 Everybody on store. Listen, trust and believe. He's hit, he lost the ball. Diving right back in. I'm Mike Keith with the head coach, welcoming you to the Mike Vrables show. The buy is over. Time to get busy and take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Your team, eager to get back to work. Absolutely, staying busy. It's not about getting back to work. It's about being focused and understanding that we all have jobs to do. We have to continue to do them better. All right, let's take a look at the keys to knocking off Jacksonville and really the keys to playing tight and football down the stretch. We call them the Nissan keys. Let's start with number one. Let's create turnovers. Yeah, but be intentional. They're not going to hand you the football. You're going to have to go knock it off of somebody. You're going to have to strip it away from the quarterback. You're going to have to tip a football, go intercept it. All the things that we're doing, we just haven't done them the last two weeks. So we have to go be intentional. Like Elijah Molden did at Jacksonville. That would help. That would help. All right, key number two in the Nissan keys, to the offense, take care of the ball. Well, we want to be aggressive. We trust the guys that we hand the football to or the guys that we throw it to, but we have to take care of it. We were very effective running the football last week or the last time we played, but unfortunately everybody that we handed the ball off to, they fumbled throughout the game, throughout the course of the game. And we're going to work hard at it. We've been working hard at it. And I know that we'll improve there. And then we have to be great when we throw the football. All right, let's take a look at key number three. It has to do with special teams being aggressive, but staying penalty free. Yeah, you see how much field position is affected by penalties. You know, no better example than the opening kickoff. We start down there. We go three and out. We have to punt. We lose 32 yards of field position because we have to repunt. They take over on the 37 yard line. That's making it real hard for yourselves. And so the special teams unit can especially help create field position. Bottom line with those keys is that's playing Titan football. That is. I mean, that's what we do. You know, we're physical. We play with great effort. And we have to start eliminating the bad football. When we come back on the Mike Vrables show, it is time to have the Titans files with Amy Wells and the mayor is part of that. Stay tuned for more of the program. Several Titans players are having outstanding 2021 seasons right at the top of that list. Kevin Byrd, doing the things the coach wants. Well, he is, but he's also, you know, taking it upon himself to be where he's supposed to be, but also go and make some football plays. You know, we don't want to, we don't ever want to hamstring or handcuff a player from going and making plays. And that's what Kevin's done. He's taken care of his responsibility. And then he's gone and made plays. He's found the football. He's done a great job of improving on just a few little things as far as technique. You know, I don't know if there's a player that stabs through the pocket better than Kevin does, especially not one on our football team. His communication is paramount to what we do. But I also just love the person. I love the husband. I love the father and what he does outside of football for our community. Kevin Byrd has a lot of great attributes. One that really stands out is that he is real, real about everything in his life. In this week's Titans Files, Amy Wells spent some time with Kevin Byrd and found out that the reason for his big 2021 is he got real with himself. Leading the team in tackles, leading the team in intercepts, doing everything possible to win ball games. I feel like that's, that's what I get paid to do. And that's the type of player that I am. I'm always going to be harder on myself than anybody will ever be hard on me. So I take everything personal. Kevin Byrd heard it. He heard the talk that in 2020, he wasn't as good as he had been in the past. Byrd didn't shut out the negative talk for his play last season. He agreed with it. I just take it for what it is. Obviously the talk of the off season where, you know, Kevin Byrd had a down year last year. It's kind of right. I didn't put up the statistics that I'm normally used to putting up. You know, a lot of excuses can be made whether it's COVID, all different type of stuff. But I feel like, you know, I had to really take a different mental approach this year because like I said, I felt like I didn't play up to my standard last year. So I had to make sure that, you know, I had to place that chip back on my shoulder that I had my first couple of years and it's been working. So I got to make sure I keep that chip. Uh, it's working all right. Through 12 games, Kevin Byrd has been the best safety in the NFL. 64 tackles, five interceptions, his first two career touchdowns. Byrd is quick to credit John Robinson and Mike Brable for improving the team's pass rush. But he admits that some off season changes have helped his game as well. This off season, I really worked on my mental a lot, rather than was meditating in the morning, doing yoga, doing a lot of different stuff. That I mean, stuff that I already did, but I feel like I just took another notch. And also my diet, I switched up my diet a little more. I'm eating a lot of fish now, not a lot of red meat. And I think that's another reason why now I'm flying around and I feel confident going into games. Yeah, I do feel like I'm playing better than I was years ago. And honestly, it's not about the interceptions. It's more about for me, the leadership, the way I'm leading the guys. It's more about the communication that I've been having with the guys. And it's also more about Reddiface playing man cover, just all the little things that I feel like I'm doing better than I was last year. I'm flying around to the football. Obviously, I think last year, new D coordinator, we had new guys last year, but I didn't feel like we meshed well as a defense last year. And, you know, sometimes I felt like I overthought some things in different situations. But I think this year we had a really great training camp and I feel like we've just been building upon that. So I think I'm flying around and I'm just running around making plays. You can hear it in Kevin Byrd's voice. There's pride. There's expectation. There's a standard. He knows that if he's playing well, his words is the leader of the Titan secondary mean more. Hey, we're not here to prove nobody wrong. We're here to prove ourselves right today. You know what I'm saying? And being that leader is job number one for number 31. We all need to have the same type of standard. We all have to raise the bar. And I think that's my job as a leader to make sure that my standard is high. To raise everybody else's standard around me, we can all, you know, ball and make plays. So it's been something we've been doing pretty well this year. That's what a pro does right there. When he's not happy with his 2020, he says, I know what I have to do to make 2021 better. And then Kevin Byrd's going and done it. Well, not only did he hold himself accountable, the one thing that we've always talked about, Kevin, is continuing to hold other people accountable, your teammates and, you know, that's difficult. And that's something that, you know, we've tried to empower him and he'll hold me and every the coaches accountable just the same way that we do him. And, you know, I think it's been fun to watch him play. He's playing a lot of confidence and, you know, can't wait to get him back out there. I'm excited to hold you accountable now as it's time for the Delta Dental. Can Mike Vrable guess this tight? And as we go to break, let's see our first look at this beautiful smile. Can Mike Vrable determine who that is? I think he can. I think I've actually got that one. It's a pretty little face. More of the Mike Vrable show and the answer. After this, it's weak on the program. Delta dentals, can you guess this tight? It's really, can Mike Vrable guess this tight and can he? I think I can. Pretty smile, perfect little nose. Is that our quarterback, Ryan Tenahill? That was gonna be my guess, coach. Nice. You're playing, you're over 500 now for the year. Yeah, well above. Well above 500 on the year. Talk to me about what you need from Ryan Tenahill this week and the rest of the year. Well, I'll just continue to lead our offense. And, you know, there has been some moving parts. There's been some guys that have been in and out. I will always value and appreciate his toughness. And then what we need from Ryan is just to continue to take care of the football, to get us in the right play, to understand where we need to go with football when we throw it, get us in the right play when we run it based on the looks and what we're coaching them that week. And just make sure that he continues to lead our football team and find ways to win football games. That's what Ryan Tenahill did back in week five when the Titans won at Jacksonville by 18. In case you've forgotten, this is how the Titans pulled off that victory over the Jacks. Coming off of a poor performance against the New York Jets, the Titans needed an early spark in Jacksonville. They got it on the third play of the game. Third down in ten. In the shotgun, Lawrence takes the snack, feels heat, steps up, throws, got it complete at the 31. Losing the football is the tight end. The Titans have picked it up and fired to the 20. To the 10, to the five, to the end zone. Give me a signal, Mr. Official. The Titans would never trail, although it would be close throughout the first half. The teams traded touchdowns and the Titans lead was 14 to 13 when Tennessee went on a 10 point spurt to end the first half. Tenahill rolling right, firing. Man is wide open at the five and walking into the end zone. Ryan Tenahill hit Mike Hull Pruitt with a 14-yard touchdown and Randy Bullock added a 34-yard field goal to give the Titans an 11-point halftime lead. Tenahill and company carried that momentum into the second half as Tennessee finished a 75-yard drive with a Derrick Henry touchdown run. Tenahill gets the Titans on the ball, gives Henry at right guard to the five, to the end zone. Touchdown, Titans! It looked like the Jags were about to be blown out. That did not happen. Barely over a minute into the fourth quarter, Jacksonville scored to make it a 31-19 game and then, just over three minutes later, it appeared the Jaguars had scored on another Trevor Lawrence run. But Lawrence is called down at the one-yard line upon review and Jacksonville chose to go for it on fourth and goal. Lawrence gives hide, he's trapped, he's stopped, he's decked, he's thrown, he's not in! From there, any momentum that Jacksonville had was gone. Henry pounded the Jags into submission in the final moments, scoring his third touchdown right after the two-minute warning. Henry on the left side to the five, Henry to the goal line, touchdown, Titans! Henry rushed for 130 yards on 29 carries and along with his fumble return for a touchdown, Byrd posted 11 tackles and an interception. Final score from Jacksonville on October 10th, Titans 37, Jaguars 19. Pleasure with us for the post-buy edition of the Mike Grable show. We always have the Mike Grable six-pack, six big plays from the game the day before. Well, there was no game the weekend before it, so we're gonna take a look now. At six plays, the Titans need to see more of down the stretch. Let's start with some pressure from Harold Landry. This is him in the Buffalo game. Yeah, these would be some good ones here, Mike. Harold inside, you know, working with Jeffrey Simmons. You know, obviously the impact that they can make in the middle of the pocket and the ability for us to move Harold around different places, you see him coming in there, getting a pick, driving, you know, two-for-one special on the guard. Really no chance there in the middle of the pocket. Harold Landry with 10 sacks and some fresh legs coming out of the by. Play number two, let's talk touchdown passes. Want to see more of those down the stretch from Ryan Tannehill. Here's a good one to Michael Pruitt. Yeah, good hard sell play action there. Ryan's able to drift and protection's there. You see everybody getting sucked up inside. Pruitt goes down there, sells it, slips out of there and so good, he caught it twice. He caught it twice. He's caught three on the year, Michael Pruitt. Jeffrey Simmons actually had three sacks in a single game for the Titans as they played at Los Angeles seven and a half on the year. More big Jeff driving guards backwards like this. Well, hands inside on the rise can never fail right there. So you can see what he does. He puts his hands in their chest and kind of walking them back and, you know, no real reason to make any kind of move when you can just go through them like Jeff does there. And, you know, I think that the difference in his season has been his technique. You know, he's always been massive. He's always been powerful. He's always played hard. He's always chased the football. But he's playing with some really, really cool technique and you can see it right there. You know, a lot of things that help him. Right now, AJ Brown is not available to the Tennessee Titans. He'll be back in a couple of weeks. But one thing we need to see more of, more run after the catch, like in this AJ Brown play that we're gonna take a look. Well, that's certainly a strength of his. And you can see when we're working in this, we're running a football clean pocket inside and we're able to deliver to football. Good things will happen. You know, AJ and Julio and Nick and everybody, they're fearless going inside there. Cody Hollister, it doesn't matter. You know, you're running in there and you know, there's linebackers and a safety, but you know, this would be good to see here. AJ gets some catch and run and us being able to protect and give Ryan a firm pocket. More catch and run for the Titans. How about some more interceptions for Kevin Byrd on the year? He has five on the season. We saw him in our last segment. More big plays from the mayor. Well, that would be great. And Kevin has, you know, had a great year. I know he's gonna continue to do everything he can to make a push here as we finish. And I know he's never satisfied. And you can see the deep crossing right here. And not only that, but in a critical point in the game here at overtime, you know, really setting up the game winning field goal kick with the type of play that he had right there. Big plays from Kevin Byrd. And the Titans want some more big plays in special teams. Chester Rogers has been close a couple of times on punt returns. Love to have some more of these coaches. He has. And there's a lot of trust right here to go down here. And I thought there's this well-schemed here by the coaches, well-executed by the players. You can see the gunner going down there, protecting the goal line. Chet having trust that everybody's gonna be doing their job, but he's not gonna catch one in the chin down there inside the 10-yard line. Guy's working. Matthias Farley not causing a penalty there with a blindside, but going with the shield. And, you know, a lot of good things on that clip. We need to create some field position in special teams. When we come back, we salute high school football teams and players in the state of Tennessee and get final thoughts on this weekend's game with Jacksonville from Mike Vrable as the Mike Vrable Show continues. For the last five days, high school football has taken the spotlight in our state. We want to congratulate Chattanooga for a great job hosting the Blue Cross Bowl State Championship Games. And we also want to take this opportunity on the Mike Vrable Show to congratulate our state champions. Let's begin in division one. South Pittsburgh does it again. Outstanding football team there. In division two, we go to Martin, Tennessee. And that's Westview High School led by Ty Simpson. Congratulations to them. In division three, it's only seven in a row for Alcoa. That's all, just seven in a row. Division four, a very competitive overall division at Tullahoma wins their first ever state championship. Congratulations to John Olive and all of them. He's a walk-off. He's a walk-off. He retired. The Powell Panthers won a big one over the page. Patriots, what a football game. Maybe the best game of the weekend. Powell's the state champion in 5A and 6A. The team who beat everybody. The Oakland Patriots and Kevin Creason. Division two, there were some good games there as well. Donaldson Christian, congratulations on your state championship. In 2A, another outstanding team. Lipscomb Academy won over CPA for the second time this year. And it's three in a row for the blue tornado of Ralph Potter and the McCauley School in Chattanooga. Congratulations to them. Now, earlier today at Nissan Stadium, we crowned the 2021 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Award winners. Let's run through all 10 to make sure you know their names. They came from all over the state of Tennessee. In class A, Khalil Ganaway out of Trenton Peabody. Congratulations to him. I mentioned Ty Simpson's name earlier. Martin Westview, he is your 2A winner. In 3A, had to be somebody from Alcoa, right? Caden Buckles their quarterback. Congratulations. Pearl Cone has a winner in 4A. Barryon Brown, the Firebirds very proud of him. In 5A, out of East Tennessee, Deshaun Bishop, incredible running back. What numbers did he put up as a junior? And then in 6A, Destin Wade at Summit. Fantastic overall career for both of the Wade twins. Destin actually wins Mr. Football. Division two, we go to USJ's own Steele Haynes, at the University School of Jackson. That's your class A winner. Our 2A, Tennessee Titans, Mr. Football Award winner is Alexander Broome, the fantastic running back from Lipscomb Academy. In 3A, second year in a row, Dallin Hayden, son of Aaron Hayden. May remember him from Tennessee. He prepped at Christian Brothers. Our kicker of the year comes from Tallahoma. It's Justice Chadwick of the state champions. You love all this. I do. And my point is here that there's a lot of those guys that took their teams to the state championship. And they either won it or they finished second, obviously in Summit's case. But that's what great players do is they make the guys around them better. And I know that these players all did that. So we're very proud to host Mr. Football and to be the sponsor of Mr. Football. The Tennessee Titans know that it means a lot. Means a lot to beat Jacksonville if you're the Tennessee Titans. You got it. We'll start it at noon on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Join Amy Wells and Rhett Bryan with Titans Countdown beginning at 11 AM on 104-5 the zone. For the head coach, Mike Vrabel, I'm Mike Keith. Thanks for joining us for the Mike Vrabel show and we'll see you next time.