NASHVILLE – The Titans are back from the bye weekend, and head coach Mike Vrabel talked with reporters on Monday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park.
Here's a look at the hot topics from today's session:
-Vrabel said the Titans will return to the practice field today.
"We have to get better," Vrabel said. "There's only so much time on the bye week that you have – the CBA says they have Thursday until Sunday off, so we worked (last) Wednesday, we practiced Wednesday, and we'll practice today."
-The Titans released receiver Josh Gordon from the team's practice squad on Monday, and signed receiver C.J. Board to the practice squad.
"We gave him the opportunity, and didn't see enough there," Vrabel said of Gordon, "and we went with another player."
-The Titans beat the Colts 24-17 back on October 2, and now they're set to face them again on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
The Colts have won two straight games since, including a come-from-behind win over the Jaguars on Sunday.
"A few more passes," Vrabel said of the Colts. "Give them a lot of credit – they never go away. They've scored in the last 30 seconds of all three wins, so they're never out of it. … However the game goes, whether we're up or we're down, it's going to be something we're going to have to focus on and be able to finish or have ability to come back, because they are going to battle."
-ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday reported Vrabel sent a "reply all" email in response to a message from NFL senior V.P. of officiating administration Perry Fewell that called for more training to ensure consistency in the way fouls are called and enforced.
Vrabel was asked about that email on Monday.
"Well, first I would say that obviously I wasn't contacted by anybody that put the report out," Vrabel said. "That'd be the first thing I'd say. The second thing is … it only goes to head coaches and general managers. So, apparently there's people there that want to put things out to people for a purpose. I don't know, I've never understood that.
"The reply all, I mean, you guys know me, I'm not hiding behind anything. I mean, we all get together, we meet, we sit in a ballroom. Apparently, you've got email now, it's reply all, it's like me standing up or any other coach or any other general manager or anybody that wanted to say something in the meeting.
"I felt the need to say it and address it. It's important. Coaching, playing, and officiating all make up our game — players more so than anybody. We spent a lot of time on this in the offseason. The only other job that's harder than playing is officiating. So, just trying to make my point or say my piece."
Vrabel, a member of the league's competition committee, has spoken about the league's officiating in the past.
"It's never going to be perfect. Neither is playing, neither is coaching," Vrabel said. "But, just striving for a level of consistency each and every week that things that look like a foul are a foul and things that aren't aren't, so that you're not seeing one thing on TV one week and seeing something different the other and saying, 'Well, what about?' It's like coaching. You want to try to be consistent so one kid says, 'Well so and so, Tyler did this and he didn't get in trouble.' 'Well, Carter, that's what happens.'
"You're just trying to set a level of consistency with the players so that they can understand what they can legally do and what they can't. If it's defensive pass interference because you're not playing the ball and there's contact, then great, we all understand that."
-According to a report by Nate Rau of Axios, the have an agreement in place with Nashville Mayor John Cooper to build a new stadium.
The 1.7-million-square-foot stadium will have a dome, making it possible to host a Super Bowl and other major events year-round. It will be located east of Nissan Stadium along the East Bank.
A press conference is scheduled for later today in Nashville.
"I am just happy for our organization, happy for Amy (Adams Strunk), the entire family, the ownership group, our team, the city," Vrabel said. "As our city has continued to grow and the success this city has had, we want to try and be representative of that and playing in an amazing for facility for our fans, for the events it's going to hold and everything else. It's amazing that we can start to move forward with it."
-Vrabel offered a few injury updates, sort of.
Vrabel said the Titans could "potentially" get receiver Racey McMath at some point, but there's "no chance" of it happening this week. When asked if guard Nate Davis and outside linebacker Bud Dupree could return after missing the Commanders game, Vrabel said the team could "potentially" get them back as well.
-Vrabel was asked which players could earn more playing time moving forward based on how they've performed over the first five weeks of the season.
"We'll see how the week goes along, and see how it plays out on Sunday," Vrabel said. "Those are the guys that we'll try to identify, guys who help us win."
