No Preseason? No Problem, say Titans Veterans

Many prominent players saw little or no action during the 2019 preseason but performed well in the regular season.

Saturday was supposed to be the day the Tennessee Titans got their first taste of game action. Well … some of them, at least.

In two seasons under head coach Mike Vrabel the preseason has become increasingly about letting younger players get a chance to show what they can do and allowing older players to rest. Gone are the days when players’ workload increases with each contest – at least through the first three – and the idea that there needs to be one game where the starters compete for the entire first half and the early part of the second so that they get used to the feel of coming back out after halftime.

Of course, this year the preseason is gone completely. The Titans’ opener was set for Saturday afternoon at Washington, but it – along with the other three that were scheduled – was eliminated as part of the amended offseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m sure some guys love the preseason to get the kinks out and things like that,” running back Derrick Henry said. “Some guys, (it) probably doesn’t really matter to them. You can go either way with it. But I think we all just have to adjust to the different circumstances and do the best we can do get ready for the season.”

Henry, for one, has shown he can live without it.

The running back did not play in any of last year’s four preseason contests but ultimately finished as the NFL’s rushing champion. His 1,540 rushing yards ranked among the NFL’s top 10 for the past decade and he became one of just nine players over that span to average better than 100 rushing yards per game (he missed one contest with a hamstring injury).

“If I had to play, I would've played,” he said. “Its football. I love competing. It’s a chance to go against another team, because when we’re in camp we’re going against each other for weeks straight. So, it’s always fun to go against another jersey.”

A game-by-game look at the number of 2019 preseason snaps for select Titans veterans: 

Players	vs. Philadelphia	at New England	at Pittsburgh	vs. Chicago	Total
Ryan Tannehill	29	23	22	0	74
Taylor Lewan	33	29	17	0	69
Adoreé Jackson	24	9	10	0	43
Ben Jones	11	18	13	0	42
A.J. Brown	0	15	16	0	31
Rashaan Evans	8	8	12	0	28
Kevin Byard	8	8	10	0	26
DaQuan Jones	8	8	7	0	23
Derrick Henry	0	0	0	0	0
Harold Landry	0	0	0	0	0

Similarly, outside linebacker Harold Landry did not play a down in the preseason. By the end of the regular season, he was the Titans’ leader in sacks and was among the NFL’s top 25 in that regard.

Many other prominent starters logged a dozen snaps or fewer in the first three games before they sat out the fourth entirely.

“I mean, they're valuable snaps,” Byard said. “But at the same time I think now – not having the preseason snaps – I think it's going to be very critical whether we're doing walkthroughs, jog-throughs, practice in helmets or practice in shoulder pads … that we're making sure that we're communicating, we're all being on the same page.

“It's just the new normal. We don't know if this is going to be like this next year.”

The worth of preseason games has been debated for several years. Fans clearly don’t value them based on the number of empty seats every August. The owners have sought to add additional regular-season games and beginning next year they will have the option to add a 17th.

As for the players, they do represent an opportunity for those who need to get some work for myriad reasons. In 2019, for example, left tackle Taylor Lewan averaged better than 20 snaps through each of the first three preseason contests because he was suspended for the first four regular-season games and needed to bank some actual game reps for his return in Week 5. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill played more than 20 snaps in each of the first three preseason contests, valuable work in a new offense for a guy who had switched teams for the first time in his career and seven weeks into the regular season became the starter.

“Obviously, no preseason games will be new for everybody,” Tannehill said. “But I feel like it's enough time to really get done what we need to get done. Our practices are -- a lot of times -- just as intense as a preseason game. I'm excited about the work that we have in front of us and the opportunity. [It’s] just a matter of guys taking it day-by-day and getting the most out of each day.”

And Saturday is going to be just another day.