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The Falcoholic likes to scout out opposing teams with a little help from fellow SB Nation bloggers. For this Saturday's third preseason game, we turned to Jimmy Morris, editor-in-chief of Music City Miracles, for answers to five questions about his favorite team.
Dave Choate: As a fantasy footballer and a fan of the name "Bishop," I'm wondering how Sankey is faring. Does he look like an eventual feature back, or just a key piece of your running back rotation as you move on from Chris Johnson?
Jimmy Morris: Sankey will be this team's feature back sooner rather than later. Shonn Greene will get his share of the carries, especially in the early part of the season, but it won't be long before Sankey is the man. He has already shown great vision and good hands out of the backfield. He has had a bit of a fumbling issue in the preseason, but that should get worked out before the start of the season.
Dave Choate: This seems like a crucial year for Jake Locker. What does he have to do this season to keep the starting job in 2015 and perhaps beyond, and what are your expectations for him?
Jimmy Morris: Well Locker's contract is up at the end of the season, so he needs to have a good year in order to be back with the team in 2015. The thing about Locker is that he has shown signs of being very good when healthy. So the first thing is that he needs to stay on the field. After that, he just needs to continue to make progress.
I expect him to have a very good year. He has really taken to Ken Whisenhunt's system, and he has a really good set of weapons around him. Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter are going to be household names by the end of the year. Dexter McCluster brings an interesting dynamic to the offense, and the offensive line is really good. There is really no reason he shouldn't have a good year.
I expect him to have a very good year. He has really taken to Ken Whisenhunt's system, and he has a really good set of weapons around him. Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter are going to be household names by the end of the year. Dexter McCluster brings an interesting dynamic to the offense, and the offensive line is really good. There is really no reason he shouldn't have a good year.
Dave Choate: Recent years have not been kind to the Titans, but like you, I'm hoping for a turnaround there. What are reasons to be optimistic and pessimistic about this team's fortunes in 2014?
Jimmy Morris: The reasons to be optimistic are that this team is very talented on offense and actually has a competent coaching staff this season. Mike Munchak was a good dude, and a heck of an offensive line coach, but he just isn't cut out to be a head coach. He also made terrible coordinator hires in Chris Palmer (who was fired) and Jerry Gray (who should have been fired). Ken Whisenhunt can run and offense and Ray Horton can run a defense.
The reasons to be pessimistic are that Jake Locker hasn't been able to play even half of a season in his young NFL career, and the defense looks to be having a little bit of a tough time transitioning to a 3-4. That is to be expected early. Hopefully they will show some signs of coming around in the final 2 preseason games.
The reasons to be pessimistic are that Jake Locker hasn't been able to play even half of a season in his young NFL career, and the defense looks to be having a little bit of a tough time transitioning to a 3-4. That is to be expected early. Hopefully they will show some signs of coming around in the final 2 preseason games.
Dave Choate: Who are the guys we should know on each side of the ball who should be impact players in 2014, and how will they fare in the first preseason game?
Jimmy Morris: Wright and Hunter are the keys on offense. Wright can do everything, and Hunter has the deep speed to take the top off the defense. Look for both of them to show up big in this game because they are both going to get quite a bit of playing time.
On defense, the only real impact player they have is Jurrell Casey. He was a star in the making as a 4-3 DT. He will move around a lot in the new 3-4.
On defense, the only real impact player they have is Jurrell Casey. He was a star in the making as a 4-3 DT. He will move around a lot in the new 3-4.
Dave Choate: How do you imagine your season will turn out, and will the Titans show well against the Falcons Saturday night?
Jimmy Morris: I think they will show well on Saturday night. The first team offense looked good last week against the Saints, and they should continue to improve each week.
As for my season expectations, right now I am predicting 8-8. If Locker stays healthy, I won't be surprised if they win the division. If he gets hurt early and misses a lot of time, it could get pretty ugly.