If you’ve been online this week, you certainly caught all the flowers and blowjobs thrown at Eagles GM Howie Roseman. He traded for Safety Kevin Byard, two-time NFL All Pro and, in Tennessee, the bluest chip for the Titans between 2017-2022.

I like Roseman, an Iggles numbers man since 2000. He endured a demotion during the Chip Kelly years and, as they say: success is the best revenge. In Kevin Byard, Philadelphia gets a leader and hard worker, class act all the way.

Byard’s thirty and I hope he sucks.

I am now cheering for Terrel EdmUnds. Howevah, it seems that DB Elijah Molden will fill Byard’s spot. I’ve seen Molden in many highlights–highlights for the team playing TEN, I mean. But surely Molden was in the right place and it was the other guy who missed an assignment. Plus I’m sure TEN’s coaching staff spent the Week 7 bye making adjustments mutter mutter mutter…

Ok. No more dawdling [clears throat]. The Titans exit the bye at 2-4. That’s TWO wins, just like the Bears, Donks and… Jints.

I predicted the Titans to win the AFC South and…

[runs hand through hair, exhales]

ok. There are 11 games left, of which three are against NFC Southerns and the Titans have FIVE division games remaining. Titans are 2.5 games behind JAX, so arithmetic says “Sure, yeah”. Remember also that division games get weird oftentimes and stuff. And that is the rock*-solid foundation of my hope. Oh yeah, I have hope that TEN will win their division. Psht, I have money riding on this. Self-delusion >> self-immolation.

* shale

TEN’s ’23 special teams play has been mixed. Ryan Stonehouse has not been injured so the punting has been excellent DUH. Punt coverage, NOT. Also, for the 83^rd year in a row, Tennessee is still looking for a consistent punt returner. You know, someone who doesn’t muff a punt, or fair catches it at the 5, in three consecutive games.

The kicking has been perfect. Nick Folk is a god. Praise 👏🏻

Tennessee’s defense, the team’s strength, has been described as mediocre or iffy. I do not agree. TEN has not given up more than 27 points a game. I think that’s a credit to coaching—opposing coaching, by going into victory formations early. But things will improve.

Remember when the Clots’ Zack Moss had that monster game (23-165-2)? Here’s why: DL Teair Tart was out for that game. Tart was out too for the loss against the Ravens in London, but the defense played much better. Tart practiced all week coming off the bye, so that is encouraging. DL Denico Autry has been studly and Jeffery Simmons got a much needed RR (Rage Refocus) after his beef with OBJ back in London. More info. on this link–FULL DISCLOSURE: clicking has a 97% chance of boosting br*b*bl*’s numbers. I’ve been following Simmons through all his NFL career. This is the first time his Godzilla playing style spilled outside the turf. Wistful Fact: with Byard gone, Jeffery Simmons became Top Titan, 2021-present.

The LBs have been fine, just fine. FA pickup Al-Shaair has been great, rookie Gibbens is tough. Plus Harold Landry III is now six games removed from ACL surgery and recovery. No complaints from his play.

What. You think that’s shade?

The DBs have been getting the bad press, mostly CB Kristian Fulton. WRs failed against Fulton consistently, until this season. I think Fulton can rebound, if only because of the team mentality. The Tits bounced from Week 3’s 27-3 drubbing in Cleveland to a 27-3 win over the then-peg-legged Burrow + ‘Gals.

Additional anecdotal stuffs! CB Sean Murphy-Bunting is wonderful. In coverage, great. And! He stopped a rusher on a solo tackle that stifled a 4th down conversion late in the 4th QRT. The other details escape me because I was home alone and had already drank a bottle of bubbly by that point. But yeah, badass stop from a top performer.

I had two wishes for TEN’s offense in 2023. My first wish was competent O-line play. This was a prayer, because TEN fielded five new starters at the O-Line. I saw every single game and it was a bad watch. The OL play, I mean; the streams were fine.

Promising rookie LG Peter Skoronski was good. But he got a case of the ‘Pendi Cites after Week 1 and has barely played since. On my preview, I called his mate, Andre Dillard, an itinerant LT for Philly. Update: itinerant for Philly, benched by TEN after the bye. Nicholas Petit-Frere will be the new LT. Here’s NPF’s story. He came to Tennessee last year and, after a couple of games, seemed to solve Tennessee’s problem at RT. The Problem being: letting Jack Conklin go to Cleveland waaaay back.

BUT, NPF got suspended in 2023 for gambling (originally 6 games, reduced to 4 mid-season). Veteran Chris Hubbard, by Week 4, seemed to have solved The Problem. So now NPF is at LT. OK? OK.

C Aaron Brewer and RG Brunskill have been sub-cromulent. I will reevaluate through a future post because writing can be an outlet for stress and frustration that delays my first strokey stroke.

My second wish for the offense was throw the damn ball to DeAndre Hopkins even if he’s triple covered. I’ve seen it happen on most games. Itch, scratched.

Setting stats aside (OK smartass, HEEEERE), Hopkins has looked like a very good NFL receiver. I’m also sure that Hopkins has gotten at least one first down each game. Which is sincere praise for a top performance in the 2023 Titans offense.

WR Treylon Burks was 2021’s 1^st round pick. He was going to make all Titans fans laugh at the utter greed of basic receeva AJ Brown. Burks has been injured often but has been amazing–for about 6 quarters, total. This year, Burks played during Weeks 1-3:  13 targets, 6 receptions, 99 yds. After the bye, he has practiced all week and, per reports: Burks has returned to “In Theory” status.

The pride of Indiana U, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, has caught both TD passes thrown by Titan QBs in 2023. Derrick Henry has thrown the other and has been shopped around tirelessly by all NFL media since Week 3. Tch. You think you’ve had a tough week? Try having a social media timeline that is 50% dead children AND 50% buzz about Tractorcito going to the Ravens. But I digress.

Tl dr on TEN’s receivers on 2023 so far:

Tight Ends: yeah, they just block in Tennessee. The Chig Okwonko Hype Bus stopped somewhere between Weeks 2 & 3, with no charging station within the QB Room. Which is still composed of Ryan Tannehill (OUT – ankle), plus Malik Willis and Will Levis.

Ryan Tannehill had a bad, terrible, benching-worthy Week 1 against the Saints (3 INTs). Since then, he has two TD passes and three INTs. Yes: the O-line’s been bad, left side 😖. And TEN’s receivers get as much separation from defenders as Italian bachelors get from Mamma. Overall, Tannehill has not been an asset, except in one respect: keeping Malik Willis on the bench.

So now it seems that rookie Will Levis, Academic All-American, will be TEN’s QB. At least according to Ian Rappaport, who reported it Wednesday. Tennessee has not confirmed. In fact, Head Coach Mike Vrabel and OC Tim Kelly have been all Coy Carolines about the whole thing, saying that Malik and Levis will split playing time in the same game. I don’t buy it.

Tannehill is injured and out after this season. TEN will shop around Malik Willis. Playing two QBs would showcase Malik and give Levis his sea legs—i.e., six sacks per half. Now, DFOers might be deviants and stuff, but we’re of sound football minds. Playing any two QBs interchangeably is folly; playing these two in the same game are white flag tactics. Starting that experiment with 11 regular season games left is loser shit.

On the other hand, late 2022-present Mike Vrabel has a free hand and does whatever the fuck he wants. Vrabel is neither dumb nor a loser. But boy, he’s a hardheaded sunuvabitch. And when spite is your motivator, logic is your spittoon. So Vrabel might just do the 2 QB thing, just don’t bet on it.

On to refreshing stuff, rookie RB Tyjae Spears,

He’s fast, can make any crease a hole, has good hands, a dynamite draft pick. Wonderful player to watch.

Derrick Henry, wait. [Inhales, exhales]. Henry’s had about 10 Top Quality runs all season, the longest on a direct snap @ Clots. And he had the TD jump-pass. Aside from that, there was additional chatter yesterday about Bills and Tits negotiating seriously for Henry. Tch.

I’ll hate it when Henry leaves, which seems imminent. But I would still cheer for Tractorcito (just not for his new team). Same with Byard and AJ Brown. Man, what a trio to have on the same team during their prime. Oh well, watchoo gonna do.

But if Henry is traded to the Bills before this Sunday, which is OILER TROWBACK DAY against the Falcons (and former OC Arthur Smith),