Tight End Film Week 3
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00:00 Welcome to another Tic Tac Titans film breakdown.
00:03 I'm Tyler Rowland, host of the Locked on Titans podcast,
00:06 staff writer over at alltitans.com.
00:08 I want to talk about how the Tennessee Titans tight ends
00:11 are just not doing a very good job and it showed up a ton in week three.
00:15 I want to start with this play here.
00:17 You have Trevon Wesco and he is going to be coming on the split flow motion
00:22 to take on the defensive end.
00:24 That's his responsibility.
00:26 You're gonna see some washdown blocks here
00:28 that are supposed to open things up through the middle for the Titans,
00:31 but unfortunately, Wesco just hasn't been getting it done.
00:35 And it's unfortunate because the Titans signed Wesco with the idea
00:39 that he was one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL,
00:42 but he is just not winning.
00:44 And in this situation, he just doesn't move quick enough,
00:47 doesn't get the block and literally runs into Derrick Henry.
00:50 And I mean, what's so disappointing here is
00:53 if you look at this play design, you get the washdown here,
00:55 you get the washdown here,
00:58 Hubbard's gonna be able to climb up to the linebacker.
01:01 All Wesco has to do is make this block
01:05 and Derrick Henry is gonna have a good game.
01:08 That's all that has to happen here is Wesco to make this block.
01:11 But he's too slow.
01:14 He doesn't go with enough energy to knock the defensive end back.
01:18 He hits into Derrick Henry, it clogs up the hole.
01:21 There's no way for Henry to go.
01:23 Another failed play for the Titans.
01:26 These are the type of things that kill you.
01:27 And on this one, this is just one-on-one pass protection.
01:31 It's Trevon Wesco against Zedarius Smith.
01:34 Now, Zedarius Smith is a very good player.
01:36 Do not get me wrong.
01:37 Zedarius Smith is a good player.
01:39 But again, the Titans signed Trevon Wesco with the idea
01:43 that he would be one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL.
01:47 And this is simply not getting it done.
01:50 I mean, he just gets beat here.
01:53 Boom! Right pass.
01:55 Ryan Tannehill can't do anything.
01:56 Got to escape.
01:57 Got to throw the ball out of bounds.
01:59 I mean, it's just a failed first down.
02:01 One individual block.
02:03 We're going to look at this one here.
02:05 It's the same thing.
02:06 Wesco just has a one-on-one block.
02:09 Him and Zedarius Smith.
02:11 This is a misdirection play where Derrick Henry pretends to go here.
02:14 Then he comes back this way.
02:15 The Titans are trying to use that Browns aggressiveness against them.
02:20 Get them flowing one way, go back the other.
02:23 They're going to be able to do that.
02:25 Have a guy here coming in.
02:26 Have another guy here coming in.
02:29 It's set up pretty well.
02:30 The idea of the play, I like.
02:32 But again, Wesco, when a one-on-one matchup here,
02:36 just loses.
02:38 He just loses.
02:40 And when this guy's supposed to be one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL,
02:45 and I mean, look at the blocking here.
02:46 Look.
02:47 Boom! Hat on a hat.
02:49 Boom! Hat on a hat.
02:51 Boom! Hat on a hat.
02:52 This guy sealed in.
02:54 This is the only block
02:56 that is going to prevent this play from working out.
03:00 And at the end of the day, Wesco just doesn't get it done.
03:05 And Zedarius Smith just plays with him,
03:08 kind of just rides with him and decides when he wants to discard him.
03:12 You get a better angle of it here.
03:13 One-on-one win.
03:15 Either move him in or drive him out.
03:18 Move him in or drive him out.
03:21 Zedarius Smith just stays parallel with Derrick Henry and makes the play.
03:25 So it's just hard to win.
03:28 And I want to point out this.
03:30 This, in my opinion, isn't necessarily on Trevon Wesco.
03:35 This is a schematic problem that the Titans are running into here
03:38 that they're going to have to do something about.
03:40 But I'm going to let this play a little bit so you could see.
03:44 Watch Myles Garrett.
03:45 He talks to the linebacker.
03:46 Okay.
03:47 And look. Garrett starts to creep in.
03:49 So what this play is right here is some people call it inside zone,
03:52 some people call it duo.
03:53 I'm not getting into that debate right now.
03:55 But you're going to have a double team here with Dillard and Raidens.
03:58 You're going to have a quick double team here.
04:01 And then Brewer's going to get up to the linebacker.
04:03 That's the idea.
04:04 And then what you have is here, this guy has to win one-on-one.
04:08 And that's going to be Wesco against Garrett.
04:10 And then Chikakonkwo is here.
04:13 Okay?
04:13 That's the idea.
04:15 But what teams are doing is--
04:17 we got the double team here,
04:19 and they know it,
04:20 so they're sneaking in this defensive end.
04:22 And look at this gap between the tight end and the offensive tackle.
04:26 All right?
04:27 That is going to allow Myles Garrett to jump basically right behind this double team right here
04:34 and get into the backfield.
04:35 And I'm sorry, there's nothing--
04:37 there's nothing that Trevon Wesco can do to stop Myles Garrett.
04:41 This is a schematic problem that the Titans are going to have to do something about.
04:44 Watch Garrett just jump right through.
04:46 Trevon Wesco is not going to be able to stop Myles Garrett or Cam Jordan or Trey Hendrickson
04:51 from crossing his face right there.
04:53 There's just no way.
04:55 There's just no way.
04:56 And Garrett's right in there to make a play.
04:59 We're going to see another example of that right here.
05:02 I pointed this out on Twitter already on Tuesday, but it's the same thing.
05:07 Double team, double team.
05:08 Zedaria Smith slides right in.
05:11 He knows.
05:12 And look at the gap.
05:14 Look at the gap.
05:14 They know that it's coming.
05:16 They know that it's coming.
05:17 And they just shoot right through it.
05:19 And this isn't new.
05:21 Teams have been doing this to the Titans for a while now.
05:23 Okay?
05:24 Boom.
05:25 Zedaria Smith slides right through.
05:27 And, again, Wesco is not going to be able to prevent Zedaria Smith from crossing his face right there.
05:32 He's just not going to be able to prevent him from doing that.
05:35 So that's a schematic problem the Titans are going to have to adjust to.
05:40 They're going to have to catch people slipping there.
05:42 A quick tight end screen.
05:46 I mean, I don't get paid as much as Tim Kelly to develop these answers.
05:49 You know what I mean?
05:50 But, like, it's happening all the time.
05:53 Teams know that it's coming.
05:54 So, moving right along,
05:56 the truth is it isn't just Wesco either.
06:01 Chikakonkwo is not getting it done either.
06:04 And there are multiple examples here.
06:06 I want to say this before we go forward.
06:09 Pro Football Focus has ranked 105 tight ends this year in overall grade.
06:16 105 tight ends.
06:18 Chikakonkwo is ranked 70th.
06:20 Trevon Wesco is ranked 104 out of 105.
06:25 And Josh Wiley is ranked 105 out of 105.
06:28 The Titans tight ends have been the worst tight end group in the entire NFL so far.
06:33 It's just-- it's just awful.
06:35 But here, I want to draw your attention.
06:37 You're going to have one-on-one blocks.
06:39 Chikakonkwo on 6.
06:40 Wesco again on Zedarius Smith.
06:44 And I pointed this out because both of them, both of them fail on this one.
06:48 And I don't know what the Titans are supposed to do.
06:51 So it's Derek Henry, outside zone-- or a pitch out to him.
06:56 Wesco is taking on Zedarius Smith right here one-on-one.
06:59 Chik is supposed to stop 6, and he just doesn't get the job done.
07:04 6 is going forward too fast,
07:06 which is a big part with the Titans' offense as well.
07:09 His teams are just playing so downhill with no fear of repercussion whatsoever.
07:13 But Chik misses this block, and his man gets right to Derek Henry.
07:17 Wesco doesn't get any movement on Zedarius Smith either,
07:21 so Zedarius Smith is literally right there waiting.
07:24 I mean,
07:28 Chik kind of bounces inside before he goes outside, and it's too late.
07:33 And, I mean, this is--
07:34 ---
07:37 It's not terrible blocking.
07:39 I mean, Derek Henry might be able to make something out of this,
07:41 but one player letting you down on their block is enough to ruin this.
07:44 And I want to keep looking at Chik Akonkwo not in blocking,
07:47 but look at some of these mistakes he's making here.
07:50 So this is a simple out route.
07:53 We're going to see Hopkins come up and go out.
07:56 We're going to see Chik Akonkwo come up and go out.
07:58 Okay? This is trying to attack the Browns' cover 2 coverage here.
08:02 And if Chik Akonkwo doesn't fall down,
08:06 oh, fall down, I'm going to miss on the chip
08:09 because the defensive end goes inside.
08:11 I'm going to lose my balance and fall down.
08:13 Okay? Now, look at the timing here.
08:15 Chik Akonkwo is just getting into his route because he fell down.
08:18 If he were here,
08:19 one of two things would happen.
08:22 Either the cornerback would have to drop off Hopkins and respect him earlier,
08:26 which would make Hopkins open right here,
08:30 or the cornerback would keep going with Hopkins.
08:32 You get the ball to Chik Akonkwo,
08:34 and one of the best yards after catch tight ends in the NFL has the chance
08:37 to pick up a first down on--
08:38 you can see the third down right here--
08:40 has a chance to pick up a first down.
08:42 But because Akonkwo fell down,
08:44 now the timing is off.
08:46 Now,
08:48 Denzel Ward is too close to Hopkins to fit this in.
08:52 Tannehill has no choice,
08:55 but to get it to Chik,
08:56 and because he's not here,
08:59 he's here,
09:00 this is an easier play.
09:02 The timing is off,
09:03 and here's the kicker.
09:06 Chik drops it anyway!
09:07 He drops it anyway.
09:09 It's frustrating.
09:12 And this one,
09:13 this is a meh.
09:14 I wrote "eh" in my notes on this one
09:17 because you guys may not follow me on this, and that's fine.
09:20 But this is a tight end screen
09:22 to Chik Akonkwo.
09:24 Fake a block,
09:25 and then turn around to catch the ball.
09:27 And I think that the blocking here is pretty decent,
09:31 and there might be an opportunity for Chik to make a play,
09:33 but he rushes.
09:34 Look, he's rushing right here.
09:36 Stop,
09:36 catch the ball,
09:38 and you got three blockers.
09:40 Boom,
09:42 boom,
09:44 boom,
09:45 against two guys, two Browns.
09:47 All right?
09:48 All you got to do is come inside.
09:49 Come inside.
09:51 Just stop, make the catch,
09:53 don't be rushed,
09:56 and go inside.
09:57 That's all you got to do.
09:58 Chik still tries to go outside,
10:03 and it gives the cornerback an opportunity to make the play.
10:06 The Titans offense is just moving too quickly.
10:10 It's rushed.
10:11 Everything is rushed.
10:12 Chik tries to follow the defensive end inside,
10:14 and because of it,
10:15 he's not out to a spot on time.
10:17 Everything is rushed.
10:18 He's got three blockers inside right here.
10:20 Boom, get inside.
10:22 But because he's not on time,
10:24 he's rushing to get to his spot.
10:26 He's rushing to make decisions.
10:28 He can't make a relaxed, controlled, smart decision.
10:32 He continues outside and gets smoked,
10:35 and this play does absolutely nothing.
10:36 So,
10:37 just tough for the Titans right now with the way that the tight ends are playing.
10:43 Ryan Tannehill, the offensive line, the play calling,
10:46 Trae Lynn Burke's drop and passes,
10:48 and the tight ends.
10:49 Everyone is failing the Titans offensively right now.
10:52 For more analysis, make sure to check out our website.
10:54 Check out the Locked on Titans YouTube channel.
10:56 Check out AllTitans.com for all the film work and all the writing as well.
11:00 Follow me on Twitter @TicTacTitans.