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They had a really good off-season workout program, had a very good draft, productive minicamps and everyone was signed in time for training camp. The players had a great first two weeks of training camp at Austin Peay and really came together to change the tone and attitude for the preseason opener. But for whatever reason, they took a step back last Saturday at Denver.
As a player and competitor, you never wanted to be on the wrong end of a lopsided loss, especially when you're trying to take steps toward peaking by the start of the regular season. That's what was disappointing, not only for the fans, but for the guys that have been putting in the work because they don't want to go out and perform like that. For the players, it almost serves as a wakeup call to get back on track, focus on football and bounce back and play the way they are capable of playing.
During the preseason, as long as you are playing well and with intensity, the score doesn't really matter. You just want to improve and get some good quality work in, which the Titans did not accomplish in Denver. That's what makes this week's game at home against Atlanta so important. As a result, it should involve a little more game planning and scheming.
Saturday night at LP Field is going to be a great test for these guys to go out and prove their worth. They have a chance to show the fans that Week 2 of the preseason was just an aberration. They need to just move on, play well and have fun again. Don't play tight, but instead be loose and go out and play the game as it was meant to be played.
Fans shouldn't be too overly excited about last weekend's loss. The first couple games are really more about the evaluation of the young guys. You don't want to put too much on their plates. You just want to see how they are going to perform at this next level. The last two games, however, the roster gets fine-tuned.
At the same time, players need to establish a winning attitude throughout the week in practice and bring that same attitude to the game. You can't just flick on the switch on game day, especially if you are a young team. The older guys need to keep reminding the younger guys how to prepare and maintain focus on what they need to do in order to let it loose on game day.
Sometimes you need the veteran guys that have been around and been successful to send a message to the younger players. 'Hey, we can't stand for this, or else it will go sideways on you.' I think it was important for a guy like Chris Hope to step up like he did this week. He obviously has the respect, the ring and he understands how to finish the job. It only behooves the other guys to listen and to understand that Chris is a professional. Don't take it personally, but this thing is a business and the goal here is to win.
Obviously, Tuesday is the first roster cutdown to 75 players, so there will be a lot of nervousness for players that hope to be a part of the opening day roster. This is always a gut-wrenching time of year. I've been through it before and it's not fun, but the more you think about Tuesday and you're not thinking about Saturday night, the worse off you are because you're going to be a little hesitant, a little unsure, and ultimately that's going to show up on the tape.
If you are consumed with roster cuts, you'll be a step slower and you won't make that play that you want to make. The best thing to do is not worry about things out of your control. You can control yourself by how much you hustle, how hard you hit someone, where you're at, running the football, catching the football or blocking someone.
It's inevitable that some players are not going to be here, but the chance to audition for 31 other teams should be a great motivation for all of these younger guys. If they play well, other teams will be watching and they may get the chance to establish a career somewhere else.
