Report: Josh Dobbs to Be Titans' QB over Malik Willis vs. Cowboys with Tannehill Out
Dec 29, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 27: Joshua Dobbs #15 of the Cleveland Browns warms up prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The Tennessee Titans will reportedly start Josh Dobbs for Thursday night's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys over rookie Malik Willis, according to Justin Melo of TheDraftNetwork.com. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network confirmed the news.
It will be Dobbs' first NFL start.
The Titans selected Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, and he has served as Ryan Tannehill's backup this season. He has started three games in Tannehill's absence.
Willis was one of the more promising quarterbacks in a relatively weak 2022 draft class at that position. He spent two seasons at Auburn before transferring to Liberty, where he spent his junior and senior seasons.
The 22-year-old had a solid 2021 season, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 878 yards and 13 scores.
The Titans have gone just 1-2 in his three starts this season. He's thrown for only 276 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while completing just 50.8 percent of his passes and taking 10 sacks. He has also rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Dobbs has appeared in six games throughout his NFL career. He's completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 45 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
With Tannehill still injured, the Titans had to decide between the inexperienced and struggling Willis or the journeyman Dobbs. They reportedly have chosen the latter.
Titans' Derrick Henry Doubtful to Face Cowboys with Hip Injury
Dec 28, 2022
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) runs against the Indianapolis Colts in the second half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys because of a hip injury, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Sitting Henry at this point is risk mitigation by Tennessee. The Titans are in a must-win game in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars if they want to secure the AFC South title, and the outcome of Thursday's clash with the Cowboys won't have any bearing on their pursuit of a postseason berth.
Henry has amassed 319 carries for 1,429 yards and 13 touchdowns through 15 games. The ex-Alabama star is a two-time Pro Bowler who won the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award in 2020.
He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards in 2019 and 2020, notably running for 2,027 yards in the latter year. Henry's 2,141 yards from scrimmage also paced the NFL in 2020.
Malik Willis to Start for Titans vs. Texans After Ryan Tannehill Ankle Injury
Dec 22, 2022
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 18: Malik Willis #7 of the Tennessee Titans throws the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Tennessee Titans will turn to rookie quarterback Malik Willis as the starting quarterback for Saturday's matchup with the Houston Texans, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Veteran Ryan Tannehill has been ruled out for the game with an ankle injury.
NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky reported Wednesday that Tannehill was likely done for the season, opening up the chance for Willis to make an impression down the stretch.
The 23-year-old has made two starts this season, going 1-1 in those contests. For the year, the third-rounder out of Liberty has thrown for 177 yards and an interception, completing a woeful 44.7 percent of his passes while taking six sacks. He's added 80 rushing yards.
"I think the previous experience helped a lot, as far as just knowing what it takes and knowing what your routine is going to be in order to prepare," Willis told reporters Wednesday. "It's different every week, who we play. But the way you prepare is the same mostly. It's just understanding what it takes and going out there every day. Now I get the reps a little more, and it's just about going out there and getting better."
Malik Willis on being more comfortable in the scheme and keeping a positive mindset. Wise words beyond his years from the #Titans rookie. pic.twitter.com/jrXS3kxIFb
It will be a trial by fire for Willis at a crucial juncture in Tennessee's season, with the 7-7 Titans holding onto a tenuous one-game lead in the AFC South over the suddenly hot Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8), winners of four of their last six.
The Titans, meanwhile, have lost four straight.
The Jags won the first matchup between the teams by a 36-22 score, with the division potentially coming down to the final week of the season when the two teams face off in Jacksonville for the second time. The division winner will claim the No. 4 seed in the AFC.
It may be a moot point if the Titans can't get past the Texans and a Week 17 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. At least this week, Willis finds himself in the spotlight.
Titans' Ryan Tannehill Returns After Being Carted off with Ankle Injury vs. Chargers
Dec 18, 2022
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 18: Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans throws the ball during warmups before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers did not get off to an ideal start for the Tennessee Titans.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was carted off with an injury during the first quarter, per Jonathan Jones of CBS. The setback was deemed an ankle injury, and it put rookie Malik Willis temporarily under the spotlight.
However, the starter returned in a rather surprising development during the second quarter.
Tannehill missed Tennessee's Week 8 win over the Houston Texans and Week 9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with an ankle injury earlier this season.
The Titans didn't ask Willis to do much in those games, as he attempted a combined 26 passes as the team looked to rely on Derrick Henry and the rushing attack as much as possible. The rookie has completed just 41.2 percent of his passes for 157 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception as a thrower this year.
Numbers like that surely don't inspire confidence, and the Titans are suddenly far from a lock to win the AFC South.
The Jacksonville Jaguars stunned the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and will be just one game back if the Chargers defeat the Titans. Jacksonville and Tennessee also face each other to end the season in Week 18.
Prior to this season, Tannehill has been durable of late.
He appeared in all 17 games last season and all 16 games in 2020 while helping lead his team to the playoffs both years. He may not be the long-term answer at quarterback for the franchise after it selected Willis in the 2022 NFL draft, but he is likely its best chance at competing in the playoffs this season.
That is what made his return to Sunday's game such a welcome development for a team looking to make a final push into the postseason.
A.J. Brown Deletes Tweet Saying He Wasn't Trolling Jon Robinson After Titans Firing
Dec 6, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 04: A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field on December 4, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown insisted he wasn't trolling former Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson, even though it wasn't a stretch to make that connection.
Brown, who scored two touchdowns in Sunday's win over his former team, tweeted a link to a shirt on his website and captioned it "Swole Batman AKA The Terminator."
The terminator part drew attention since the Titans announced Tuesday that they fired Robinson shortly after the loss to Brown's Eagles. However, the wide receiver explained he was not making fun of the situation and provided more context:
"I will never kick another man while he’s down," Brown said in a now-deleted tweet. "The shirts was made few days ago. My eye has been red for two weeks now. That’s not who I am."
The Titans' firing of Robinson was something of a surprise. He just signed a contract extension in February, and Tennessee is in first place in the AFC South at 7-5.
Considering the 4-8-1 Indianapolis Colts are in second place in the division, it is basically a foregone conclusion that the Titans will host a home playoff game.
Albert Breer of The MMQB reported some people inside the building with the Titans were "floored" by the decision, although NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted the team's "brass wasn't happy with the direction of the roster" and "decided to make a change."
There were hits and misses throughout Robinson's tenure, which is often the case for general managers. However, the timing of the firing was impossible to ignore given how dominant Brown was during Sunday's win. He had eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns even though the Eagles pulled their starters early in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee traded Brown this offseason for the Nos. 18 and 101 overall picks in the 2022 NFL draft.
"I just didn't appreciate how it all went down, and they just kind of blamed me for it," Brown told Pelissero in August (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com). "I'm man enough to say that, however people may take it. But I have no bad blood with Tennessee. I'm moving forward."
It seems as if Brown has had the last laugh since the Eagles are 11-1 and he has 61 catches for 950 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games. But he made it clear he wasn't the one doing the laughing at Robinson on Tuesday.
Jon Robinson Fired as Titans GM After 6-Plus Seasons with Franchise
Dec 6, 2022
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 02: General manager, Jon Robinson of the Tennessee Titans speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday that they've fired general manager Jon Robinson.
Team owner Amy Adams Strunk issued a statement on the move:
"Since becoming controlling owner in 2015, my goal has been to raise the standard for what is expected in all facets of our organization. I believe we have made significant progress both on and off the field through investments in leadership, personnel and new ideas. This progress includes the core of our business, the football team itself, which is regularly evaluated both by results (wins and losses) and team construction/roster building. I am proud of what we have accomplished in my eight seasons of ownership, but I believe there is more to be done and higher aspirations to be met."
Vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden will run the front office for the rest of the 2022 NFL season before the franchise launches a full search for Robinson's replacement.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported head coach Mike Vrabel is "expected to have significant power" moving forward.
It's unclear what specifically precipitated Robinson's ouster, especially considering he just signed an extension in February. The team is also 7-5 and first in the AFC South, putting it on track to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in six seasons.
Pelissero reported ownership "wasn't happy with the direction of the roster."
My understanding is #Titans brass wasn't happy with the direction of the roster assembled by Jon Robinson and decided to make a change, despite leading the AFC South. He was under contract through the 2027 draft, and walks away with another four years' pay.
The timing is also odd since there isn't much Cowden can do to strengthen the roster. The trade deadline has passed, and most of the best free agents after the regular season opened have found new homes.
The MMQB's Albert Breer reported some people within the organization were "floored" to learn of the firing. The reaction outside of the building is largely the same.
Titans were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last year, and have never had a losing season w/Robinson as GM.
They're 3 games up in the AFC South right now, set to win their 3rd straight division title.
Wow. A shocker. Titans have had 6 straight winning seasons and headed toward a 7th in 7 years with Jon Robinson as GM (66-43 record).
Move comes right after AJ Brown, who Robinson traded to Eagles in offseason, had a dominant day vs. Titans in Philly’s blowout win Sunday. https://t.co/jrUEvhK8or
Everyone in the NFL is wondering why Jon Robinson got fired right now. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, in a statement on the team site, says "there is more to be done and higher aspirations to be met." pic.twitter.com/n6AWfS8uah
Absent more context, the A.J. Brown trade will likely be perceived as Robinson's fatal error because it's impossible to ignore this was done two days after Brown torched Tennessee's secondary for 119 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a 35-10 win for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Firing Jon Robinson is less strange than the timing of it.
Other than being fresh off getting embarrassed by the player they traded away in the offseason.
Tennessee seemed to get a solid return when the trade was done, acquiring the Nos. 18 and 101 overall picks in the 2022 draft. Brown might have wanted out one way or the other considering ESPN's Turron Davenport reported he "requested a trade and cut off all contact with the Titans" weeks before the draft.
In retrospect, Robinson probably should've held firm and not acquiesced to Brown's demand.
That wasn't his only notable personnel misstep, either.
Isaiah Wilson, whom the Titans selected 29th overall in 2020, only made one appearance for the team and is no longer on the roster. Caleb Farley, their first-rounder in 2021, hasn't been much better through his first two years.
Then there are the veteran additions that didn't work out, such as acquiring Julio Jones from the Atlanta Falcons and signing Malcolm Butler, Jadeveon Clowney and Bud Dupree.
But those moves happened before Robinson got his extension, once again raising the question as to why now was the time to move on.
Based on Wilson's report, Vrabel appears to be safe, so a new general manager won't be tasked with finding a new head coach.
Considering how much work Robinson's successor has to dismantle the roster, Tennessee could be pivoting toward a rebuild.
A.J. Brown's Revenge Game vs. Sends NFL Twitter Wild as Eagles Beat Titans
Dec 4, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 04: A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after scoring touchdown in the second quarter of a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field on December 04, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
A.J. Brown got his revenge against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday as the wide receiver led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 35-10 Week 13 victory.
The Titans traded Brown to the Eagles in April, but they certainly missed him in this one as he tallied eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
The 2020 Pro Bowler helped put the game away early in the second half with an impressive touchdown catch:
Jalen Hurts had an impressive game himself, throwing three touchdowns to go with one rushing score. Brown was still the story of the day as he showed the Titans exactly what they were missing.
It helped the Eagles improve to 11-1 on the season, while Tennessee is 7-5 after a second straight loss.
The Titans could still be happy with the trade after landing receiver Treylon Burks in the first round of the draft. The rookie left with an injury, but not before scoring his first career touchdown with an incredible effort.
That's quite a catch by Treylon Burks. He went up and grabbed that pass, got rocked but somehow held on. He's down on the field now. That's a big time play!
Just an incredible catch in the end zone by rookie Treylon Burks. He knew contact was coming, and Burks still came down with the completion. Marcus Epps with the big tackle. Epps is penalized for unnecessary roughness.
The Eagles are still happy with Brown, but the deal could end up becoming a win-win for the two organizations.
Titans OC Todd Downing Arrested and Charged with DUI, Speeding After Win Over Packers
Nov 18, 2022
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 09: Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing during an NFL game at NRG Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing was arrested in Williamson County, Tennessee, early Friday morning after the team's 27-17 win over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
According to the Williamson County Sheriff's Department (h/t NFL Network's Ian Rapoport), Downing was charged with DUI and speeding.
Rapoport noted Downing posted bond near 7 a.m. local time Friday morning.
Per the arrest information provided by Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Downing was pulled over at 3:49 a.m. local time and officially booked at 4:39 a.m. local time.
Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, the Titans' team flight left Green Bay at 12:15 a.m. Central time and landed in Nashville at 2:11 a.m. Central time. According to Florio, there has been no indication of when Downing would have consumed alcohol, but he noted the NFL has "very strict rules regarding teams making alcohol available to players and coaches."
According to McCormick, the NFL's personal conduct policy states a first-time DUI offense could be punishable by a three-game suspension without pay.
The Titans have yet to comment on the situation. McCormick noted head coach Mike Vrabel is scheduled to meet with the media over Zoom at 11:30 a.m. Central time.
Tennessee had season highs in points (27), total yards (408) and passing yards (320) in Thursday's win over the Packers. The victory moved the team's record to 7-3, tied with the Miami Dolphins for the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
Downing is in his fourth season on the Titans coaching staff. Tennessee hired him as the tight ends coach before the 2019 season. Vrabel promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2021 after Arthur Smith left to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL.com's Tom Pelissero mentioned Downing, 42, on Thursday among young NFL head coaching candidates to watch ahead of the 2023 offseason.
This season marks Downing's 20th consecutive year coaching in the NFL. He has previously worked for the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings.
The Green Bay Packers' losing streak is finally over. This past Sunday, they ended their five-game skid by defeating the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field....
