I sat in the stands at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night, drenched in sweat, as the team gathered around UDFA kicker Brayden Narveson after he kicked a 46-yard field goal that gave the Tennessee Titans a 16-15 victory. Thanks for coming, Seattle. Although many fans had already begun to leave the stadium early in the 4th quarter, many stayed behind to see the game through to the end.We really have a really sick time here“, I thought to myself. But then I heard a father behind me explaining the game to his son, who was full of questions.”They have to get the ball over the white line and if they succeed, they score points.“The guys next to me are debating the merits of having a backup the caliber of Mason Rudolph.
Here, with the sweat on my shirt, it felt like football was really back. It lives. Narveson lined up for the 42-yard kick, and like the others around me, I stood up to watch it. My problem? I’m 6’2″ and 280 pounds. I take up a lot of space. I turned to the family behind me and asked: “I’m not in your way, am I?The man paused his lesson in the rules of football to smile and say: “no brother…enjoy the game.” The guys who had been talking about Rudolph stood up, one of them pulled out his phone to take a picture of the potential winning goal. When Narveson hit the ball, the stands erupted in cheers… happy families, happy fans. The guys next to me were screaming “Titans 2:0 Preseason” into their recording. I just had to smile. I thought no one cared about this meaningless game and our section was celebrating like the season was on the line and Narveson had just hit a kick that put them in the playoffs. Maybe I was the dumb one for not letting the moment blind me and just enjoying it.
I fear I may have been too cynical about the preseason and what it means to fans. It’s the perfect opportunity to get your kid in training before the season starts. If you’re a huge Mason Rudolph fan, it may be your only chance to see Mason Rudolph in action. I’m not being judgmental. I wouldn’t exaggerate the impact a game like this could have on the field, beyond another opportunity to evaluate the roster and players in key position battles. But part of me wondered as my wife and I walked back across the pedestrian bridge and uphill five blocks to the car. Is it in this team’s DNA to figure out how to win a game like this?
I don’t think it hurts players to see how their practice regimen translates on the field. But I think we should consider the possibility that winning these close games builds the depth of this team and gives momentum to the entire organization. In particular, I think about it in the context of the last few seasons. How many close games have the Titans lost? If you think in terms of wins and losses, the math is pretty simple: Wins boost morale, losses poison it. Having those dramatic moments, winning a game while the clock is running down, is a hopeful and helpful thing for a team that’s basically starting from scratch.
It’s also a sign that the guys are fighting in the 4th quarter, during a game that has no bearing on the season at all. The personnel people have found players who are tough from the top to the bottom of the rankings. The coaches’ messages seem to be getting through, and the guys are playing hard. It’s important for the coaches’ sanctity that this plays out on the field, and so far it has! If this team gets into a fight in late November when some of the regulars are injured, it might be useful to have that experience to gain confidence and say, “hey, we can go out there and do this.“Over the top? Maybe. I’m not going to come here and say the Titans beat the Texans because they won that game against the Seahawks in August. No, what I’m saying is that these games can serve as a kind of morale booster for everyone in the organization to build on. Coaches talk all the time about piling up good days in training camp — for me, it’s no different.
While we can make fun of the preseason, I think there are more bright spots in this 2-0 start than people realize, one of which is that this young, rebuilding team is using these games as an opportunity to learn how to win again.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor-in-Chief of The SoBros Network and a connoisseur of dogs playing poker on velvet. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter and “Minds right, asses tight.” Big Natural covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle and a whole lot of nonsense. Follow him on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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