By MIKE HERNDON, columnist 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With Titans starters playing sparingly in the preseason so far, the development of Malik Willis has taken center stage over the last two weeks.

The third-round pick out of Liberty has started and played one drive into the second half against both Baltimore and Tampa Bay, completing 13 of 28 pass attempts (46.4%) for 187 yards (6.7 YPA) with one passing touchdown and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 80.5.

Pool photo/ Donald Page, Titans

Willis has also added 80 yards rushing on 10 carries with a touchdown on the ground.

The Titans have scored on five of Willis’ 16 drives (31.3%) during the preseason, averaging 1.44 points per drive. Those numbers aren’t great, but it’s worth noting that Willis has been behind center for every Tennessee scoring drive so far.

However, the raw stats don’t come remotely close to telling the story of where Willis is from a development

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two players largely unknown to Titans fans made some noise in the team’s second preseason game, so let’s take a bit of a look at Lonnie Johnson (right) and David Anenih.

Tennessee claimed Johnson off waivers from Kansas City on Aug. 16. He said the Chiefs let him go early to give him the best chance to latch on elsewhere and get started.

He was a second-round choice in 2019 by the Texans out of Kentucky. That was Anthony Midget’s final year as part of Houston’s coaching staff, and the Titans cornerback coach was certainly asked what he thought about Johnson.

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Preseason Game Two for the Titans allowed the coaching staff and front office to focus heavily on the positions that are still up for competition.

Pool photo/ Donald Page, Titans 

Backup quarterback, starting right tackle, backup running back, the wide receiver rotation, backup defensive line, backup inside and outside linebackers, starting cornerback opposite of Kristian Fulton, backup safety and punter. 

The special teams’ decisions will impact some of these backup positions but also there will be 4-5 designated special teams coverage players.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Malik Willis made small gains in preseason game No. 2.

But the Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback still had fits of indecision, ran when he didn’t have to and threw off target too often.

He played one series into the third quarter and made three electric plays that will be heavily circulated on social media but that hardly offer a full sense of his spotty effort in a 13-3 Tennessee win over the Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium.

© Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The best thing about his night wasn’t in what he did but in what he said afterward, where he showed calm accountability and shared a clear understanding of what he is, and isn’t, doing right now and how he needs to sort through it.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Caleb Farley awoke and kept people out of the end zone while Dontrell Hilliard visited it a few times as the Titans wrapped up two days of practice work with the Bucs.

Those two will key my observations from Thursday morning.

Dontrell Hilliard/ © George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Farley: Farley had a really bad day in his first go against Tampa, with smaller receivers breaking off routes to get great cushion among his struggles.

But he went to the tape, evaluated what he was doing and bounced back with a much stronger showing that included an interception that killed a Bucs’ series just inside the front right pylon of the end zone on a pass intended for Vyncent Smith. He also had a couple of breakups and gave up a score on a wheel route to Deven Thompkins.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- One man did his best to watch nearly 170 players Wednesday and Thursday.

I certainly came away with impressions of the Titans after two days of joint practices against the Buccaneers, and I know you have a ton of questions.

So we gathered gather and chatted about all of it, with you bringing your best questions and me bringing my best answers.

You can watch rewatch on Twiiter, on our public Facebook page or on YouTube below.   

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – My biggest takeaways from the first of two Titans’ practices against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The defense: I watched the Titans corners go against the Bucs’ receivers in one-on-ones for 23 plays, even as Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage were not on the field for the visitors.

© George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The way I saw it, the Titans “won,” 10 of those snaps. That’s a high rate in such a setting where quarterbacks are throwing with no pressure and defensive backs are playing straight up with no help.

Mike Vrabel said he saw things the Titans need to work on but called it encouraging.

By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The position battle with the most intrigue in Titans' training camp remains the contest for the starting right tackle spot between 2021 second-round pick Dillon Radunz and 2022 third-round pick Nicholas Petit-Frere.

Unlike many other positions on the field, offensive line battles are winner-take-all. The victor will be on the field for 100% of snaps barring injury, while the runner-up is relegated to the bench. The stakes are very high.

Heading into camp, most viewed Radunz as the favorite to win the job as a second-year player who received a lot of praise from the coaching staff for his work in the offseason.

However, Petit-Frere has quickly turned this into a real competition.