It's now or never for Caleb Farley and the Titans
The Tennessee Titans have a glaring issue in the secondary. Even in games that they win, as was the case on Sunday, the Titans defense is far too prone to explosive plays from an opposing offense. With a few injuries in the secondary, the Titans have a big roster hole, and it's allowing them to […]
The Tennessee Titans have a glaring issue in the secondary.
Even in games that they win, as was the case on Sunday, the Titans defense is far too prone to explosive plays from an opposing offense. With a few injuries in the secondary, the Titans have a big roster hole, and it's allowing them to get beat.
Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker are a strong safety tandem, and when he's on the field, Kristian Fulton does a nice job against the opposing WR1. The problem lies with the other outside corner.
Titans' rookie CB Roger McCreary has been solid, but with injuries to Ugo Amadi and Elijah Molden, McCreary has shifted into the nickel out of necessity. So, who does that leave out wide?
Against the Buffalo Bills, both Caleb Farley (72%) and Tre Avery (29%) took some regular defensive snaps in coverage due to Fulton also missing the game with an injury. Neither Farley or Avery played well, as Josh Allen threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns in just three quarters. The explosive plays were a real issue.
In response to the performance, the Titans signed two defensive backs off of NFL practice squads in Andrew Adams (PIT) and Terrance Mitchell (NE).
Adams was inactive against the Raiders, but Mitchell was thrown right into the fire, starting opposite of Fulton as the Titans' CB2. A clear message to Farley that his performance had not been good enough. Just one problem:
Mitchell was somehow even worse.
Mitchell single-handedly surrendered over 100 yards in a single game. On the game's final drive, with Vegas needing a touchdown, Mitchell let Mack Hollins get behind him for a 48-yard completion on 4th and 15. He then proceeded to let Hollins bully him for the touchdown in a terrible sequence of plays.
It's not hard to understand why the Titans brought in Mitchell or even why they allowed him to play against the Raiders.
With the amount of injuries they've dealt with in their secondary, the Titans needed to look for external help to hopefully avoid another game like Buffalo. They also sent a clear message to Caleb Farley that their patience has run out.
It may be time to reconsider that stance.
Even at his worst, Farley hasn't had a performance as bad as Mitchell's was on Sunday, and there's still hope to develop him. Farley still hasn't played a lot of football over the past few years, and there's an argument to be made that he can grow into a legit CB2 with more opportunity.
I get it. An 0-2 start and an embarrassing primetime loss means changes need to be made, especially for teams that want to compete for a division title. The Titans just need to ask themselves if they have a legitimate option at DB that can significantly outplay Caleb Farley, because so far, I haven't seen it.
If the answer is no, your 2021 first round pick needs to be on the field getting formative reps until Molden or Amadi returns and things can be shifted around.
If the Titans won't play him now, it's hard to believe that they ever will.
Image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com-USA TODAY NETWORK
