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Scout's Take: Titans' Best Included RBs, Teair Tart, Andre Dillard and Alize Mack

Scout's Take: Titans' Best Included RBs, Teair Tart, Andre Dillard and Alize Mack

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans need a healthy Ryan Tannehill on offense for 17 weeks. Malik Willis is still a backup, developmental-type player and rookie Will Levis missed an important game environment to continue his growth.  

Best things I saw

The running back position is in good hands: Even without Derrick Henry the team in the first two weeks has found a running game with rookie Tyjae Spears and second-year player Julius Chestnut. Willis was also effective running the ball.

Spears gives this team a speed element that is lacking at the receiver position. His versatility and ability to give Henry a rest will also pay dividends to the team later in the year.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (32) slips past Minnesota Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (23) to pick up a first down at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.
Tyjae Spears beats Andrew Booth Jr. / © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

In the past couple of seasons, the Titans had to ride Henry deep into the later parts of the regular season to have a chance at a playoff run. This season Spears will be a part of that run and will help keep Henry fresh. 

Teair Tart looks ready to control the middle of the defense: He has also improved his upfield penetration against the pass

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Titans' Malik Willis Leaves A Lot Of Questions With Play Against Vikings

Malik Willis’ practice progress didn’t translate into a smooth outing at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, though he did help led the Titans to a 24-16 win over the Vikings, running very well along the way.

Willis had two concerning plays in the first half that illustrate that, while he’s improved a great deal, his game still has a lot of uncertainty to it.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis (7) recovers his fumble as they face the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.
Malik Willis recovers his own fumble/ © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

On a third-possession play-action on first-and-10, he followed his fake handoff to Julius Chestnut with a drop back into a comfortable pocket. With time to step into a throw for an easy 26-yard gain to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, he bounced the ball to the receiver’s feet. It’s a play that felt like it came out of nowhere, and qualified as a complete miss. [Unlocked]

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Titans' Will Levis Will Not Play Saturday At Minnesota; Ryan Tannehill Not Scheduled to Play Either

Will Levis
  Will Levis

Will Levis will not suit up for the Titans Saturday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, which means Malik Willis is slated to play all of the second preseason game for the Titans.

Caroline Fenton first reported Levis is out and I've confirmed it. I've also learned the Titans don't plan to play Ryan Tannehill at all.

With no other QB available, Tannehill will be dressed and available if Willis is forced out of the game.

Levis left the Titans' second practice against the Vikings in Eagan, Minn. late with a lower-body injury on Thursday

The Titans have decided not to put that injury – the specifics of which are unknown -- at any further risk.

Ryan Tannehill has played in only one preseason for the Titans since he joined the team via trade in 2019, and that was in 2019 when he was Marcus Mariota’s backup at the start of the season. There was no preseason in 2020, but Tannehill did not suit up in 2021 or 2022.

[Unlocked]

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The Paul Kuharsky Podcast: Titans-Vikings Takeaways

The Paul Kuharsky PodcastEAGAN, Minn. -- The Titans mixed it up for two days with the Vikings in interesting and entertaining joint practices, and I sort through what I ascertained in this week's podcast.

Tune in for a word picture of Denico Autry great snap against Christian Darrisaw and more like that.

The new episode awaits you on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeart and YouTube, which is also embedded below.

Other subjects I dive into:

💥 Injuries to Treylon Burks, Will Levis and Elijah Molden.
💥 The secrecy of officiating at practices like these.
💥 Areas of progress for Will Levis and Levis.

It's all Brought to you by Jasper's

The podcast is the front door to PaulKuharsky.com.

If you like what you hear or see here, you'd really love the rest of the site. Join the fun, now at 25 percent off.

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Arden Key On Titans' Defense Versus Vikings: 'We whooped their ass'

Arden Key On Titans' Defense Versus Vikings: 'We whooped their ass'

EAGAN, Minn. – Arden Key is the right guy to summarize the Titans’ defensive work against the Vikings in two days of joint practices.

“We had a good day (Wednesday) but it wasn’t up to our standards,” he said. “The coaches got on our ass a little bit, some of the players got on our ass a little bit. Today, we whooped their ass.”

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) and quarterback Malik Willis (7) chat with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) after a joint practice in Eagan, Minn., Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.
  Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins and Malik Willis/ © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

High-intensity Tennessee had an excellent defensive showing at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Complex, with some pretty pass defense, a consistently disruptive pass rush and a stout and stingy run defense. [Unlocked]

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Anatomy of the Titans' offense in one-on-ones against the Vikings

Anatomy of the Titans' offense in one-on-ones against the Vikings

EAGAN, Minn. – Ryan Tannehill called it a three-club wind. Will Levis told me it was two clubs.

Either way, there was no disputing the moving air that had the cords on flag poles dinging against them had a bearing on passing during Thursday’s joint practice between the Titans and Vikings.

DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins completes a catch against Mekhi Blackmon

I watched Tannehill and Will Levis throw one-on-one passes against Minnesota defensive backs, and the success rate was low. There is no rush, obviously, and the offense should have an advantage – they know where they are going and the defender is purely reactive with no help.

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Treylon Burks' Injury Could Be A Massive Issue For The Titans

Treylon Burks' Injury Could Be A Massive Issue For The Titans

Treylon BurksUpdate, 5:39 pm CT: Ian Rapoport reports an MRI revealed Trelon Burks suffered an LCL sprain and should only miss a few weeks. 

EAGAN, Minn. – All the hope and good feelings surrounding the Titans took a major dent here Wednesday afternoon when Treylon Burks stretched to pull in a deep pass down the middle from Ryan Tannehill down the middle of a Vikings’ practice field. 

He stumbled after he collected the pass over Akayleb Evans, staggered for four or five strides, went to the ground, rolled over sideways, bounced up, took a step and started limping.

Then: two steps, a stop, a hop, a lean on the nearest teammate, a pause, another step and a bend to put the ball down, bending at his waist again.

Trainers collected him beside a tent that covers a video station and looked hard at his left knee/calf with him on the ground on his back. Initially, they waved off a cart, but only minutes later one came to him and he got up with help.

Ryan Tannehill was one of the people who assisted the receiver's short walk to the cart when he put no weight on the leg. DeAndre Hopkins and Derrick Henry both offered words of encouragement. [Unlocked]

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Mike Herndon: First-Game Film Review Of 2023 Titans' Draft Picks

Mike Herndon: First-Game Film Review Of 2023 Titans' Draft Picks

By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Preseason football is here and that means fans and analysts everywhere are rushing to find video evidence to confirm their prior opinions and take premature victory laps on the internet. So we’ll start this column with a reminder that this is just one very small snapshot of a much larger body of work that these players are putting together over the course of training camp.

Aug 12, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) looks to pass in the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Will Levis/ © Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Allowing 12 snaps from the Titans' starting offensive line to convince you that there won’t be any blocking issues in Tennessee this year is a mistake. I could go back and find 12 snap stretches where the 2022 Titans offensive line looked good as well (and against better competition than a toothless Bears front). Similarly, you shouldn’t be letting Josh Whyle’s two poor moments lead you to believe that he should be cut today.

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