| Advertisement |
Jason McCourty has been a mainstay in the Titans secondary since becoming a full-time starter during the 2011 season. Since that time, McCourty has started every game he has been healthy enough to since becoming a starter at the beginning of his third season. Before that, he played some as the nickelback.
Advertisement
But for the past two Titans games, McCourty is now finding himself as part of a rotation at the cornerback position, as the Titans are now treating that position as the safety spots. The Titans have rotated safeties all season long in an effort to mix and match and find the right combination.
McCourty is still a starter, but now finds himself losing snaps to rookie LeShaun Sims veteran cornerback Valentino Blake and nickelback Brice McCain, who started alongside McCourty on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
In fact, McCourty played the fewest snaps Sunday of any of those four cornerbacks. But the veteran isn't fretting over his situation.
"It is what it is. I doesn't matter whether I'm good, bad or indifferent (with it), when your number is called, you have to get out there and go play football," McCourty said. "The one thing I think when you're just a part of a team, the awesome part about it is seeing success -- whether I'm on the field, or off the field and watching LeShaun Sims break up a pass in the end zone, it's exciting for me.
"You watch a rookie get in there and make plays, or watching Zilla (Blake) get in there and punch a ball out against Emmanuel Sanders, that's exciting. When you're part of a team and you really care about those guys in your locker room, no matter what your personal situation is, you're always going to be excited for those guys around you, because you know how much work each one of us has put in throughout the year together."
The biggest payoff for McCourty in the matter is that the Titans are finally in playoff contention. McCourty is part of a division-leading squad for the first time in his eight-year NFL career with three games to go.
"It's fun. Sunday after that game just to feel that excitement and go in the locker room after the game and celebrate with the guys, knowing the opportunity you have. This is what you put in seven seasons of work in to get to this point and have this opportunity," McCourty said.
SERIES HISTORY: 49th meeting. Chiefs lead series, 27-21. The Titans' 2014 victory over the Chiefs to open the 2014 season was one of only three victories attained during the ill-fated Ken Whisenhunt coaching regime.
GAME PLAN: Much like they did against Denver, the Titans' plan of attack on offense will center around the running game with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. The Titans chewed up the Broncos for 180 rushing yards, and would like to do the same thing against the Chiefs to neutralize their potent pass rush. The other part of that edict will be not to turn the ball over, as the Chiefs have 25 takeaways this season, and the third-best turnover ratio in the NFL. Defensively, the Titans will probably see a little better rushing attack from the Chiefs than last week, but stopping the run and not giving up big plays through play action will be key.
