Titans vs. Seahawks joint practice takeaways: JC Latham and Leonard Williams get into it

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans welcomed the Seattle Seahawks to their humble abode this week for two joint practices before their preseason showdown on Sunday, and CBS Sports was in attendance for the final joint session. It was a reunion of sorts, as new Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson was back with his defensive coordinator from last year in new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, and new Titans safeties Jamal Adams plus Quandre Diggs got to see their former teammates ... and they did not stop jawing. 

The energy you find in joint practice doesn't compare to your typical practice. Players get to hit other players who are not their teammates, and each team is looking to assert their dominance over the other. There were celebrations off of touchdowns and turnovers, and the talking was nonstop -- as was the spritzing of Will Levis' new mayonnaise cologne. Thursday's session featured red zone work, special teams, one-on-ones, two-minute drills, 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s. 

I attempted to pay equal attention to Tennessee's first-team defense and first-team offense, but that proved impossible because the energy coming from the Titans offense vs. Seahawks defense field was notable. Here are my main takeaways from Thursday's practice: 

JC Latham vs. Leonard Williams

We didn't get any "fights" in this joint practice, and you have to wonder if the $200,000 fines the New York Giants and Detroit Lions received last week had anything to do with that. But, we did get plenty of scuffles, and probably the most notable kerfuffle was Titans' first-round pick JC Latham getting into it with Seahawks star defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

As a play ended, Williams was seen on top of Latham, and it looked like he was about to deliver a blow to the left tackle. Teammates then got involved, but the action wasn't over, as a helmet-less Latham jumped up and attempted to go after Williams. The rookie was held back by someone powerful enough to restrain the 6-foot-6, 340-pound monster: Titans general manager Ran Carthon! 

Latham told reporters that when he noticed it was Carthon who had grabbed him, he knew he had to simmer down. The 21-year-old laughed about it after practice.

I think it was clear that both teams made an effort to not turn practice into a WWE event. Pass rusher Harold Landry told us, "There were a couple of things put in place to make sure that the fights don't get too out of hand." When he was asked if those things were financial in nature, Landry responded, "possibly."

Titans center Lloyd Cushenberry told me that head coach Brian Callahan made it clear to the team fighting wouldn't be tolerated. He said both squads did a good job keeping themselves in check.  

Two-minute offenses struggle

One of the highlights of practice was expected to be the final session: Two-minute drill. Unfortunately, it was a dud.

Geno Smith didn't get in the end zone on his try, but at least he completed a few passes. As for Levis, on his first throw of the period, he attempted a pass out to Mason Kinsey in the right flat, but it was intercepted by cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon then looked for former teammate Jamal Adams to give him the ball. That INT ended the two-minute period for Levis, because the other quarterbacks were to rotate in.

The interceptions didn't stop there, as Seahawks backup Sam Howell threw a pick to Week 1 preseason star Chance Campbell two plays into his possession. 

For the Titans, this really felt like a missed opportunity for some first-team situational work against another defense in what wasn't a real game.  

Jha'Quan Jackson impresses again

Jha'Quan Jackson

TEN • WR • #19

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Rookie wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson was one of the MVPs of joint practices. The Tulane product had two long touchdowns on Wednesday, and followed it up with another impressive day on Thursday. With the twos in 11-on-11s, he caught a pass working left to right from Mason Rudolph, and turned it into a gain of 20-25 yards. He also stood out during one-on-ones. 

Jackson caught 109 passes for 1,743 yards and 17 touchdowns during his five seasons at Tulane, but also worked as a punt returner, averaging 11.3 yards per return in his final four seasons. He had a 26-yard punt return vs. the San Francisco 49ers last Saturday night, and may kick a fellow wideout to the curb on roster cutdown day. 

How many receivers will the Titans keep? Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd are locks. Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are probably the next two to be safe. Who would that sixth pass-catcher be? It may be Jackson over guys like Kyle Phillips, Colton Dowell, Mason Kinsey, Bryce Oliver and Kearis Jackson. 

(Wednesday's touchdowns): 

Offensive line one-on-ones

Apart from all of the reunions, a reason why the Seahawks were a good joint-practice opponent for the Titans was because of their defensive front. Guys like Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams, Johnathan Hankins and Byron Murphy II are real dudes, and they certainly got pressure on quarterbacks this week.

One-on-ones aren't everything, but I did make it a point to watch the Titans offensive line starters go through some reps on Thursday. All-in-all, the Seahawks won the "drill." 

Latham's first rep was solid. His defender worked a swim move to the inside, which is a death sentence for some tackles. But Latham rebounded, didn't give up on the play and moved the pass rusher away from the staffer playing quarterback. Right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere got beat off the edge by Boye Mafe. However, NPF adjusted his technique and swallowed rookie Sunny Anderson on his next rep, which drew praise from offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Callahan has given Petit-Frere credit for attempting to quickly catch-up after his preseason was delayed due to a surprise stint on the PUP list. Still, I'm pretty worried about the offensive line as a whole. 

'Barbecue chicken'

Titans' Week 2 preseason game plan

Coach Callahan told reporters that he ended practice a little bit early. It was a physical two days. He also announced that most starters will not play in Week 2 of the preseason, including Levis. It will be Malik Willis who gets the start under center, over Rudolph. This is fairly notable since Rudolph was the quarterback the front office went out and signed in free agency. He's seen as the favorite to be "QB2" behind Levis, but I would venture to guess Tennessee keeps three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

Other notes

• Flags were flying all day, from holdings, to illegal touching, false starts and pass interference.
•  It would appear the Titans mixed up personnel on Thursday. It wasn't your typical ones, twos and threes. 
• DK Metcalf was tough for the Titans secondary to contain, but L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie were not on the practice field
• Jake Bobo also looked awesome. I saw a one-on-one TD grab by him, and also an 11-on-11 one-handed touchdown catch that raised everyone's eyebrows. 
  
• On the first play of 11-on-11s, Treylon Burks caught a slant against Witherspoon for a gain of at least 20 yards. 
• Tyjae Spears again flashed. He had a 20-yard run up the middle in 11-on-11s.