Titans hope talented trio offers hope for future

With the fortunes of the Titans' 2014 season fading away, the team is in many respects already looking to the future at it reaches the midpoint of this season.

When the team next takes the field in Baltimore on Nov. 9, there's a good chance that Zach Mettenberger, Taylor Lewan and Bishop Sankey will become the first quarterback/left tackle/running back trio to start as rookies for the Oilers/Titans since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

The last time any NFL team started three rookies together at those key positions was 2012, when Miami's quarterback Ryan Tannehill, left tackle Jonathan Martin and running back Lamar Miller did so against San Francisco.

The Titans' hope is that the Mettenberger/Lewan/Sankey trio will form building blocks for the future, as Tennessee tries to resurrect a franchise that hasn't reached the playoffs since 2008.

"I think it's a good thing for this team — young guys out there playing and getting that opportunity to gain experience," Lewan said. "So fans are hopefully going to see some positives toward the end of the season."

Here's a closer look at how each of the rookies has fared so far and what they'll be working on during the second half of the season.

Mettenberger

The quarterback has the smallest sample size of the group, having started just one game. He had mixed results in the Titans' 30-16 loss to Houston on Sunday.

On the down side, Mettenberger overshot a number of his long-range targets, failing to give his receivers opportunities to make plays. Nerves probably played a part in some of those throws.

"I think anyone is going to have butterflies going into the game because no one wants to let their team down," Mettenberger said. "You're nervous. You're wondering if you prepared enough and if you're ready to go out there and execute like you should. Early on, I was a little afraid to make mistakes."

In addition Mettenberger threw an interception and lost a fumble. That was a problem for Mettenberger in the preseason also, as he threw two interceptions and lost three fumbles.

"Turnovers are definitely one of the things I need to work on," Mettenberger said.

But the good news was that Mettenberger got stronger as the game went on, posting two completions of more than 40 yards in the second half and going 20-for-28 for 237 yards and two touchdowns in the last two quarters.

The three extra practices the Titans will get because of the bye week should only help Mettenberger's timing with his receivers, as well as his ability to read defenses.

"I think I learned that I can play in this league," Mettenberger said. "The first experience was hard. It was a great experience, but now I always have that in the back of my mind … I think I showed that when I do it right, I can play in this league."

Lewan

The team's first-round pick in May has made the smoothest transition to the starting lineup. He's played every snap over the past three weeks after getting on the field only sparingly when Michael Roos was healthy.

Lewan has surrendered one sack and one quarterback hit as a starter, but otherwise has graded out well in both pass protection and in the running game. He will have to guard against penalties, as Lewan — despite having started only three games — has already been whistled for four penalties.

As he readies for the second half of the season, Lewan says he's focused on paying attention to detail among other things.

"I'm constantly working on the little fundamentals and techniques," Lewan said. "As an offensive lineman, that's really all you've got. When you're going against the J.J. Watts and Jadeveon Clowneys, you've got to have great fundamentals and techniques. You can't just say, `I'm good on (this)' and move on. You have to work on all of it at once to get better."

Sankey

The Titans' second-round pick in May has been steady but not spectacular as a rookie. He's carried 75 times for 302 yards (4.0-yard average), but has just one carry of more than 20 yards and one touchdown. Sankey had his best day as a pass-catcher on Sunday, posting four receptions for 25 yards.

One item of good news regarding Sankey is that he hasn't fumbled once, a concern in training camp and the preseason because of the footwork issues he was having en route to handoffs.

"Everything is good with ball security," Sankey said. "It was just correcting my footwork and making sure I'm disciplined on my tracks (toward the handoffs). And just having it in my conscious in my head — ball security, ball security, ball security. Coaches stress that during the week, and it carries over in the game."

Sankey's pass-blocking has also improved, which is always important for a rookie. But he knows the Titans will eventually be expecting more from him in the running game, and he'll seek to make progress in the second half of the season.

"There's still a lot of things I can work on," Sankey said. "Coach is telling me to be more patient on some of my runs, pressing the line of scrimmage more and really allowing the blocks to develop and understand that. That's really been my main focus."

Reach John Glennon at 615-259-8262 or on Twitter @glennonsports.

NEXT GAME

TITANS (2-6) at Ravens (5-3)

When: Noon Nov. 9

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