The most surprising Titans (good and bad) through the first four weeks

Nothing ever goes exactly as planned in the NFL.

Every year, every team has surprises, some of which disappoint and some of which delight. There are personnel moves that don’t work out. Unlikely stars emerge.

By the end of the season, every team will look different than what was expected during training camp. Four games into the season, though, things have started to come into focus.

With that in mind, here are some of the Tennessee Titans’ most notable surprises – good and bad – through the first four weeks of the 2019 season.

Bad – Rodger Saffold, guard: The 10-year veteran was supposed to be a significant upgrade at left guard, particularly given his free agent price tag ($44 million over four years). According to FootballOutsiders.com, the Titans’ offensive line has been one of the NFL’s worst at pass blocking units through the first four weeks and too often Saffold has been badly beaten for a sack. Coaches go out of their way to point out that he has been an asset in the run game, but he was not brought in to be a one-trick pony. He gets a bit of a pass at this point because he has yet to play alongside Taylor Lewan, who returns to left tackle this week following a four-game suspension, but it is time to see more from him.

Good – A.J. Brown, wide receiver: The second-round pick out of Ole Miss leads the Titans with 223 receiving yards on just 10 receptions, an average of 22.3 yards-per-catch. This franchise has a history of rookie wide receivers getting off to slow starts, particularly ones who were injured during training camp, as Brown was. Nonetheless, he has emerged as the big-play threat the Titans have needed for some time. The offense has produced six gains of 30 yards or more and he has been responsible for half of them. No Tennessee player had more than three plays of 30 yards or more during the entire 2018 season.

Bad – Adoreé Jackson, cornerback/returner: A first-round draft pick in his third season should be at or near his peak in terms of his performance, particularly one who played as much as Jackson did throughout his first two seasons. He is still a more-than-capable pass defender but he has lost his role as a full-time player on defense to Logan Ryan and now gets on the field only when extra defensive backs are required. His decision-making and execution as a punt returner, where his athleticism once offered so much promise, has been abominable and has forced coaches to use wide receiver Adam Humphries in that role.

Good – Logan Ryan, cornerback: Entering a contract year, it seemed the seven-year veteran had carved out a nice little role for himself. He was the team’s third cornerback, a valuable and consistent performer who could cover quick, shifty receivers and blitz from the slot with equal success. With interceptions in his first two games, he broke a drought of more than two years. He has continued to get to the quarterback (one and a half sacks) and has been such a consistent performer that he has supplanted Jackson an every-down player, which is what he was when he first came to Tennessee as a free agent in 2017.

Bad – Dion Lewis, running back: In the wake of Derrick Henry’s big finish to the 2018 season, it seemed clear that Lewis’ role would be reduced in 2019. Actually, Lewis (pictured) has been on the field for 116 snaps, which is nearly as many as Henry (152). He just has not done much with the opportunities he has gotten. One of the league’s best at breaking tackles last season, Lewis is averaging just 2.4 yards on nine receptions (only one of which has resulted in a first down) and 3.5 yards on 13 rushes, both of which are well below his career averages.

Good – Isaiah Mack, defensive tackle: One position group where it looked like there was no real opportunity for a longshot to earn a roster spot was the defensive line. Yet Mack, an undrafted rookie out of Chattanooga not only carved out a place among a group of high-priced veterans (Jurrell Casey, DaQuan Jones) and a high draft pick (Austin Johnson) among others, he’s also earned playing time. He has appeared in all four games and has registered seven tackles, one and a half sacks and five quarterback hits. He is just another reminder that if you’re good enough, someone in the NFL will notice.