Offense Finally Comes Together as Jones Gets Back to Work

A jog-through segment of practice featured the Pro Bowl wide receiver and every other expected starter on offense, which was something new for the Titans.

NASHVILLE – A jog-through portion of the Tennessee Titans’ practice on Tuesday sent minds racing.

The final segment of the day’s workout matched the first-team offense against a scout defense and vice versa with the scout teams doing things that are not necessarily a part of the Titans’ playbook and provided the first actual glimpse of what could be for an offense that is expected to be one of the NFL’s most explosive this season.

That portion of the day’s work included wide receiver Julio Jones. It was the first time Jones was involved in practice since he was injured a little more than three weeks ago on the first day that he was involved in team drills. It is likely that he did more in this workout than he had in any other session since the start of training camp.

Jones’ involvement along with that of every other expected starters on offense, including wide receiver A.J. Brown, Derrick Henry, left tackle Taylor Lewan and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, made it the first time since the start of camp that that unit did anything en masse.

“Obviously, we have been waiting for it and we are excited to get (Jones) out here whenever he is ready,” Tannehill said. “There is a lot of work to do still with him, we have talked through a lot of looks, and seen on tape other guys take the reps and talk through the space and the timing.

“Now it is just a matter of getting out here and doing it in person and make that connection.”

Everything was done at half speed, so it was not filled with a lot of excitement or competition. But it was a significant step for a team that has seen many of its biggest names limited throughout training camp because they were on the mend from injuries, because coaches and trainers sought to manage their workload, or both.

Jones was with the team last week for joint workouts in Tampa Bay but did not participate. He also was one of several veterans who were in uniform and went through warmups prior to Saturday’s preseason game against the Buccaneers but never took the field after kickoff.

“I am always encouraged when any of our players can get back out there that may not have been out there with us in the previous days or weeks,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “It is good to see, and some of that stuff there at the end was allowing a lot of guys who haven’t been out there to get back out there with us.

“I think that was critical to start to work towards that and be able to practice at different paces and tempos, as it will be something that will be important for us throughout the entire season.”

Vrabel said shortly after Jones was injured that the team planned to be conservative with him and that the focus was to make sure the seven-time Pro Bowler was healthy and ready to go for Week 1 of the regular season, Sept. 12 against Arizona.

It is unlikely, therefore, that Jones will play in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Chicago Bears (6 p.m., Nissan Stadium), regardless of what he does the rest of the week.

Tannehill, Henry, Brown and the starters on the offensive line have not played in either of the first two preseason games either. Their status for the contest against the Bears has not been determined or at least revealed. Tannehill, for example, said coaches have not told him anything.

At least now the offense worked together, even if it was not at full speed.

“The more reps you get, the better you are going to get,” Tannehill said. “I am going to feel confident no matter what happens Week 1 that we will find a way to make the plays. Like anything, the more practice you get, the more reps you get, the more comfortable you get with one another and just settle in.

“We are getting there [with Jones]. We have had limited reps together even in practice situations. I feel confident that we would make it work if we had a game today, but we don’t have a game today. We have a few weeks to get this thing right and continue to work together and be on the same page when we do get that opportunity for the first game.”