2021 Dynasty/Fantasy Game Analysis Week 14: Titans 20, Jaguars 0
This game was a bit of a scuffle for 2.5 quarters, just 10-0 Titans leading…but it was really never in doubt. The Jaguars have no life, no offense they can muster…while the Titans have little offense as well, but they do have an emerging defense, so the Jags never got close to scoring and the Titans mustered enough offense to plod their way to a victory.
Tennessee is now (9-4) and right in the mix for the AFC #1 seed still, which is shocking because they aren’t very good without Derrick Henry but they keep getting huge schedule breaks. Huge game with PIT on the road this week. If the Titans lose to PIT, they will project to fall to an (11-6) finish and probably not a #1 seed. But if they beat PIT this week, 12 wins are very possible and a legit chance at the #1 seed.
The Jaguars are (2-11), probably headed to (2-15). In all my years of following the NFL, I’ve never seen anything like this Urban Meyer situation. He’s arguably the worst, most disconnected on-field coach I’ve ever witnessed, the worst evaluator of talent, the worst GM/personnel dealer, and he has all this off-field baggage from his bar incident, and the players and coaches and media and general public all hate him. Who is going to sign as a free agent to come play for this guy?
They should have fired him already, but the things billionaires and millionaires do and the secrets they have are things we don’t know. We see an obvious situation that should result in a quick change…but it hasn’t happened. Pure speculation/wonderings by me…but we don’t know what kind of freaky stuff Meyer and Khan are intermingled off the field, the secrets one might have with the other.
We know Urban Meyer is a pig. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was visiting $10 hookers in bad neighborhoods in Florida (and had it all swept under the rug, because he’s a billionaire and you’re not). Jerry Jones is a purported freak show off the field. We don’t know what Shad Khan is into with Urban. Sounds like a reach by me – but is it? Maybe they’re as clean as the wind driven snow…but maybe not? It’s the only thing I can reach for to understand why Khan hasn’t fired Meyer 10x over already.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- The Tennessee backfield report, after watching this game and really focusing in on the RB flow, here’s my general feel…
D’Onta Foreman (13-47-1, 2-15-0/2) started and was in most every snap of the first series…a long, steady TD drive…capped off by Foreman rushing it in for a TD.
Dontrell Hilliard (6-13-0, 0-0-0/2) started the second series and was in and out with Foreman most of the 1st-half.
The first half was mostly Foreman, with some Hilliard and light Jeremy McNichols (8-16-0, 0-0-0/1)…McNichols who was the team’s 3rd-down back until he got concussed and then Hilliard came in and stole it -- and this was McNichols first game back from that injury.
Foreman got dinged up in-game as the Titans seized control, so Foreman was out for a bit and Hilliard got more work and then McNichols played a lot more as the game was really subdued. And Foreman was not seen in the 4th-quarter, nor much of the 3rd-quarter.
The final snap counts:
27 = McNichols
24 = Hilliard
23 = Foreman
The final touch counts:
15 = Foreman
08 = McNichols
06 = Hilliard
My overview would be: The Titans worked behind Foreman early. When Hilliard was put in, he seemed to remember (this week) that he’s ‘Dontrell Hilliard’ and he was ineffective/awful (tackled easily, and a nothing in the pass game). McNichols kinda re-took the passing game RB role over midgame because Hilliard was so sluggish…and then they went heavy McNichols to finish it off, I think to get the rust off of him upon his return to action.
Hilliard may have lost his key role he had the weeks prior back to McNichols. Foreman was the Derrick Henry-alike and might have had 20+ carries if he didn’t get dinged up and the game being under control to allow him to just sit out.
We’ll monitor Foreman’s injury/practice week, but this looks like Foreman as the strong lead. McNichols as the passing game back. Hilliard in-between. Anyone could be the hot hand, but the real effort looks like Foreman to pound it and McNichols/Hilliard in on obvious passing downs…even though Foreman is the best receiver among them.
-- James Robinson (6-4-0) was the unquestioned lead back for Jacksonville, and still is…but as his heel is an issue, and as the coach disrespected him a couple of weeks ago, and as the team spirals down – JRob’s FF output is dying. He may be an RB2.5-3.0 the rest of the way now in this mess.
No TDs the past three games and under 30 yards rushing in three of his last 4 games.
-- You know how I feel about Trevor Lawrence (24-40 for 221 yards, 0 TDs/4 INTs), which is – not buying the generational thing or even the really good thing. This game was a bad performance on paper…but he wasn’t really that awful. He’s in an impossible situation that as the game goes on, he tries to make plays downfield to spark the dying offense…and he got picked…a lot. I won’t blast TL fully…this whole team is playing dead and at least Lawrence is trying to make things happen. He just has zero help…and he’s not that talented.
-- Laquon Treadwell (4-68-0/6) is still operating as the (seemingly) best FF WR for the Jags, but that’s no better than 4-5 catches for 40-70 yards in a game, and almost no chance at a TD.
Lawrence has 1 TD pass in his last 6 games.
Which makes Ryan Tannehill’s (20-31 for 191 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) 4 TDs/6 INTs his past five games seem ‘explosive’ by comparison. Tannehill died, as a passer, without Derrick Henry.
-- Tannehill’s best receiver, right now, is Julio Jones (4-33-0/6) but it’s more of a capable ‘good hands’ option, no longer an explosive playmaking one.
Anthony Firkser (4-34-0/5) was open a lot in this game, but Firkser is a random event TE…not to be relied upon for FF.
Firkser’s yards in a game his last 8 games: 9-8-7-2-26-7-34.
-- Urban Meyer was asked something about why the young players weren’t playing more, and he commented on rookie safety Andre Cisco (1 tackle) playing more this game on defense…and then it was revealed Cisco played 0 snaps on defense this game (17 on special teams).
Again, I have never seen anything like this Urban Meyer stint in the NFL.
-- The Titans-DST is getting better and better, as they get healthier and healthier. They got the shutout here, but against the Jags it’s not a momentous feat.
The Titans-DST should be decent against PIT Week 15. They might be solid Weeks 16-17 hosting SF and MIA. There is some FF DST hope here the rest of the way. Not perfect but perking up and has potential.
One of the emerging bright spots on this defense is Kristian Fulton (4 tackles, 2 PDs, 1 INT) is starting to become one of the top 10-15 cover corners in the league.
Snap Counts of Interest:
52 = Westbrook-Ikhine
43 = Hollister
32 = Julio
35 = JRob
12 = Hyde
04 = Ogunbowale
**College Football Metrics 2022…new season signups coming in January 2022**
The new season of CFM will be starting up in January, as always. A little different schedule this year as the NFL extended their season by a week and the Senior Bowl was bumped back a week as well. We should have a Senior Bowl, NFL Combine…it looks like it will be a normal scouting year! Hopefully…
The NFL Draft, Dynasty Rookie Draft, and regular season ahead rookie analysis all gets started through CFM in January with our usual season starter -- the past two years/2020-2021 Mock Rookie Draft re-do, along with in-depth Senior Bowl analysis, and full QB scouting reports and much more as we build towards the NFL Combine and all the other positional scouting reports. Football study never ends…
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