SUMMARY: In '05, the Titans secondary was raw with two rookie corners starting and a safety returning from an ACL injury. As a unit, the inexperience showed as the raw talent were vulnerable targets most of the season. With a year under their belts and the addition of free agent S Chris Hope, the unit appears to be ready for a breakout season. Head Coach Jeff Fisher has already praise Pacman Jones for his play in mini-camp. "He [Jones] is all about football," Fisher said. "He has taken a professional approach to what he’s doing. He’s clearly a much better corner right now than he was at the end of the season last year." CB Reynaldo Hill will look to continue demonstrating his playmaking abilities which earned him three interceptions last season. S Lamont Thompson should take a step up with more experience around him as he enters his fifth season.
What do you think about this article? Post your comments below.
What do you think about this article? Post your comments below.
I read this article earlier this morning. I suppose the operative word here is "poised".
Yup. This is the slow news time and we'll get a series of articles like this which are EXTREMELY optimistic.H Man said:
No doubt. I got to admit, it works a little. I get to thinking...maybe, just maybe...
It is the optomistic time of year. We're all 0-0, right?
It is the optomistic time of year. We're all 0-0, right?
This is heading to where we all beef up our predictions a little bit, and then a couple of posters start "guaranteeing" that we'll make the playoffs, and then the general perspective starts to get skewed because some of the newer posters who don't know who to listen to start to listen to that stuff, and then we're an overly optimistic forum for about a month and a half. I'd love to see us surprise some people this year, but we don't have reason to be optimistic until it's week three and we've somehow managed to win 2 of our first three games.
We should be optimistic. We started two rookie CBs last year and now they will be 2nd year guys and improved. That alone will make us better.
Hope has to be an upgrade over Tank considering Tank's injury. Are they going to be good enough? I think so. What I'm more worried about is depth if we have an injury at CB.
Hope has to be an upgrade over Tank considering Tank's injury. Are they going to be good enough? I think so. What I'm more worried about is depth if we have an injury at CB.
I agree with Soxcat. The Titans led the league in TD passes allowed last year. The secondary can't get any worse, there's only one way to go.
Though I think there will be significant improvement, it'll take a lot just for the Titans to be considered an above average defense. But you never know.
Logic tells me that we should see gains this season but that the D could be considered among the league's best in '07 if we see the strides we need to see in '07.
Logic tells me that we should see gains this season but that the D could be considered among the league's best in '07 if we see the strides we need to see in '07.
GoTitans3801 said:
I meant the thread...Cornerback threads always lead to some wars.
The Titans were 19th in the league last year in total defense (yards per game). By comparison Seattle was #17. It only takes a few players on both sides of the ball to make a darn good improvement.
Interestingly we were had the 9th worse TOP in the NFL so if we can control the clock better that automatically will help the defense significantly. Note however, Pitt had the 8th worse TOP.
Guess what our 3rd down conversion rate was against us last year?
35.5 which was 7th in the league.
Bottom line we just need to tweek a few things on defense and have improvment at a few postions and we are good enough to be a playoff team.
Looking at the offense we had a lower 3rd down %, 34.4% than our defense which isn't very good. Pitt was only 35.4 on offense and tehy won the SB.
Interestingly we were had the 9th worse TOP in the NFL so if we can control the clock better that automatically will help the defense significantly. Note however, Pitt had the 8th worse TOP.
Guess what our 3rd down conversion rate was against us last year?
35.5 which was 7th in the league.
Bottom line we just need to tweek a few things on defense and have improvment at a few postions and we are good enough to be a playoff team.
Looking at the offense we had a lower 3rd down %, 34.4% than our defense which isn't very good. Pitt was only 35.4 on offense and tehy won the SB.
our pass defense has never been good under schwartz. not even when lance and tank had their best seasons with us, and thats when we had rolle and dyson.
Is there a way to look at how many 3rd downs teams had against us relative to other teams. The good teams we played didn't need third downs. Most of the third downs we played on D came against the texans and the 49ers. Did the Steelers even need a third down against us more than once or twice?
This is true. We have'nt been this strong at safety under him either. It should be interesting. I think our CB's will really step it up this year and adding Hope and thorton should prove to be great moves. I can't help but be optimistic to the fact that we have to be better than we have been in recsent past.bigtitan53279 said:
I haven't taken the time to look but our pass defense probably looked better from a stats perspective because teams were able to run so much and didn't need to pass.
I'm 48 years old, so this isn't my first ( or even 20th ) football season. I'm always hopeful...I hope the team is optimistic. I hope they think they can win.
I don't underestand people who think they are so "wise" They just know how bad it's gonna be...Sell your tickets. Spend Sunday afternoons in the park...Or just sleep.
Why don't we shut down the stadium...Move the team...Hey We could move it to Alabama!!!
For now if I want Pessimism I'll watch ESPN.....GO TITANS
I don't underestand people who think they are so "wise" They just know how bad it's gonna be...Sell your tickets. Spend Sunday afternoons in the park...Or just sleep.
Why don't we shut down the stadium...Move the team...Hey We could move it to Alabama!!!
For now if I want Pessimism I'll watch ESPN.....GO TITANS
Hey, I'm all for optimism. I really do think that if a few things come together for us this year, we could crack a winning record. I also want that to happen, I'm ready for some positive signs for the future. However, I prefer we remain realistic at this point. Until we start seeing some improvement once the season starts, it's hard to justify too high expectations. We have a really tough schedule this year, much harder than last year. If we get more than five wins I think we should all be perfectly satisfied. I'm certainly still going to watch the games and be excited about the team. I just don't want us (definitely including myself) to get too sucked in by our own super positive media spin. Last season I was predicting that we'd open with a win against the Steelers to surprise some people. That was a rude awakening.
GoTitans3801 said:
Here is the stats table I was using which does show the number of 3rd and 4th downs attempted, made and the %. To sort by a particlular category just click on the heading above that category. It is sorted in the link by attmpets on 3rd down but I noticed that there are alot of playoff teams around the 200 play mark we had.
http://www.nfl.com/stats/teamsort/NFL/DEF-TOTAL/2005/regular?sort_col_1=4&_1:col_1=8
Jeff, the stats are total yards per game and the table doesn't split the passing and running yards (which is strange). You can look at a passing defense chart that has us ranked middle of the pack. We were 22nd in rushing yards given up. Seems like if we can improve our running game and do a better job against the run our defense would automatically be much better overall.
GoTitans3801 said:
To an extent I agree...I'm not perdicting a superbowl win ( nor am I ruling it out)...This is one of the most unusual teams I've ever seen..
We have Volek, who most people dismiss as incapable of getting the job done, but has also had moments of greatness ( in 2004)
We got VY . General feeling on him is he will be either the greatest boom or the the greatest bust in NFL history.
We have filled some BIG holes in the defense...But do we still have too many holes ( even the best teams have a few)
We do have depth at WR and running back...and we have enough money to seek out another vet or two if we choose to do that...It's an interesting year.
Oh by the way...we would have beat Pittsburg if the game would have ended after our first posession...that's when we quit playing:winker:
Here is the way I see it. We were a bad team last year, not so much because we had no talent, but primarily from a lack of experience and leadership. Here are last years games:
09/11/2005 Titans vs. Pittsburgh: No chance in this one.
09/18/2005 Titans vs. Baltimore: We crush them, and look like the team everyone hopes we can be.
09/25/2005 Titans vs. St. Louis: We had this game wrapped up in the second quarter, one bad call on Brown’s run, and an interception returned for a touchdown later, we lose all momentum and eventually the game.
10/02/2005 Titans vs. Indianapolis: Young team, emotionally down from the week before, we never even had a chance.
10/09/2005 Titans vs. Houston: We take it to them good, we win a game we are supposed to win.
10/16/2005 Titans vs. Cincinnati: We were in this game until the last 4:00 minutes. And that is with us making a few bonehead plays earlier. We have a few bad breaks turn into good breaks, we win this game. And this was a very good team that beat us. A team that could have beaten the Super Bowl Champs in the playoffs if Palmer had not been injured.
10/23/2005 Titans vs. Arizona: We sucked this one up. Other than the Jacksonville game at the end of the season, I don’t think any other game was as disappointing as this one. And we still had a chance to win this game.
10/30/2005 Titans vs. Oakland: Another one that was a lot closer than it looks. We had many opportunities to win this game, and we simply couldn’t get it done
11/06/2005 Titans vs. Cleveland: We lose by a touchdown to a bad team, no excuse for this one.
11/20/2005 Titans vs. Jacksonville: We lose by 3 to a good Jacksonville team. This is the type of game that experience at cornerback will really help in the future. Leftwich does not put up career numbers against our corners this year.
11/27/2005 Titans vs. San Francisco: We beat another bad team. But, we do beat them.
12/04/2005 Titans vs. Indianapolis: No chance.
12/11/2005 Titans vs. Houston: We beat another bad team. Is anyone else seeing this trend.
12/18/2005 Titans vs. Seattle: We almost beat the eventual NFC Champs. Experience…
12/24/2005 Titans vs. Miami: After the Seattle game, it is pretty obvious that the team quit. They mailed this one in.
01/01/2006 Titans vs. Jacksonville: Read the above assessment.
A few breaks in a few of those games, we win 2 maybe 3 more. That is still a bad team, but not bottom of the barrel bad. And with our off season signings and draft does anyone think that we are worse than last season? Am I predicting that this team will make the playoffs? No, but I am not ruling it our either.If this team can just show some backbone and maturity, they can surprise alot of people.
09/11/2005 Titans vs. Pittsburgh: No chance in this one.
09/18/2005 Titans vs. Baltimore: We crush them, and look like the team everyone hopes we can be.
09/25/2005 Titans vs. St. Louis: We had this game wrapped up in the second quarter, one bad call on Brown’s run, and an interception returned for a touchdown later, we lose all momentum and eventually the game.
10/02/2005 Titans vs. Indianapolis: Young team, emotionally down from the week before, we never even had a chance.
10/09/2005 Titans vs. Houston: We take it to them good, we win a game we are supposed to win.
10/16/2005 Titans vs. Cincinnati: We were in this game until the last 4:00 minutes. And that is with us making a few bonehead plays earlier. We have a few bad breaks turn into good breaks, we win this game. And this was a very good team that beat us. A team that could have beaten the Super Bowl Champs in the playoffs if Palmer had not been injured.
10/23/2005 Titans vs. Arizona: We sucked this one up. Other than the Jacksonville game at the end of the season, I don’t think any other game was as disappointing as this one. And we still had a chance to win this game.
10/30/2005 Titans vs. Oakland: Another one that was a lot closer than it looks. We had many opportunities to win this game, and we simply couldn’t get it done
11/06/2005 Titans vs. Cleveland: We lose by a touchdown to a bad team, no excuse for this one.
11/20/2005 Titans vs. Jacksonville: We lose by 3 to a good Jacksonville team. This is the type of game that experience at cornerback will really help in the future. Leftwich does not put up career numbers against our corners this year.
11/27/2005 Titans vs. San Francisco: We beat another bad team. But, we do beat them.
12/04/2005 Titans vs. Indianapolis: No chance.
12/11/2005 Titans vs. Houston: We beat another bad team. Is anyone else seeing this trend.
12/18/2005 Titans vs. Seattle: We almost beat the eventual NFC Champs. Experience…
12/24/2005 Titans vs. Miami: After the Seattle game, it is pretty obvious that the team quit. They mailed this one in.
01/01/2006 Titans vs. Jacksonville: Read the above assessment.
A few breaks in a few of those games, we win 2 maybe 3 more. That is still a bad team, but not bottom of the barrel bad. And with our off season signings and draft does anyone think that we are worse than last season? Am I predicting that this team will make the playoffs? No, but I am not ruling it our either.If this team can just show some backbone and maturity, they can surprise alot of people.
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