Titans Reaction: Malik Willis starts, the Kicker Hero and Rookies Shine in preseason win vs Seahawks

Intro all right adz Sports Sam faum with buck Rising here after another Titans pre-season Victory the Titans victorious in walkoff fashion tonight buck with a game-winning field goal off the foot of Braden narvon by a final score of 16 to 15 check yeah had a double check you there's weird scores in there with some field goals uh you know we had a little bit of Malik Willis action had a little bit of Mason Rudolph action uh buck and I going to give our thoughts on both quarterbacks who else stood out for the Titans tonight in preseason game number two but first going to tell everybody about our new partners over at DeAndre Hopkins football camp dehop youth football camp that is September 1st over at Nissan Stadium 1:30 p.m. Central Time right here not over right here over at Nissan Stadium I sometimes I forget we are standing at Nissan Stadium forget with in the background um but yeah DeAndre Hopkins football camp listen there's not many opportunities for your child to go and learn from a future hall of fame wide receiver and play football on an NFL field we are right here uh Nissan Stadium DeAndre Hopkins football camp it's $991 after taxes and when you use our code at20 you can get 20% off enrollment in the camp 20% off DeAndre Hopkins football camp go sign up uh you know the link is all over a toz and az20 that code so Buck Titans Victorious walkoff Kicker Hero fashion today 16 to 15 Braden arson the hero kind of the unexpected hero in cool story 59 yard field goal to put him ahead then comes through later in the game with the game winner and kind of you know doesn't change things in Tennessee Nick Folk still the kicker here that's not going to change at all but good for Braden arson to put something on tape potentially win himself a job somewhere else practice squad opportunity here we'll see this is what preseason is kind of all about so two notes on that uh Brian Callahan was asked if there was any difference in the kicking competition after Brighton Aron's night because it was very impressive there's not that many kickers that can just come out here and drill it from for or 59 yards the way that he did uh and Brian callah was kind of straight up about it and said no it doesn't you know not really anticipating any changes in the kicking pecking order at this point which I appreciate that transparency that keeps things you know status quo it makes sure that both guys kind of know where they stand with the coaching staff if they didn't already and then the second thing is that col Anderson the Special Teams coordinator is the person that talked to Brian Callahan into it because Brian Callahan was going to punt at that particular moment apparently coold Anderson got his attention on the sideline said no no no no let the kid try it kid tried it kid made it yeah uh look Braden naron kind of knows where he stands but Nick Folk is pushing 40 and going to turn 40 sometime during this season so maybe there's an opportunity here for the Titans to keep a future kicking option on the practice squad while they've got an aging veteran on the active roster and if not you know who knows what kind of kicking issues are around the league but yes Nick Folk is your kicker don't get any funny ideas out there that's not changing but for now good for Braden arvon Buck who else stood out for you in tonight's game I guess a lot of people probably curious about how you feel about the quarterback situation we saw a little bit of Malik Willis saw a little Malik Willis bit of Mason Rudolph I'm not sure either one was overwhelmingly good but Brian Callahan said they both played good enough well Brian Callahan they they play good enough to win right like that's the cliche as oldest time and tonight it was good enough to win whether it was good or not is a different subject matter and I do think that one was significantly better than the other in terms of the situational football that they were presented with because the way that it was supposed to break down was they were going to get quarters based on how the coaching staff decided that that they were going to divvy this thing up and with Malik Willis he was scheduled to get the start because he got the he had earned the opportunity according to coaching staff which to me meant that he'd earned the opportunity to be further evaluated to actually make this roster in an extended look the way that they did with Kus Jackson and jaquin Jackson in the return game last week continue to do again this week in a different kind of situation under the lights in front of fans real defense different defense facing you and I thought Malik Willis played better in the second half than he did in the first for sure the interception was less than ideal uh but you know a high ball there gets tipped up uh and ends up in the hands of a Defender less than ideal and it could have been the game losing interception then Mason Rudolph comes back in sets them up in field goal position allows Bren AR to make it from 46 or helps set bra Braden Aron up for a spot to make it from 46 and ultimately clenches the game winner uh he had the only touchdown Drive of the game for the Titans on that side of things and so I you know there's nothing about Malik Willis tonight or in Camp that makes me feel any different about the backup quarterback conversation but I do think it's never been more viable to have three quarterbacks on your roster and I think there's a very good chance that Malik Willis could and should probably be on this initial 53 man roster because it's not a final 53 it's an initial 53 yeah the initial 53 decision for malis to me is less about Malik Willis versus Mason Rudolph and more about Malik Willis versus name another offensive player that the Titans could potentially keep I mean it might be a fourth tight end versus a third quarterback a fourth running back versus a third quarterback those are the decisions the Titans are going to have to make Buck I think that is potentially the reason why tonight was not a great night for Malik Willis because I certainly was like looking for Malik to do something that made everybody in the stadium say yep there's a reason why the Titans need to keep him around I don't know if he did that something at any point I I just don't think you know like respectfully to all of you lovely people who are watching out there listening I don't think it really matters you know what what the people in the stands think if the coaching staff sees incremental Improvement this is what I mean from the optic standpoint like you're looking to see something with our eyes from our vantage point in the Press Box and I'm sure many people who were in the stands are watching on TV we're looking for the same thing ultimately the it's it's more minute than that right you're look you're talking about footworks you're talking about mechanics you're talking about all right the coaching staff and the quarterback knows the plays knows the reads and how they're supposed to go through these progressions and did Malik Willis do that to their satisfaction that's not something that we'll necessarily have access to for me specifically it was about the pressure how he handled it did he throw it away did he live to see another down did he take unnecessary sacks thought that that was consistent pressure he was out there a lot with the third string offensive line he did get some reps with the two specifically in the second half but for me I think it's it's just a little more complicated because I do think you have to understand what they're being asked to do on a different kind of level to truly grasp whether or not he's making sufficient progress in the minds of the coaching staff sure uh other players have know I think jaquin Jackson did a lot for himself once again J Harold to Rookies showing out two sacks for Jaylen herrold chance Campbell had another very good day led the team in tackles jaquin Jackson you know his biggest receiving impact we've seen from him thus far with five catches over 40 yards I think all of those guys starting to really cement their places on this 53 man rer yard I want to say for J Jackson I mean jaquin Jaxon Jackson Jackson is somebody who's gotten better and better and better and we saw it during joint practices now it's translating again over into a game um I think he very clearly has the inside track to be that wide receiver six in that room and probably the return man that the Titans use a lot do you dis agree with that I mean kis Jackson may be a loser of today simply because he goes out with the knee injury and then jaquin goes on to have a very big game while kis watches from the locker room uh kieras did not return not not expected to be a serious knee injury Brian Callahan told us in the postgame press conference and you know Kyle Phillips is getting shafted by his hamstrings here because he's dealing with soft tissue injury they they feel that potentially he could return to practice and maybe make an appearance in the final preseason game when we travel down to New Orleans to see how that plays out but for uh for jaquin Jackson there is no question that they value his element in special teams they value his element as a receiver and knowing all three roles not just primarily the slot that's something that he's taking pride in diversifying himself essentially not just being looked at as a slot receiver even though his size and skill set May lend itself better to playing inside buck one last guy I want to get your take on because I thought Brian Callahan's comments about David Martin Robinson were very interesting tonight Brian Callahan said straight up he's making a push for this 53-man roster was very impressed with how fluid he was as a catcher and as a runner and we knew David Martin Robinson David Martin Robinson had athleticism to him but he's impressed a lot of Titans coaches with his blocking ability as well and how consistent he's been in that regard we saw Mason Rudolph go to 88 a couple of times on that final drive to set up that game-winning field goal David Martin Robinson potentially now a guy who the Titans could consider keeping in that fourth tight end spot yeah I mean Brian K's not been shy at any point and really since since those initial comments heading into the offseason program about being light at the tight end position he's been really excited about the tight end position I take him at his word at that and David Martin Robinson an undrafted free agent I know we haven't talked nearly as much about Steve sanos uh who has not made quite that impact or Nick Vanette who is a veteran option on this roster and probably would be viewed as the primary blocking tight end depending on Josh Wy who suffered a not not a concussion protocol worthy head injury in practice on Thursday but did get pulled out of practice uh because he bounced his head off the turf they were just being precautionary with it so a lot of moving part literally moving Parts in the tight end room where the two guys who I think a lot of Titans fans thought were competing for a starting job are basically going to be playing two different two totally different positions and how the guys slot in after them as those two backups to two tight ends who do two different things um is going to be an interesting discussion where you talk about the offb line backers and the quarterbacks and the tight ends and wide receivers six and seven do you think it's four tight end it's complicated I would be surprised if this is actually the Bengals offense there's not a huge priorization pretty consistently you might not need that fourth tight end I just don't know how they get everybody again if if what this offense is going to be is the Bengals offense and why wouldn't it be you got Tyler bour in the slot you've got uh Calvin Ridley who is scheduled to play the Jamar Chase role in all of this so I'm going to assume that that same role which is not I just wouldn't necessarily describe tight end as a priority in the Bengals offense the last couple years they've had some guys who have made a difference uh going back to oh I'm blanking on 87's name that went to the Jets uh no not Hurst but Hayden Hurst did have a career Ooma who is uh somebody who did get a good contract from the New York Jets afterwards he had a good season with the Bengals the year that he went to the Super Bowl and Hayden Hurst did have a career year before I think taking a contract with the Carolina Panthers but all that being said I just don't think like I'm not putting so much stock in the tight end position in general because I know how the Bengals offense operated yeah all right that's all we got for you guys tonight from Nissan Stadium uh are you sure you want to look to make sure that we're here you weren't you weren't sure based on the read when you saids over there at niss I see Titans slow goes in the back Turf below my feet we are at Nissan Stadium that's grass yeah well not doing it this is artificial turf but not real grass um we've got a press conference tomorrow afternoon Brian Callahan with the media at noon Central today when you're hearing this livecast couple hours from now if you're watching this right after it gets dropped uh go ahead and check out Brian Callahan's press conference with the media those have been very thorough so far so any uh other questions you've got on the Titans hopefully getting answered there uh Buck you'll have adz sports prime time as well coming up on now tonight when these people are watching this so yeah see quick learner this guy all right guys uh that's all we got talk to you next time we'll see you later see you