NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It’s safe to say the Titans – Eagles match up is one that has been circled on many calendars since the AJ Brown trade.
This is the first time Brown will be facing his former team. Although the focus of this game has been centered around Brown, the Titans themselves want nothing but the best for AJ, just not on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
“Yeah, no doubt it’ll be weird seeing him in a different uniform,” said Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. “I love AJ and miss having him around, but he’s obviously having a great year and I want to continue doing so. I just hope, you know, Sunday’s not his best day.”
“It’s bigger than football for me,” defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said. “He’s a special guy that you kind of knew, you played against all your life. So I’m excited for him. But this weekend, you know, it’s nothing personal, but we have to get this win.”
Sunday will be a great challenge for Kristian Fulton who had his hands full last week with Bengals’ Tee Higgins.
The big danger for Fulton and the Titans isn’t how many times Brown necessarily catches it – he’s averaging 5 balls a game – it’s what he does after he catches it. He has 329 yards after contact.
“It’s going to be a big match up,” Fulton said. “They brought him in over there for a reason. I didn’t want to give him the ball. And we can’t let him create that separation. We never know whether we’re in man or zone. We got to know where he’s at at all times.”
“I’m familiar with the guys in the secondary, Kristian, Amani [Hooker], [Kevin Byard],” Brown said. “Those guys David Long, those guys are like their, I would say their DNA, you know who they play those guys there really control everything going. I’m sure they’re going to be excited to see me.”
While all the focus on Sunday’s game has been on AJ Brown, December Derrick is here!
Derrick Henry ranks third all-time in regular season rushing yards per game in the months of December and January. That’s a stat dating all the way back to 1950, but of course, in Derrick Henry fashion, he wasn’t aware of it.
“I don’t know,” Henry told reporters. “I don’t know much about that. I’m focused on Philly.”
“I think it’s his dedication to taking care of himself, being conditioned enough to be able to sustain at a high level physically throughout the course of the year,” said offensive coordinator Todd Downing. “I think it’s been a commitment here to how we play football and that he’s got guys pushing piles for him and finishing blocks for him in December. And January, where maybe, you know, some other, you know, teams or outfits wouldn’t put that kind of emphasis on it.”
The Titans are preparing to face off against a good and experienced Eagles defensive front. They’re going to have to find a way to increase Henry’s productivity especially against these 6-1 fronts. The chances of that are greater with Ben Jones on the field.
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“We have to be able to to block it,” said head coach Mike Vrabel. “They’re not adding, you know, any more people to it. I think it’s just the spacing in the configuration. So hopefully we can you know, find a way to progress through and then if they are be able to mix in a passing game.”
The Titans face the Eagles Sunday at noon CST at Lincoln Financial Field.