 on Titans all access. The Titans fell behind on Monday night in Denver, but by Tuesday morning, the two-tone blue emerged as winners in the mile-high city. General manager John Robinson breaks down how the team got to 1-0. After catching a touchdown pass on Monday night football, John O'smith is this week's Nissan Insider. Coach Dave McGinnis goes beneath the surface to look at two huge plays from defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons. And controlling owner Amy Adams-Strunk has done something very special, putting together an internship program that is one of the most unique in all of pro sports. All that and more, next on Titans all access. The monster, Derek Henry. The Tennessee Titans are 1-0. Welcome to Titans all access with Amy Wells. I'm Mike Keith, heart-stopping win in Denver, which concluded early Tuesday morning. Titans Victoria 16-14. Have you gotten your heart rate back normalized yet? Yeah, I think I'm back on track. I'm feeling good. Always feels great to get a Titans win. And be 1-0. And be 1-0. Let's bring in general manager John Robinson. John, congratulations on the victory. Great start to the season 1-0. I know that everyone talks about the fact that there's no carryover from one NFL season to another, but how you won the game on Monday night showed that grit that the 2019 Titans also showed on several occasions. So I'm wondering that fortitude, that resolve, is that maybe not carryover from last year, but is it becoming a fabric, a building block of what the Titans are right now as an organization? Yeah, Mike. I mean, I think that's, you know, that's stamped in the pillars in here in our building, that tough mindset. Having that resolve as you alluded to, to keep pushing forward, stay in the ring, keep punching, you know, the ball is going to bounce different ways throughout the course of the game. You know, that's the nature of the NFL. There's ups and downs throughout the course of a game, but those mentally tough teams that have that mindset can hopefully carry on and come away with a win. It took a lot of effort from a lot of different players to get the victory over the Denver Broncos, but let's start with the quarterback, Ryan Tannehill. What did you see out of him that really impressed you? Well, I think he did a good job of commanding the offense first and foremost. That's, you know, that's his leadership to keep the troops and keep them, keep them forging ahead. He made some good throws and certainly in that last two minutes to march us down the field to get us in position to take the go ahead score with that field goal. That was an important drive for us. John Corey Davis, seven catches, 101 yards. He was given a game ball after the contest by head coach Mike Vrable. Why was Corey Davis so effective against the Broncos defense? Yeah, Corey worked hard all week. You know, he's kind of battling back and forth, worked out pregame and looked good. He did a really good job once we got into the game of playing fast, of working to get open, of understanding coverages and how to run away from coverages. Made some really tough catches, really big catch on the sideline there, a tight sideline to get both feet in, keep that drive going. So, you know, he really just went out and executed the game plan and guys fed off that. Tough sledding for Derek Henry. He only had 31 rushes for 116 yards with a long of 13, but you were really able to stick with the run game, especially in the second half, really played a part in how much time of possession the Titans were able to have. How are you able to stay so committed to the run, even when maybe it's not going exactly how you would like it to? Yeah, I mean, I think that's part of our blueprint as a football team. You know, we've got a bunch of guys that believe in that philosophy that we've got to run the football and it's not always going to be easy. Some of those yards are going to be tough. You've got to grind it out. That's the mindset of our offensive linemen. You know, they like run blocking. They like moving guys off the ball. My receivers and tight ends have bought in to the concept of digging those support guys in or those safeties or backers that may be crashing in there to try to stop it. And we've all seen Derek, you know, it only takes one play for him to find a crease and pop a long one off. So we stick to the blueprint and it paid dividends for us. Now he didn't even practice for a whole week. So is it hard to evaluate the first game that Jadavian Clowney played in? Yeah, you know, he was he was he was new to the team. And you know, I'm proud of JD. He integrated himself in with his teammates really, really quickly. It seemed like he'd been here for a long time the way he just interacted on the sidelines in practice in the locker room. And then he looked like he was having fun out there last night running around. He made some disruptive plays. We still got some things that we've got to clean up there, but he's happy to be back playing football and excited to be a part of this football team. I feel good, but we've got to do it. That's all that matters. John, in watching the game in real time, it seemed like both Kevin Byrd and Kenny Vakara were very disruptive. Maybe your safety's having one of their better overall games as a tandem. Well, I think those both those guys have made a lot of plays for this football team in their time together here. And that was true in the Denver game, too. You know, they both come up with some big plays, KB punching the ball out there to cause a fumble, getting a huge turnover. Kenny with a huge tackle for loss and a pass break up on third down that was a near pick. You know, those guys, they understand the defense. They work well with one another. They communicate well. We're going to need both of those guys to continue to make plays for us down the stretch here. Jacksonville is next for the Titans this Sunday at Nissan Stadium. What stood out to you about their victory over the Indianapolis Colts last weekend? Yeah, I think they did. They played a really complementary football game, you know, in all three phases, you know, defensively. They've got a lot of playmakers over there. I thought the rookie Henderson had a heck of a game and men's shoe. You know, Garner did a great job, you know, keeping his feet alive, avoidant pressure. So we'll have to we'll have to bring our a game on Sunday, you know, to match wits with these guys. John, looking forward to seeing you at Nissan Stadium as the Titans try to go to two and oh, thanks for joining us on Titans All Access. Thank you. All right, we've got a lot more of this week's show coming up. So stay with us. How long did it take you to get used to being in the tight end room without Delaney Walker? Oh, man, you know, it was definitely a bittersweet feeling, you know, having a guy like Delaney lead the locker room man, you know, that tight room in general, you know, it was a bittersweet feeling, you know, the game goes on, man. And just got to continue to adapt and to continue to progress. To be tight end one, which you are now, how much does your mindset have to change from what it was before? I've always came in with such a humble, hardworking mentality. And I don't think as far as a mindset that I shouldn't change anything, you know, from that standpoint, but whatever areas of my game that I needed to improve, I just got to turn it up a bit, you know, no matter what it may be, whether it may be from a fundamental standpoint, my access and no standpoint, whatever it may be, just definitely turning up another notch. And as a competitor, you always strive for perfection. You always strive to get better and always increase, you know, the progression in the craft. So when you look at the work that you did this summer with Ryan Tannehill, what's the biggest thing that you gained from those throwing sessions in South Florida that you can see showing up now? You know, just the trust as a trust factor man between the quarterback and the receiver or passcatcher, whatever you want to call it, but as a trust factor continuing to build the chemistry, him knowing where I'm going to be at, how to throw the ball, you know, where to throw the ball at, so many different ways that trust can come in between the quarterback and the receiver. But we've definitely developed a lot more chemistry during the summer and you can see it happen enough. The catch you made in the Baltimore playoff game, is that the best catch you've ever made for a touchdown? Yes. Yes, by far. And, you know, that's not going to be the best catch that I make for a touchdown. So I'm always, you know, shoot for the stars. Did you think you were down when you caught it? Honestly, man, looking back at it, I thought I was out of bounds. I thought I was out of bounds. I know I had got one foot down, but I didn't know exactly where my hip had hit. So when I wrapped through those two arms up, man, you know, I was shouting for joy, man. Well, you know what they say, one cheek equals two feet. Absolutely. Absolutely. All right. So the more incredible play though, the catch against Baltimore or the halfback run for 57 yards against Houston, which is the less likely in your mind. Of course, the toss, the toss, man, you know, you pull me a clip up and show me the tight end, you know, that has done that. You know what I mean? So that to me was kind of like, okay, yeah, this guy's a little different. You know what I mean? So that sticks out to me, you know, more. But honestly, even my favorite play of the season, man, was running down the defender from Houston after he caught the interception. That was my favorite play by far the season because I think it just shows, you know, what we based our team keys on. Of course, man, I like I had fun doing it. You know what I mean? Like, it wasn't a fun situation. Me, as though he caught the interception, but getting the guy down before he can get in his own and, you know, giving us our defense a chance to get a stop, man. That was huge. So for me, that was my favorite play. Was that a better tackle than Ryan Tannehill made in Oakland? No, Ryan had a better tackle. Ryan definitely had a better tackle on that, man. He definitely showed some linebacker and de-annibility right there. You know, the thing about that, John, who was when he did that, there were so many Titan fans that said, that's my guy, you know, because they said any quarterback who would go do that. Absolutely. That's who I want to ride with. Did the players feel the same way? Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely, man. When you got a guy like that who you don't expect that from. And, you know, he's saying, you know, no jobs too small. You know, he kind of got that mentality and approach towards it, man. You know, you just look at a guy like that with so much more respect and honor. You gain your trust from your teammates, you know, making plays like that, man, and just knowing that, hey, you know, whatever may happen, you know, we're going down together. You know, we're riding this thing to the rules for a while. So for him to make a heck of a play like that, man, a heck of a tackle and, you know, put his face in there and get dirty, you don't see that from quarterbacks, man. But you know, we got an R's when we've seen that. As we wrap up, give me another guy on this football team that you just respect as a football player in that same way, regardless of position. But you just say, that dude just brings it all the time. And I love being a teammate of his. Oh man, that's that's honestly, man. I mean, this might sound so cliche, but that's such a tough question. Honestly, man, we got a group of guys, man, that is has came in and committed to the foundation of this team and everything that we believe on. And I think that it wasn't one guy that really stuck out to me that allowed us to get us in a position that we were in last year. I can go on and say countless names of guys that's been in this system or guys that just came in the system. But collectively, man, we did this thing together, man. And I think we all have a certain respect level for one another that, you know, no matter what happens, man, we're going to be in this thing together, man. So that's just my approach on it. Chattanooga Smith, thanks so much for being this week's Nissan Insider. Thank you. I appreciate it. Coming up on Titan's All Access, the Microsoft Beneath the Surface feature with Coach Dave McGinnis. Stay tuned. This is Coach Mack. Welcome to Beneath the Surface, powered by Microsoft Surface. Today, we're going to be looking at Jeffrey Simmons, two distinct plays in this football game that demonstrate not only his ability to shock and shed at the line of scrimmage and then pursue down the line of scrimmage, but then his strength and his getoff on a tremendous goal line stand in the third quarter of this football game. First play we're going to look at, he's playing a three technique to the defensive left. He starts on an inside rush. This is a three step drop on a tunnel screen. He sticks his foot in the ground. Now he's sprinting to the football. This is very important for interior defensive linemen to sprint to the football, watch him locate the football. It all comes from effort, hustle, huge play in this football game, but it all starts with effort after the football is thrown, which for an interior defensive linemen, pursuit is a big, big part of the game. Kevin Byrd gets the strip on the outside of the perimeter of the defense, but your interior defensive linemen pursuing to the perimeter once the ball is thrown. It's a huge part of playing great team defense. The next play we're going to look at is down on the goal line. As we're looking at fourth and one on the one yard line, now you can watch Jeffrey Simmons. He's lined up at the one technique or the shade to the right side, watch his explosion off the football, watch his violent. He knocks the center back and now he's able to get off into the second man that's coming down. A shovel pass is extremely hard for an interior defensive linemen to recognize. Once the ball is snapped, watch his explosion. He gets off, extends, now he releases, lateral down the line of scrimmage, sees the ball again, another engagement with a blocker and then tremendous strength. Being able to stand up, a tight end that is getting the shovel pass, huge, huge play. We've just seen a demonstration by Jeffrey Simmons of two plays distinctly different for an interior defensive linemen, but he made major, major plays on both of these instances. Amy Adams Strunk is making big things happen once again. See what the controlling owner is up to next on Titan's All Access. Welcome back to Titan's All Access. Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk aims to make a difference in every place that she touches with this organization, including an internship program, Amy Wells, that it's pretty special. Absolutely. Amy Adams Strunk is making an effort to include women in all areas of sports, not just some of the expected ones, but some of the unexpected ones as well. Take a look at this. I think it's big time. I mean it's huge. I think it's definitely it's a hard field to break into. I mean there's so many qualified you know women coaches and you know women strength coaches, women in football. Having an internship like this to give someone a chance and kind of get their foot in the door just to see if they'd even be interested is really exciting and then to have someone like me get in it and then really like it and hopefully you know start to get other women in here is it means a lot. You need opportunities and this provides that and I think that's very important to have these type of positions available. I've been an athlete all my life. I've played several different sports. I played tennis for Belmont so I've been just around different sports for a long time and I've always been interested in like breaking down the athlete and just like the fundamentals which carry over from sport to sport really. I love coaching. Love being in the weight room. I love it. So the XFL calls me up and they're like we want to give you a job and I'm like sweet yes like of course like let's go. I'm all fired up about that so then after that you know COVID smashed us cut the season in half and then enter the Tennessee Titans. Just breaking it down and seeing what is he capable of what can he do if we bring him here. So when I saw this opportunity with scouting for the Titans just to learn from the best of the best obviously I was very interested and just wanted to learn more about it. Upon getting here it was everybody's very welcoming. I mean I walk in and everybody's like Christy hey Christy hey Christy hey Christy hey Christy what's going on how are you and all this kind of stuff there you know it feels good to walk into a place and everybody knows your name and you know they're wanting to get to know you and all that kind of thing and you know as far as being a woman and like straining the conditioning and being a male dominated you know industry if you give them something that they can that they can take away you know they'll they'll work with you. I definitely think it's been a male dominated field for a long time and I think it's starting to change. I think it's just good to get some diversity in the in the workplace and so some different perspectives so I'm excited to see where it goes and how other changes start to happen even across the board in the NFL and the NBA. I think it's really exciting for women. You're coaching these high level athletes and the coaches you're surrounded by are high level I mean I think how much can I learn from these guys you know what can I take away from from everybody here. I think now going forward I just want to keep learning about it and keep working at it and if there's any opportunities in the future to keep working in player personnel or in scouting I definitely would be very interested. You're working with these high level guys I mean that's fun that is fun to me. I have loved it I really have. It's not surprising to say about Amy Adams Strunk but boy that program's impressive. It's really really cool to see people getting a chance to explore areas that they'd never be able to have access to otherwise. Good stuff from the boss. Absolutely well we're going to take a quick break but when we come back we're going to get Mike Keith's keys to victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. I got him stay tuned. If you want the most complete information on your Tennessee Titans in podcast form subscribe to the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. Mike, Amy, Coach Mac and Jim Wyatt get you ready for the game like no one else. To get the OTP visit TennesseeTitans.com slash podcasts or look for the OTP wherever you get your podcasts. On the next Titans All Access we all celebrate the return of Southeastern Conference Football next weekend and you can count several Titans among that group. That's because they played in the SEC. Linebacker Rashon Evans speaks for those guys explaining why SEC football just means more and why the SEC produces so many great football players plus Coach Mac is back to go beneath the surface on big plays from last Sunday's game and we get a behind the scenes look at the creation of the mural that has everyone talking all that and more next week on Titans All Access. All right Mike Keith Jacksonville is one and oh yes the Tennessee Titans are one and oh yes what do the Titans need to do to take over first place in the AFC South key number one. Key number one is about the Jacksonville offense now you know Garner Menchu and you know he's a really fine young second year quarterback but I want to talk about their offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Jay Gruden uses every form of offense he came from Arena Football he's been in the NFL he uses everybody last week Menchu hit 10 different receivers so if you're the Titans defense you've got to be ready to play responsibility football. All right give me another key. I think balance on offense last week Indianapolis lost to Jacksonville the Colts had double the number of passes than runs well you're probably always going to have more passes than runs or at least in most cases but it can't be double you've got to keep that balance the Titans have to feature Derek Henry they've got to throw it to AJ Brown and Corey Davis and John U. Smith balance against this Jacksonville defense is key. All right Mike give us one last key to beating the Jax. When football efficiency that means less penalty yards than your opponents when field position on special teams take advantage when you have a chance to score don't leave points out there by missing kicks or not coming up with touchdowns when you get inside the five-yard line. Indianapolis lost the game to Jacksonville last week because they lost every stat within football efficiency it's something that normally Mike Vrable teams take good care of they take advantage of all the little things they've got to do it again this week. Easier said than done. Well it's been said so let it be done. All right I like that that's the goal. Assertive. Assertive let's get to two and oh reminder you could join us on Titans radio at 11 a.m. Central for Titans countdown Titans in the Jags for first place in the AFC South we're looking forward to it from Nissan Stadium. For Amy Wells I'm Mike Keith thanks for joining us for Titans All Access and we'll see you next time.