1st game thoughts (non-QB)

Positives

Blackson looked very good.
Riggs made a great play and looks like he will be a tough cut.
Great to see DGB go up and get that pass.
Cobb looks like he'll be the premier RB at some point this season.
Fowler made a few nice blocks.
We have solid TEs.
I think the defense really focussed on the run, and they did a good job on that throughout.
Velasco looked great.

Negatives

Cody sensabaugh got lucky on the interception, apart from that he was the hot garbage we are use to seeing.
Williamson and Brown were ineffective.
Casey and Jones were ineffective.
Morgan and Orakpo were invisible.
Very vanilla defense.
Contain on the bootlegs was non existent, kinda embarrassing actually.
Schwenke had a shocker.

There is way more, but I can't remember at this point.

 

Defense still looks weak, maybe a little better against the run but Matt Ryan easily marched down field on us on the opening drive. The fact that they haven't been able to get one interception against Mariota in camp looks more like a red flag against the D than from flawless QB play, that's unsettling.

The Oline still needs a lot of work and if they don't get it together soon I fear for our new QB. Sankey underwhelmed as well, some of it was the oline letting the defense push them around and getting to the RB 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage, but I still don't see him breaking many tackles, fighting for yards or turning nothing into something like a top RB should be able to do.

Good thing is it's only the first preseason game and we have some time to get things to gel but I think we're still missing a lot of key pieces to be a real contender. I like the way Mariota handled himself though and bounced back from a rough start, if our line can keep him clean and with a solid run game I think he will be able to tear defenses apart. He seems to calm cool and very accurate.

 

Need our CBs back, Cox was ineffective vs Julio (but thats to be expected). Hopefully McCourty could have done better. Wish we got a bit more pressure on Ryan but Julio was just ridiculously open every play. Ball was out of his hand too fast to see a pass rush develop.

 

Another concern I have is lining up with Douglas and Wright out wide at the same time.
I felt much more comfortable and think we look more threatening with Hunter and DGB when Mett was in there.
With Douglas and Wright you know they are not going deep so the safeties can cheat and will be more willing to come up on the line of scrimmage.
Proof was in the running game.

I am not advocating starting Hunter and DGB but it's just a feeling.

 

Yes I agree on the stance at WR

That was not intimidating At all lining up Douglas and Nicks. You need to sprinkle in veterans but if this team is building for the future and isn't in contention this season, those two should be fazed out at least starting (Nicks gone all together)

Much rather see DGB and Hunter out there with Wright in the slot and let's see what we got there - sprinkle in Douglas of course but this will work its way out in the long run I'm sure.

Rotoworld said it best - with Douglas and Nicks out there the Titans field a weak WR core for Mariota to work with

 

IDK, I thought Harry Douglas looked real nice.

Dude knows how to run routes.

 

Douglas is a wr that can run the full route tree. It's a misconception that he just a slot guy. With Roddy white and Julio Jones in ATL he was forced into that role. Nicks however shouldn't be out with our 1's.