Vrabel Displeased With Second Day in Tampa

The Titans coach said his players did not compete in a joint workout with the Tampa Buccaneers as they did a day earlier.

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

If the whole week was a contest, Saturday’s preseason game would now be the tiebreaker.

Reports out of Tampa overwhelmingly indicated that the Tennessee Titans – particularly their defense – got the better of things in Wednesday’s joint workout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second – and final – such session was Thursday, and Titans coach Mike Vrabel made it perfectly clear that the Buccaneers’ defense was the unit that stole the show.

“From what I saw, we didn’t do well offensively,” Vrabel said following Thursday’s session. “I don’t think we competed like we did (Wednesday). Probably a lot of reasons but just not good enough. (The Buccaneers) were clearly better (Thursday).

“We will see how we respond and take the coaching and play on Saturday.”

Consider the score tied at one practice apiece, therefore. All that remains is the game, the second of the preseason for each team.

What remains to be seen is how much – if at all – either team cares to try and come out on top. Increasingly in recent years, NFL teams have deemphasized preseason contests as a means of preparation for the regular season. Veteran players see little to no playing time as roster limits remain high, which allows coaches and personnel departments to evaluate position battles and depth players who could be of use later in the year.

The Titans, for example, rested their entire starting offense in their preseason opener at Atlanta, and Vrabel said he has not yet decided what to do with some of his key players this week.

“I haven’t made a determination on Ryan [Tannehill], or Rodger [Saffold], or Taylor [Lewan], or Caleb [Farley], or any of the guys,” Vrabel said. “… I will just make that decision as the week goes on. We will see how guys came out of (Thursday), see how many reps they have gotten up until this point and then make a decision on Saturday.”

At the very least, there are likely to be some bruised egos after Thursday’s session.

In hot, steamy conditions, according to those in attendance, there were several fights and shouting matches that added to the intrigue of the morning. Reports indicated that Tannehill was intercepted in the first and last periods of the practice. Meanwhile, his counterpart, Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady, had meaningful completions throughout, and Tennessee’s defense missed opportunities that it converted a day earlier.

“I thought it sucked,” Vrabel said of his team’s overall performance. “… I don’t know, this isn’t like we alternate days. We want to come out every day and compete, make adjustments. Same guys going against the same guys.

“I am sure there were some good things but just not enough positive. Just not getting into the flow of drives offensively, and I don’t think it was very good defensively either.”

Things probably can’t be much worse Saturday. And for now, it is not clear which has been the better team overall.