The Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons had a very energetic Week 2 preseason game. The game was close, and the second half made things interesting. The Tennessee Titans won the game 23-20. This game had a mix of good and bad moments for both teams. When looking at it as a whole, there are five main takeaways.
1 Atlanta’s Offense Was Awful In the First Half
Where to even begin here, as Atlanta was just putrid in the first half. They couldn’t get anything going in the run game, and Easton Stick was horrendous with the football. He should have had three interceptions in the first half, but two were called back due to penalties. The key concern, though, was on the offensive line. They were poor all half. The entire o-line had a problem with penalties as well, which helped hurt this offense. It was bad all half, and while the offense played better in the second half, it was too late as the first half killed this team.
2. Kendell Brooks Had An Amazing Pick-6
The Titans are currently trying to figure out who belongs and who doesn’t during these preseason games. One player who made his case for a roster spot and an increase in snaps is Kendell Brooks, who impressed on defense. The play of the game was when he managed to make an interception off a bad throw by Stick. He took that interception and managed to score a touchdown. Along with his solid coverage and play on special teams, Brooks continues to build a case for himself to be a part of the roster.
3. A Performance To Forget About From Cam Ward
Cam Ward will be the week 1 starter for the Titans since the Titans didn’t add another QB in the offseason. In most of these preseason games, it is a testing ground for Ward before the regular season. He looked solid last week. This week, not so much. Ward has a putrid three drives where he went 2-of-7 for 42 yards. There were some really bad throws in this game, including one to Van Jefferson, which would have been a touchdown. The thing that was positive was that Ward took accountability for the bad throw and promised to do better.
4. Gunnar Helm Has a Ton Of Potential
Out of all the rookies that played for the Titans in this preseason game, it was Gunner Helm who impressed the most. The rookie impressed all game with his pass-catching abilities. He even made a nice contested 25-yard touchdown grab that brought the wow factor to everyone watching the game. While his blocking needs some work, Helm did a really good job in this game, and there is a real chance he could get more snaps than Chigoziem Okonkwo for the starting tight end spot.
5. Natrone Brooks’ Interception Woke Up Atlanta
The Falcons did not have a great first half, and while the defense performed better, they were mostly sloppy. At the end of the second quarter, this team woke up the moment Natrone Brooks made that interception. Brooks was very solid, and he has the potential to make the roster with his experience on defense/special teams.
Final Thoughts
If there was one word to describe both teams’ performances in this Week 2 preseason game, it would be sloppy. Both teams were super sloppy and have a great deal to work on before the regular season. However, the Titans got the win and are now 1-1 in the preseason. The Atlanta Falcons are now 0-2 in the preseason. For more NFL content, check out Total Apex Sports.
