s faced a lot of scrutiny, and much of it has been quite deserving. However, considering the team’s hefty investment in the much-maligned signal caller, I’m still rooting for the guy to turn things around and become the quarterback we all hoped that he would become one day.
Still a long ways to go for VY to silence the doubters, but last night was definitely a step in the right direction to redemption.
Disappointments
Kerry Collins had a forgettable performance, as he completed only 4 of his 9 passing attempts while also tossing two interceptions to the opposition. Of course, KC’s a veteran guy, and I’m sure he’ll bounce back as we get closer to the regular season.
In the third quarter, Patrick Ramsey launched a missile to Lavelle Hawkins, who was unable to come up with a catch he should of made. Hawkins is a guy we’re all rooting for to succeed, but he’s failing to distinguish himself in the race for the team’s #3 and 4 WR spots.
Other random musings
-It’s only preseason, but tell that to Cortland Finnegan, who delivered a smashing blow to Earnest Graham that caused a fumble in the first half.
-Nice to see Jovan Haye make a play or two against his former team.
-I didn’t mention him with the other rookies, but DT Mitch King made a few plays out there while displaying a nice motor. Unfortunately for Mitch, the numbers game may get in the way of his ability to stick around in Nashville.
-Despite his efforts, it still appears to be too little too late for Chris Henry in his fight to keep a roster spot this season.
-Speaking of guys fighting to stay on the team, Paul Williams didn’t hurt his efforts with a solid block on Javon Ringer’s sensational touchdown run.
That’s it for my thoughts and observations guys: now it’s your turn. What are your impressions on the team’s performance last night against the Bucs?
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