Noticeably Tougher Practices In Tennessee?
May 19th, 2023
Bruce Arians talks to Todd Bowles at a practice last season..
Joe was intrigued to hear former Bucs cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting say spring life in Tennesee Titans camp is tougher than in Tampa — and it’s better for preparing a team.
Murphy-Bunting thinks the approach in Tennessee is better for hardening players.
“They have that here,” Murphy-Bunting said of winning energy and mentality in Tennessee. “Every guy I talk to wants to be better. They want to work. They want to grind. So, it’s easy, I guess, to communicate and to bring guys with you on the same page. Like we’re [running and] doing stuff that’s not easy. There’s days where I would train last year [in Tampa] and the year before where it’s like, ‘Oh, that wasn’t bad.’ But every day you come here, it’s work.”
Murphy-Bunting said he likes how you can say after a Titans practice, ‘That was hard, but we got through it.’ And he thinks more adversity in practice makes for a greater collective ability to fight through adversity in games.
Joe will add that Murphy-Bunting did not appear in any way to be throwing darts his former team. He was just answering questions with his trademark smile and wordy replies.
So are the Bucs a little softer than they should be? Joe can’t answer that. Todd Bowles certainly had the team ready to play last season and the Bucs opened with road wins in Dallas and New Orelans before the wheels fell off.
Joe will add that Titans head coach Mike Vrabel certianly knows what he’s doing when it comes to building a tough football team. Vrabel has a 48-34 career record through five seasons, and two playoff wins.
May 19th, 2023 at 4:40 pm
There ain’t any of these sissies that could have survived Ray Perkins and his 3-a-day practices.
May 19th, 2023 at 4:45 pm
Vrabel > Bowles.
May 19th, 2023 at 4:51 pm
There is definitely something to it. You want to toughen your team up and make them tough both physically and mentally. However, you also want to make sure you come out of training camp healthy, so that is the dilemma.
May 19th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
The last 3 seasons he won a SB and two division titles. I would say maybe TN should adopt the Bucs practice habits.
May 19th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
How’s that working out for them? Let’s see…..when was their last SB win?;;;;;;;;;;like never.
May 19th, 2023 at 4:59 pm
A part of this may be because the roster last two years was full of veterans at the tail of their careers. Much of the practices were likely designed to help with rest and recovery for older players who aren’t in the getting better part of their careers.
May 19th, 2023 at 4:59 pm
ShakeandBaker Says:
May 19th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
The last 3 seasons he won a SB and two division titles. I would say maybe TN should adopt the Bucs practice habits.
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Yeah, you might think that. Also how Brady talked about how much he loved being in a more relaxed environment, etc.
Also there’s quite a difference between practicing in Florida and other areas. We know from the past that when you push guys hard in practice over the summer, they tend to burn out early in the season.
May 19th, 2023 at 5:17 pm
Wait, is he talking about rookie camp? Did I miss something? Apples to oranges here no?
May 19th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
In Tampa, with the heat, I think they have to be a little more careful with the intensity… Dehydration increases hamstring injuries and other types of strains. Finding the right balance is a challenge. But, I hope Todd is pushing them a little harder. There is something to be said for facing physical adversity and pushing through. Sometimes you have to dig deep. We’ll see.
May 19th, 2023 at 5:39 pm
Have to balance hard work with injury potential. The Bucs seem to have a lot of players that suffer severe injuries in training camp. Maybe it is the heat or just conditioning?
May 19th, 2023 at 5:40 pm
I think SMB is a little soft
May 19th, 2023 at 5:45 pm
Play like you practice, practice like you want to play and Vrabels a former Patriot so I can 100% him pushing his guys during voluntary practices coming from a culture that chanted “No days off” at a championship parade lol. Best of luck to SMB, until it’s time to line up against us and hope he gets roasted like a Cornish hen.
May 19th, 2023 at 5:46 pm
Exactly TBBF! Tougher spring practices and training camps != wins in the regular season and playoffs. Just ask Greg Schiano.
May 19th, 2023 at 5:47 pm
We hear almost every season how the Bucs have soft practices. I dont think its a coincidence they usually end up being a soft team.
May 19th, 2023 at 5:47 pm
Conte Piscatelli beat me too it. The roster was the thing I thought of. How many articles did Joe write about just getting a guy through the week so said player would be game ready? Dozens. No point in having older players beat the hell out of each other or push themselves to hard.
May 19th, 2023 at 5:51 pm
HC/DC Superbowles is in charge of all practice.
May 19th, 2023 at 6:45 pm
Number one the weather permits harder practice because the high is between 85-90 in the heat of summer. For all those hard practices it got the Titans that 7-10 record last year.
May 19th, 2023 at 6:55 pm
There’s a balance in there somewhere I guess. Florida humidity is pretty unforgiving.
May 19th, 2023 at 6:55 pm
Apples to oranges, SMB.
May 19th, 2023 at 6:56 pm
Joe, where did SMB do this interview?
May 19th, 2023 at 7:14 pm
Solution…get up early and practice while it is nice and cool in the morning.
May 19th, 2023 at 8:10 pm
just a guy talking, but definitely entertaining
May 19th, 2023 at 8:20 pm
Vrabel has not won anything as a coach. His methods are good for high draft pick. And nothing else.
May 19th, 2023 at 8:22 pm
So who now doesn’t think last year a number of guys weren’t slacking?
May 19th, 2023 at 8:29 pm
That’s why the Titans record of 7-10 last year… was so much better than the Bucs 8-9 ??? Better practice???
May 19th, 2023 at 8:59 pm
That’s why their teams are always starting strong , but fizzle out towards the end of the year and do nothing in the playoffs but lose . How many Super Bowl wins do the Titans have ? ZERO , along the half of the rest of the NFL teams. Go Bucs
May 19th, 2023 at 11:34 pm
How many deep playoff runs have those “hard practices” contributed to?
May 20th, 2023 at 6:12 am
I know we had guys literally disappear between morning and afternoon practices never to return in McKay’s tenure. Once during practice!
Perkins’ 3 a day training camps were just plain stupid. This ain’t Tuscaloosa.
May 20th, 2023 at 6:19 am
I would love it if they were allowed more contact practices in preseason.
The last few years it has become apparent to me that fundamental blocking and tackling is very sloppy early in the season.
The only way to practice blocking and tackling is to block and tackle.
And before some idiot reminds me about sleds and dummies. Sleds and dummies don’t move or hit back!
May 20th, 2023 at 7:39 am
Bowles is an undisciplined head coach. He can get away with that as a coordinator but not as head coach. Their record this year will reflect that just give it time.
May 20th, 2023 at 7:48 am
Who wouldn’t trade hc’s right now with titans
May 20th, 2023 at 8:23 am
With older players, I get the soft practices.
Those days are gone.
Time to toughen the f@<k up, Bucs…
May 20th, 2023 at 8:27 am
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Vrabel has a 48-34 career record through five seasons, and two playoff wins.
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Someone please remind me….
What is Bowles’ record over the past five HEAD coaching seasons?
May 20th, 2023 at 9:13 am
I smoked the hopium that the Ti*s would s-can Vrabel, the Bucs s-can Bowles, and the Bucs picked up Vrabel.
Vrabel > Bowles²
May 20th, 2023 at 9:13 am
I smoked the hopium that the Tit-ans would s-can Vrabel, the Bucs s-can Bowles, and the Bucs picked up Vrabel.
Vrabel > Bowles²
May 20th, 2023 at 11:41 am
Bowles started out with touch practices then Jensen got hurt. Brady said enough of this and practices were more tame.
May 20th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
I’m not sure practicing harder equates to winning…
The Titans are going nowhere fast…Even Derrick Henry wants out…
May 20th, 2023 at 12:12 pm
SHIANO
Did everything he could be create the “toughest” team. It doesn’t work.
May 20th, 2023 at 4:40 pm
Is anyone suprised?
Bowles just ain’t a head coach y’all.
It’s ok to say out loud.
Enough with the excuses.
May 20th, 2023 at 5:38 pm
@ shakeandbaker – Todd was not coach for two of those seasons. Arians was. So your post a big huge fail. Todd went 8-10 with the GOAT. Please stop. Thanks.
May 20th, 2023 at 6:33 pm
Tennessee and Florida weather are noticeable different so of course the practice is harder in Tennessee because it’s cooler in the spring compared to Florida