We got our first glimpse at how the Titans deployed Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears in their home preseason game against the Niners. And, well, they were used almost exactly as their head coach said they were going to be used -- in tandem.
The Titans' first possession started in the red zone after a terrific kick return by Kearis Jackson. Pollard started and was on the field for exactly one whole play before Spears came in on the very next play. After each had a carry and totaled six yards combined, Pollard was back in on third down and caught a flare pass from Will Levis for five yards, setting up first and goal from the 4. Pollard stayed on the field, gained a yard, then set up to block on the next play. With the clock stopped following an incompletion, Spears re-entered on third and goal and ran a route. A Niners penalty gave the Titans first and goal at the 1, which Pollard came back in for -- and watched Levis dive for a touchdown.
Tennessee's next drive began at their 36. Pollard started and caught a checkdown pass from Levis for five yards. Spears replaced him on second and 4 and was mauled on a backfield carry because his center missed a block. Spears stayed for another third down, a cool catch-and-run by Calvin Ridley. With the downs reset, Pollard was back in and popped off two right-side runs for 8 and 24 yards, the second of which would have been a touchdown if he wasn't caught from behind. After Pollard's long run, Spears came back in for three straight goal-to-go plays (including one that was technically wiped out by a Niners penalty) and ran the ball in for a touchdown on a swift cutback from four yards out.
In total, Pollard played one more snap (eight) than Spears (seven, including that penalty). They were dead even in red-zone snaps (five each), but that may have had more to do with Pollard getting a rest after racking up a long gain. The only third down Pollard was on was the first one, a 3rd-and-4 play after Spears ran for four yards.
After one game there doesn't seem to be any hints as to how Pollard and Spears will split reps, just that they'll split reps. Naturally, there could be games this season where one gets a hot hand and dominates playing time, but those games could be awfully tough to predict.
But before you ignore the Titans running backs in drafts, know that the offensive line is much improved, and I say that even though their new center botched a block. It seems like Bill Callahan's influence paid off on both of Pollard's right-side runs. Expect that to continue to be a factor.
I still view Pollard as a late Round 7 pick, not sooner, because of the week-to-week uncertainty. But I'm OK taking him there instead of feeling queasy about it prior to the preseason game. Spears should continue to go after Pollard in drafts -- I view him as a solid Round 8 pick in full-PPR. And I'm very much okay with getting Spears at the cheaper price tag since they could both wind up being the same in terms of playing time and touches; Spears might even see way more targets.
Brown worth chasing?
Bengals running back Chase Brown got the start against the Bucs because Zack Moss was sick. A hot name from training camp, Brown was a mixed bag.
The good: He continued to flash downhill ability with solid burst and agility in his cuts.
The bad: His vision wasn't great, he chose to back into a charging defender on a bounced run instead of challenging him head-on, and he had a false start on the next play.
Also: He returned the opening kickoff, bobbling it for a second first, then running straight ahead at solid speed before getting knocked down before the 30. It's a little strange to see a team's starting running back returning a kickoff. He also was on the field for two other kickoffs.
I loved how his coaches kept banging the drum for him when camp started. I can't help but wonder if his lack of explosiveness against the Bucs could open the door for Zack Moss to re-establish himself as a big part of this run game. Naturally, that could flip in a heartbeat if Moss misses another game and Brown shines, and that exact scenario could play out in any game this season, not just in meaningless August games.
For now, I'm keeping Brown ahead of Moss, but they're both Round 8-range picks at best. CBS ADP has Brown in late Round 9 but I suspect he'll be popular enough to go before then. Don't be the one to reach for him in Round 7, not without some better moments from him first.
Moss, meanwhile, has an ADP of 83.0, which makes no sense. Go ahead and let anyone take him around then and be happy it's not you.
ICYMI
I spent the weekend traveling to two preseason games and got good looks at the Steelers and Broncos running backs.
For the Steelers, I thought Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both looked good. Considering the new offensive scheme they're in, I like their current Average Draft Positions on CBS Sports.
And with the Broncos, it feels like Javonte Williams has a fresh shot to lead the backfield. Jaleel McLaughlin looked better than he did at Indianapolis, but he ran against the Colts' second-team defense. McLaughlin also returned kicks for the Broncos, giving him appeal in those formats that are giving individual players points for special-teams yardage.
Bad start for Benson
Cardinals rookie Trey Benson started for the Cardinals and handled eight carries but for just 21 yards. By my count, there were three plays where he bumped into his own linemen, and two other plays where he was tentative including one where he straight-up stopped his feet and fell down instead of continuing an edge run when oncoming defenders approached. He did flash good vision on a 19-yard screen, working behind his blockers and gaining maximum yardage by powering through defenders, but the play was called back on a Cardinals penalty. Benson also played zero third-down snaps.
After Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon laid out a bunch of things he needed to see from Benson. The rookie disappointed and I moved him into Round 12 in my rankings as a result.
Quick hits
- Two guys who look the part of lead RBs for their teams are Zamir White with the Raiders and Brian Robinson with the Commanders. White's going to go ahead of Robinson by a couple of rounds but both have 1,000-total-yard, eight-score potential and can be had after pick No. 50 (Robinson is more like pick No. 80).
- Rico Dowdle played all of six snaps. His first run was his best run, a nine-yard gain where he followed two pulling linemen from the left side to the right side. The Cowboys liked it so much they tried something like it again on his second run and he may have had just as much success with it if not for a nice play from a Rams defender chasing him down. On both plays, he did an excellent job following his blocks. It's not like Dowdle has breakaway speed, but he might be the best RB the Cowboys have right now, and it always helps runners when their vision is great. Dowdle is OK to take in Round 10 even though his ADP is into Round 11. Take advantage.
- I did not like how Ty Chandler couldn't get any notable gains until the Raiders second-team defense hit the field. Going back to last season, Kevin O'Connell preached consistency with Chandler. We need to see it before buying back into him again as anything more than a late-round pick.
- Late-round picks are dart throws, right? If so, you could do much worse than take a shot on Khalil Herbert. Yes, he's behind D'Andre Swift on the Bears depth chart, but he's a capable, speedy 26-year-old running back with better success on zone-scheme runs, and he's entering a contract year. Any team with rushing concerns could easily inquire about Herbert and he could ascend to a part-time back on another roster. Or, the Bears could keep him and Fantasy managers could begin the season with Herbert on benches in case Swift misses playing time. Worst-case scenario: you cut Herbert if he's not traded and Swift is upright for a few weeks. He's a strategic choice once you get to Round 13.
