| Titans QB Jake Locker remained in Nashville for some of the bye week to rehab his injured left shoulder. Locker will make his second start on Sunday since dislocating the shoulder in week 4. (US Presswire) |
Tennessee Titans’ players returned to the team’s practice facility on Monday for a full-padded practice after receiving six days off during a Week 10 bye.
Titans coach Mike Munchak said the team used Monday’s practice to work on fundamentals and run through various situational drills. Titans’ players will receive an off-day on Tuesday before beginning a normal week on Wednesday heading into Sunday’s game at Jacksonville.
“We covered all the different scenarios, the red zone, the run game, converting on third down, getting off the field, protecting versus blitz, two-minute, a little bit of everything,” Munchak said. “It was just kind of a real quick pace, eight reps in every period we did. We had a good workout.”
Munchak and his staff used the week off to self-scout their team. The staff evaluated film to determine the formations and personnel groupings that have worked effectively, as well as others that need to be tweaked. The staff has had to maintain a delicate balance while making adjustments to its scheme.
“Coaches tend to overthink things, you start watching too much tape,” Munchak said. “This time of year, there are so many games. There are 10 games you can watch, and drive yourself crazy with. You get overwhelmed watching too much and worrying about too many things. Sometimes, I think it’s a disadvantage to have too much time.”
With losses by the Steelers and Colts on Sunday, the Titans (4-6) now trail both teams by two games for an AFC Wild Card spot. Munchak indicated that his club will likely need to win five of their final six games in order to earn a spot in the playoffs. Following Sunday’s game vs. the Jaguars, the Titans will face the Texans at home on Dec. 2 and the Colts on the road on Dec. 9.
“Ultimately, we have to find a way to win two, three games in a row,” Munchak said. “We haven’t won a division game yet, and we have three here in a row, so we have to start winning them.”
Titans wary of Jags’ duo: Neither Jaguars QB Chad Henne, nor WR Justin Blackmon were on the Jacksonville roster last season in the two meetings between the AFC South teams. Blackmon had a breakthrough performance in Sunday’s loss at Houston, while Henne nearly led his team to an upset win over the conference’s top team.
Blackmon finished with seven catches for 236 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown pass from Henne. The former Oklahoma State receiver was the first wideout selected in last April’s NFL Draft.
“We knew when he got drafted, he was going to be a real good one,” Munchak said. “He’s one of those guys that gets drafted and you wish it’s not in your division because we know what a good player he is going to be.”
After relieving injured starter Blaine Gabbert in the first quarter, Henne went 16 of 33 for 354 yards and 4 TDs against the Texans. Henne is 1-1 in two career starts vs. the Titans. In the Dolphins 27-24 loss to the Titans in September of 2010, Henne threw for 240 yards and a touchdown.
“It’s a quarterback that has been around, that obviously had a good game yesterday and made a lot of good throws,” Munchak said.
Injury update: Titans WR Lavelle Hawkins suffered an injured ankle late in Monday’s practice on a play in the end zone against CB Coty Sensabaugh. Hawkins’ status for Wednesday’s practice has yet to be determined.
“I rolled my ankle, it just got stuck on Coty,” Hawkins said. “I just injured something, it hurt like a dog.”
TE Craig Stevens (hamstring), S Al Afalava (ankle), LB Xavier Adibi (knee) and Jamie Harper (ankle) all missed Monday’s practice. Stevens is expected to practice on Wednesday.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Tennessee Titans, follow Matt Rybaltowski @CBSTitans.