The Tennessee Titans were missing multiple starters in their game against the Los Angeles Chargers, particularly in the secondary where corner Kristian Fulton and safety Amani Hooker were both out. They also were missing starting left guard Peter Skoronski.
Mike Vrabel gave an update on all three players on Wednesday before the Titans hit the practice field for the first time this week and while some of it was positive news, we did get one unfortunate update.
Vrabel did also say that Hooker has not cleared concussion protocol at this time, but was cleared to practice. Getting Hooker back on the field in any capacity is probably a good sign moving forward. Fulton was limited last week in practice before being declared out.
The Titans will need their starting secondary intact this week if they hope to hold the Cleveland Browns down more than they did the Chargers. With Fulton out, the Chargers attacked backup corner Tre Avery 15 times and were able to get 12 completions, two of them for touchdowns.
While Fulton has had his struggles, like in Week 1 where he got beat deep on the game-sealing play, he will be an upgrade and with a matchup against Browns' wide receiver Amari Cooper set for Sunday, the Titans will need him.
The unfortunate news comes in the form of an update on the rookie Skoronski. Vrabel confirmed Skoronski had a "procedure" in his press conference on Monday which is widely believed to be an appendectomy, but Vrabel did not confirm the illness part.
While Vrabel used the phrase "doesn't anticipate" to describe Skoronski's availability for Sunday, it seems to be a near certainty that Skoronski will miss his second straight game.
Overall though good news for the Titans who have been hit hard by injury in the past two seasons. Two starters should be returning and Skoronski's illness is less-worrisome than perhaps an ACL tear or ligament damage might be long term.
Related Titans Stories
- DEFENSIVE DISGUISED COVERAGES: The Tennessee Titans had an excellent game plan on defense against the Chargers that included disguised and complex coverages. It unlocked the pass rush and got the Titans off the field on big third downs. CLICK HERE
- KELLY'S CREATIVE OFFENSE: The Tennessee Titans new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has been tremendous through the first two weeks of the season and his ability to create big plays and get the Titans points was on display against the Los Angeles Chargers. CLICK HERE
- MIKE VRABEL ADVANTAGE: The Tennessee Titans head coach is often considered one of the best in the NFL and Sunday's overtime win over the Los Angeles Chargers was a great example of Mike Vrabel's value. CLICK HERE
- BROWNS BANGED UP: The Tennessee Titans play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and they are catching them at the right time. The Browns had to play on Monday night — they lost at Pittsburgh — and also lost star running back Nick Chubb for the season with a gruesome knee injury. CLICK HERE
More must-reads: