After getting reports of an unnamed defensive assistant coach testing positive Sunday morning, the Titans got back to good news on Monday with no new positive tests coming in, per Paul Kuharsky.
The positive test from yesterday is believed to be unrelated to the initial outbreak, and based on contact tracing of the coach, the NFL determined it was safe for the Titans to return to the practice field late yesterday afternoon.
Today’s all-clear results will give the team a chance to get in for their normal day-before-a-game walk through after two days of practice over the weekend. Obviously, this has been anything but a normal week of preparation, but getting in two practices and a walk through is better than what we thought they might get for much of the past week.
Also, critically, the Titans are now five days removed from their last positive test from a player (practice squad safety Breon Borders). They even began to get some of the initial wave of players back from the reserve/COVID list as DaQuan Jones and Beau Brinkley were activated yesterday.
Could the Titans get anyone else back before kickoff? Maybe. Below are the number of days since the initial positive test from the players currently left on the reserve/COVID list:
- Kamalei Correa: 13 days
- Kristian Fulton: 12 days
- Adam Humphries: 11 days
- Cam Batson: 11 days
- Jeffery Simmons: 10 days
- Khari Blasingame: 8 days
- Corey Davis: 6 days
- MyCole Pruitt: 6 days
- Breon Borders: 5 days
Both Jones and Brinkley were activated 13 days after their initial positive test and Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell was activated 12 days after his initial positive test. If some of the players above were asymptomatic, that could allow them to come back quicker than the 12-to-13 day time frame that we’ve seen. On the other hand, 13 days is not a magical cut off that guarantees return as all individuals will have different experiences with this virus, including the time it takes to clear their system.
With Adoree’ Jackson appearing to be headed towards missing a fourth straight game, getting Fulton back would be very welcome news if he can clear protocol. However, we may be at the point where the coaching staff will be uncomfortable putting a player on the field with zero practices in the last two weeks.
That being said, the Titans have plenty of talent to put on the field Tuesday night, and most importantly, it appears that the team is approaching the end of this nightmare. Even without some key pieces, it will be great to see Tennessee take the field again.
How do you schematically account for Diggs, Brown, Beasley with Adoree & Fulton both out? Do we play more conservative zone looks instead of a high degree of man / hybrid looks? Does playing more conservative in our pass D help us to better limit the run game and get back on top of the weakness we’ve displayed there?
I would imagine that we will see them sit back in two-high safety looks more frequently in this game than usual. That hurts their ability to get too exotic with their blitzes and also makes for a light box from a run defense standpoint, but if I know this Titans coaching staff, they’ll trade that for avoiding the big explosive plays.
Buffalo has not run the ball exceptionally well this year. Do you expect them to try and buck that trend since we have been giving up so much rushing yardage? Or do you think they are more likely to keep trying to force the ball down field even with two high safeties on most of the snaps?
Both of Buffalo’s starting guards are banged up. Not sure if they’ll play. Our old friend Quinton Spain is a backup for them so it’s not like it’s a huge drop off if he plays. I don’t think they’re going to have the success that Minnesota and Jacksonville did on the ground though.