NASHVILLE – The Titans returned to the practice field on Friday at Vanderbilt Health Football Center to continue preparations for Sunday's game at the Cleveland Browns.
Here's a look at today's developments:
Earlier this week, Titans special coordinator John Fassel compared the return game to a baseball player.
The more swings a batter gets, the better chances he has to hit, or break, one.
Titans returner Chimere Dike, who had a 58-yard return against the Colts, agreed with that notion while throwing in another analogy.
Dike hopes the return game can continue the momentum into this week.
"We talk about Barry Sanders – one-yard run, three-yard run, five-yard run, three-yard run, eight-yard run and then you hit an 80," Dike said. "It's about being patient and making sure that you're doing the right things and putting the team in the right position, and maximizing every gain and trusting the big ones will come."
In addition to his 58-yard return against Indianapolis, Dike also had a long return that was called back because of a penalty.
A Pro Bowler last season, Dike has proven he can be a game changer, and he's aiming to make more big plays when the Titans face the Browns this Sunday.
"I don't know if it was anything different, per se," Dike said last of last week. "We were just able to execute as a team. We want to be that spark for the team, and it was nice to kind of be that on Sunday.
"We're going to continue to keep working."
-The Titans moved linebacker Dorian Mausi to the team's Designated to Return to Practice list earlier in the week.
This designation opened up a three-week window for Mausi to practice with the team, and he will not count against the team's 53-man roster until being activated from Injured Reserve.
Mausi practiced again on Friday. The Titans need to officially activate Mausi in order for him to be able to play on Sunday.
"He looked good, he was itching to get back out," Titans coach Robert Saleh said of Mausi. "If you ask him, he should have been out here two weeks ago. But he looked good, he's excited to be back."
-Saleh said cornerback Alontae Taylor had a good week of practice after being one of the team's inactives last week.
"His energy, his juice, just his reconnecting again to who he is," Saleh said. He's a high energy, very emotional player, very talented player. We've gotten him some nickel reps trying to get him some of those. He's attacked the heck out of it. He acknowledges it too, our nickel is a lot different than the nickel he played, that most nickels play where it's a lot of man coverage, they're basically linebackers with the things that they have to do. But he's attacking the heck out of it and he's excited to get back on the field."
Saleh said he expects Taylor to help the team at nickel and corner the rest of the season.
"He's very, very talented in that regard and he's not just going to play nickel, I just want to make sure, he can still play corner, and he's done a lot of really good things for us," Saleh said. For me, it's more about getting his energy back, getting him back to who we know he is. And we'll get him back on the field and playing to the level that we expect him to."
-Xavier Restrepo, James Williams Sr. and Pat Coogan all wore the black jerseys in practice Friday, recognizing their work in practices
-As part of his weekly routine to honor a Tennessee high school, Saleh was representing Tradarius Goff of Columbia Central High School on Friday.
-And now for all the injury updates on players on the injury report on Friday:
-Receiver Calvin Ridley (hip) did not practice again on Friday and he'll be QUESTIONABLE for Sunday's game.
-Safety Tony Adams (ankle) practiced again on Friday.
-Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers (NIR-Rest) practiced again on Friday.
-Running back Tyjae Spears (NIR-Rest) practiced again on Friday.
-Safety Kevin Winston (quad) practiced again on Friday.
-Running back Tony Pollard (NIR-Rest) returned to practice on Friday.
-The Titans are scheduled to hold a walkthrough on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's game vs the Browns.
