The Tennessee Titans are coming off their bye week and hope to see some of their walking wounded return to action in Week 11 against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.
While there are some injury questions surrounding both teams as the week kicks off, the Titans roster has been challenged with the loss of four starters over the past few weeks, and could use their services against their division rivals. While no updates were given on their statuses, it would be a big boost if Jeffery Simmons, Calvin Ridley, Arden Key, or Xavier Woods could return for Sunday.
A lot has changed since the first matchup between these teams. Brian Callahan was fired and replaced by interim head coach Mike McCoy. While the results remain disappointing, there have been some incremental improvements in recent weeks, and with the bye, McCoy and his staff had a chance to review and make some significant changes to hopefully improve their struggling offense.
The Texans are fighting to get back into contention, have battled back from a dismal start, and have a chance to even their record against the Titans, but they have some significant injury concerns entering the contest. Even with those concerns, they have some established talent that could come in and immediately give the Titans a boost, and there are plenty of players to choose from.
Wide receiver Nico Collins, defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, slot cornerback Jalen Pitre and safety Jaylen Reed are talented playmakers who would be upgrades at their positions. We chose Anderson in the first matchup, so we are going a different direction this week and picking cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
The Titans’ cornerback room looks completely different from what it did when they opened the season. Cornerbacks Roger McCreary and Jarvis Brownlee have been traded away, and the other starter, L’Jarius Sneed, is once again on injured reserve, with his future in Nashville up in the air.
The Titans have a group of young cornerbacks who play hard, but could use a dynamic, stabilizing shutdown cornerback to help the struggling pass rush, and Stingley is just that. The former first-round pick out of LSU can take away top wideouts and is a presence on the outside. He’s not challenged often, but when he is, he makes plays, entering the game with 24 total tackles (16 solo), three interceptions, and 10 passes defensed. He could step in and immediately become Tennessee’s top cornerback and a foundational piece for the defense.
What are your thoughts, Titans fans? Would pick Derek Stingley Jr. or steal an entirely different player from the Houston Texans. Sound off and let us know.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Gimme Him: One player Tennessee Titans would steal from Texans
