Thomas J. Russo/USA Today Sports
Another Cornerback Goes Down, Two Step Up
Injuries to the secondary are now the Tennessee Titans’ primary problem.
If Sunday’s 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts was any indication, though, it’s nothing they can’t handle.
Adoreé Jackson missed the second half because of a knee injury sustained with 4:30 to play in the second quarter. He returned to action briefly but ultimately could not continue and sat out all of the final two quarters.
“He wasn’t able to go back out there,” coach Mike Vrabel said.
Jackson’s injury was the latest in a growing list for the team’s cornerbacks. Malcolm Butler is on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the season with a wrist injury sustained a month ago and LeShaun Sims, a fourth-year player whose role increased when Butler was hurt, was unavailable to play against Indianapolis because of an ankle injury sustained a week earlier against Jacksonville.
When Jackson went down, therefore, Logan Ryan was the only one of top four at that position still playing when Tennessee overcame a 10-point second-half deficit. Ryan did his part. His interception with 4:41 to go set up the final score.
With him were veteran Tye Smith, who got his most significant playing time of the season, and undrafted rookie Kareem Orr, who made his NFL debut. Both took advantage of the opportunity.
Orr was credited with eight tackles, tied with linebacker Jayon Brown for the team lead, and Smith was credited with a career-high seven stops (both figures could be altered following coaches’ review of the game film). Smith also forced a fumble that ended Indianapolis’ final possession and any hope for a Colts’ comeback. Jackson was credited with two tackles before he got hurt.
“It was my first game active at corner and it felt great,” Smith said. “… A lot of preparation went into it, which has prepared me. My teammates prepared me. And practice went good this week.”
Smith (pictured) also was involved in the day’s biggest play when he returned a blocked field goal 63 yards for a touchdown and put his team ahead to stay with 5:02 remaining. The fourth-year veteran played in just four of the first 11 games, almost exclusively on special teams. He was inactive for six other and even was released briefly but was re-signed days later after Butler’s injury.
Orr spent all but one week on the practice squad and the one game for which he was on the active roster, Oct. 27 against Tampa Bay, he was in uniform but did not play.
“Everybody that we have here on the roster, that [general manager] Jon [Robinson] and I evaluate and talk about and want to bring up or bring in here, they’re expected to understand the gameplan and have a role in it,” Vrabel said. “Then we decide who’s going to be the 46 guys that we take out there based on versatility and injuries and a lot of things. … Tye’s been up a couple games, then off the roster (and) back on.”
On this day, he was in the middle of the action.
