NASHVILLE – Titans interim coach Mike McCoy held a press conference on Monday, coming out of the team's bye weekend.
The Titans return to action on Sunday against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at some of the hot topics from today's presser:
-The Titans parted ways with safety Quandre Diggs last week, two days after claiming safety Jerrick Reed off waivers from the Seahawks. "I'd just like to thank Quandre for everything he did here," McCoy said. "A true pro. We mutually parted ways."
-McCoy said there will be opportunities for rookie Kevin Winston Jr. and others following the departure Diggs. "Bringing in new players, it's always an opportunity," McCoy said. "There's going to be certain changes. With Kevin playing here and there, so it's an opportunity for him to step up and everybody else making the most of the of every opportunity you get. … You love the way (Kevin) flies around and the way he practices and the way he plays the game. It's like any other young player, it's experience. The more reps you get at something, the more comfortable you are playing in the system, the faster you are going to play. He is in a good spot."
-McCoy said the Titans did some self-scouting during the bye week. One of the areas the team wants, and needs, to improve is third down offense. "We have to be better on third down offensively," McCoy said. "You talk about scoring more points and doing things, but when you are in the high 20s in third down conversion rate, it is tough to score a lot of points. You have to sustain drives."
-McCoy said he met with quarterback Cam Ward this morning about ways to improve in the second half of the season. "I made a tape for him to look at after watching all the tapes and kind of said, 'Here are some things you can look at from my perspective," said McCoy, who mentioned mechanics, pocket movements, release points, decision-making, and even running the ball more as ways Ward can enhance his performances. "There's a number of things I I talked to him about. … There's constant communication. And the great thing about Cam is he wants to be great, and he wants that input on a daily basis."
-Asked about the health of players like defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and receiver Calvin Ridley, who are recovering from hamstring injuries, McCoy said: "They are working extremely hard. As soon as they can be out there and to help the team and play at 100 percent, when they know they can go out there and cut it loose and be themselves, they are going to be out there."
-McCoy said the Titans had a team meeting this morning before returning to practice on Monday after the bye week. "Had a great practice today," McCoy said. "Everyone is in a great mindset right now, moving forward."
