NASHVILLE – Titans Coach Mike Vrabel held a press conference on Monday, one day after the team's 23-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Here's a look at the biggest topics from the presser:
-The Titans gave up 193 yards on the ground on Sunday in Indianapolis, including 165 yards to Colts running back Zack Moss. Vrabel said there wasn't any secret as to why it happened: "They blocked us, and we got out of gaps. And when you play peek-a-boo, those things happen. … (Players) have to put their hands in their chest, leverage your gap, when the ball runs through your gap, shed and tackle and swarm to the football – all the things we've tried to do around here for a while."
-Cornerback Kristian Fulton was flagged twice for defensive pass interference calls on Sunday, and he struggled in coverage on other plays. Vrabel indicated on Sunday after the game he'd considered sitting Fulton down, and he made it clear on Monday the team is considering all options as Fulton attempts to find his footing. "They'd better be correctable quickly," Vrabel said of Fulton's inconsistencies. "Would hope that we wouldn't be having these conversations about putting our eyes in the backfield and grabbing guys down the field." Vrabel was asked if he's confident in the depth and the team's other options behind Fulton. "That's why everybody is here, and that's something that could happen," Vrabel said. "We'll see where things go the rest of the day in our meetings as we work toward Baltimore."
-Vrabel said guard Peter Skoronski was "a little rusty" in his return to action after missing the previous three weeks following an emergency appendectomy. "But (we're) excited about getting him back in there and having him another week," Vrabel said. "It was a good step for him to get back out there and be able to play through the entire game."
-Tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere was among the team's inactives on Sunday after not being eligible to play in the first four games of the season for a violation of the NFL's gambling policy. Vrabel said Petit-Frere "has been out a while, so he'll have to earn a spot back onto the offensive line and what we're trying to do. So, he had a little bit of practice last week, and he'll have more this week."
-Vrabel said "we'll see" when asked if receiver Treylon Burks could return to action this week. "(We're) hopeful that he can try to get out and start running around," Vrabel said.
-Asked if defensive lineman Teair Tart, who missed Sunday's game, has a shot to return this week, Vrabel said: "I hope so," Vrabel said, "but it's early in the week, I don't know."
-Receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught eight passes for 140 yards against the Colts in his best performance with the team. "The connection that he has with the quarterback, and his ability to find seams in the defense," Vrabel said of Hopkins, "… and his ability to adjust to a pass, his body control. … Every time we've needed a play on third down, he's been there. … (Sunday) it was good to see him have some production." In five games, Hopkins has 26 catches for 356 yards.
-Vrabel said the team was better in pass protection, with "some good pockets" for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. "The quarterback got hit a couple of times," Vrabel said. "But I felt like we had time to work our way through and progress our way through the route and gave him some time to get downfield."
-The Titans will practice in Nashville on Wednesday and Thursday of this week before traveling to London on Thursday afternoon. Once arriving in London on Friday morning, the team is scheduled to practice on Friday before holding a walk-through on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's game against the Ravens. It's similar to the schedule the team had for its London trip in 2018. "Get over there, get adjusted, have a Friday practice, clean up a lot of the stuff that we did," Vrabel said, "and then have our normal preparation for the game. I've talked to a lot of people who have done it both ways, and that's how we did it the last time and I felt we were ready to go, it just didn't end the way we wanted it to."
-A number of the Buffalo Bills were injured on Sunday in the team's game in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the Jaguars, and they were unhappy with the quality of the surface. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Sunday's game will be played, features an artificial turf-like carpet. Vrabel said the Titans have spoken to both teams, and the equipment managers, "and however the field is, I'm sure it's safe. … We'll have to be prepared for whatever the surface is."
