NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans don't have time to lick their wounds – both figuratively and literally – following a 16-11 loss to the Jets as their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Jaguars is just two days away.
Ken Whisenhunt met with the media Monday. Here are the top five things to come out of his press conference.
4. Update From the Training Table
The Titans have a real chance to get back a few players who have been inactive in recent weeks. Whisenhunt said he's hopeful Kendall Wright (hand) and Taylor Lewan (ankle) will be active on Thursday in Jacksonville. Kamerion Wimbley (hamstring) and Byron Stingily (ankle) are two other names the Titans hope to have back against the Jaguars.
Michael Oher will have surgery on his injured toe on Tuesday to clean up some arthritis, Whisenhunt said. Oher was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
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- An Adjusted Schedule for a Short Week**
"Today is Thursday," Whisenhunt said to begin his press conference when he arrived a few minutes early. "We need to work a little quicker."
Thursday is the reference to the day of a normal week of preparation that the Titans need to catch up to. A usual, Thursday features the most intense practice of the week. Today however, the Titans players came in for weights, running and treatment less than 24 hours since their loss to the Jets.
The players are behind from a preparation standpoint, as is the case for every team that plays on Thursday night. Whisenhunt said his assistant coaches used time last week and over the weekend to begin game-planning for the Jaguars.
With a roster ravaged by injuries, Whisenhunt admitted this isn't the most opportune time for a midweek game.
"That makes it even tougher, but they're still going to play the game Thursday night and we have to show up and play it," he said.
He then divulged the team's plan for how to combine a week's worth of practices into two days on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"We're not going to be on the field very long," Whisenhunt explained. "We'll split the fields and work offense and defense on separate fields to get through things quicker, but still get the work in that we need to."
2. Shonn Greene Workload
Whisenhunt reiterated Monday that Shonn Greene was inactive in Week 14 against the Giants strictly due to needs on special teams and not as a benching scenario. Greene was active against the Jets and handled a majority of the workload out of the backfield, rushing 15 times for 50 yards, while Dexter McCluster received five carries and Bishop Sankey just two.
Whisenhunt said he felt like Greene had the hot hand early and was running with a bit of extra motivation against his former team. Greene spent his first four NFL seasons with the Jets.
1. The QB Carousel Continues
The Titans have gone from Jake Locker to Charlie Whitehurst to Zach Mettenberger back to Locker and now to Whitehurst again.
is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow on his left (non-throwing) shoulder and was placed on IR Monday.
"I feel badly for Jake for the way this season has ended," Whisenhunt said. "The whole experience this year and the way this season has gone and how he stood up and worked so hard to get back in there and play these last three games only to take that hit and go out. He's a true pro. He is a great teammate and works hard and you obviously feel badly for Jake."
Tennessee added Jordan Palmer to back up Whitehurst for the final two games of the season. Whisenhunt said the team has a list of quarterbacks who are viable options should they need an emergency quarterback and Palmer had been on that list for a while.
It will be another opportunity for Palmer, a five year pro who was last with the Bills during the 2014 training camp, to be back with an NFL team. However, everyone in the Titans locker room hopes they don't have to see another quarterback go down this season. Here's to hoping for the continued health of Whitehurst for the final two weeks of the season.
