Titans’ Injury News Sets the Stage for Crucial Raiders Showdown - What It Means for Their Chances of Back-to-Back Wins
The Tennessee Titans are officially down one important player in Week 6, but will be gaining an even more critical piece returning from injury. Head Coach Brian Callahan shared the list of players who will be out against the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday:
Starting kicker Joey Slye is amongst them, but starting right tackle JC Latham is not. Here’s everything you need to know about the Titans’ moving pieces as they seek back-to-back wins.
JC Latham Makes The Titans Offensive Line Whole
After a pair of days listed as “limited” in practice this week, Latham was a full participant on Friday. He’s going to technically be listed as questionable on the final injury report, but he’ll be out there on Sunday.
Latham played less than three quarters against the Broncos in Week 1 before aggravating the hip muscle he strained in joint training camp practices with Atlanta. He sat out Weeks 2-5 in an effort to get himself really, really right and hopefully avoid this becoming a nagging issue all season.
This is of course fantastic news for Cam Ward, Brian Callahan, and the rest of the Titans offense. After an offseason of excitement and hope tied to an offensive line poised to make a big leap, dealing with a less-than complete unit for the first quarter of the season has been excruciating to endure. It hasn’t all been bad, in fact the past couple weeks have been really encouraging in terms of OL play. But the impact of getting your best tackle back in the fold cannot go overstated.
I asked Callahan on Friday what finally having his full starting offensive line intact and ready to roll means for the team. "I think it does allow you, especially with the power that JC (Latham) and (Kevin) Zeitler bring you in the run game," he emphasized. "Those are two big, strong dudes that can move the line of scrimmage. That's helpful. It's a good test for JC because Maxx (Crosby) lines up on the right often, not every snap, but a lot. So that'll be a good test for him. We'll still manage that and make sure we don't just leave him by himself. The whole game will help for sure. But it does allow you when your protection can stay solid and you can keep the pocket firm and you can widen that cup and allow the quarterback to operate. It goes a long way in helping you. Potentially push the ball down the field more, giving some more life to some of the play action."
Maxx Crosby is one heck of a welcome back gift. But if there is just one game on the Titans schedule that you absolutely need a starting-caliber right tackle specifically for, it's this one. So it's a big boost that they do.
Titans Relying On Backup Kicker In Vegas
Starting kicker Joey Slye missed practice all week and won’t be available on Sunday, as he’s still working through a right calf injury. He suffered it during their day of work in Arizona, and had to fight through it throughout the game. He made a pair of short field goals despite it, but then missed an extra point as they were working to make a comeback. Turns out, the end of game chip-shot field goal to seal the victory was even more nervy behind the scenes than you probably already felt watching it live!
Kicking in his stead will be Matthew Wright, who was signed to the team's practice squad this week. Wright played in five games last season: one for San Francisco, two for Kansas City, and two right here in Tennessee. He hit 15 of 16 field goals in those games, with his only miss coming from 59 yards with the Chiefs. He went 4-for-4 as a Titan, and they're going to have to count on him extending his perfect streak with this organization for at least one more game.
If he had his way, Deion Sanders wanted ex-Saints QB Derek Carr to mentor his son Shedeur
Could Shedeur Sanders have joined the New Orleans Saints? That's certainly the path his famous father Deion Sanders wanted for him, but not because he saw New Orleans as a prime destination for the younger Sanders to start right away (which was what made backing up Lamar Jackson on the Baltimore Ravens a turnoff). He felt this was the right spot for Shedeur to learn from Derek Carr, a veteran quarterback Deion holds great respect for.
The elder Sanders sat down with David and Derek Carr on the Home Grown podcast, and he shared some insight to why he was pushing so hard for the Saints to draft his son Shedeur.
“I wanted my son to be on the same team that you were on because I know what you would pour into him,” Sanders said. “I really did want my son on the same team that you could guide him and lead him, I’m telling you, man.”
Carr's perception among Saints fans didn't exactly paint the portrait of a great leader; he was criticized for dodging accountability after bad games and was repeatedly seen bickering with coaches and teammates during games. But it's clear that the elder Sanders respected him greatly, and saw a future where Carr mentored his son. But when news broke that Carr was retiring due to a career-threatening shoulder injury, Deion Sanders used the opportunity to push for the Saints to draft Shedeur anyway. Maybe he liked the idea of Shedeur wearing black and gold regardless of the other quarterbacks on the roster. Either way, the younger Sanders is slowly climbing the Cleveland Browns depth chart, and now he's been named the No. 2 behind his fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel after the team traded Joe Flacco. Maybe he'll end up starting some games this year eventually in Cleveland. We're guessing Carr will be watching.
