The Titans welcomed two veteran starters back to practice Wednesday following the team’s bye weekend.
But two others remain sidelined.
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) and edge rusher Arden Key (quad) were each listed as limited participants Wednesday, after missing the team’s past three and four games, respectively, due to injuries.
Still not practicing are defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (hamstring), who has missed the past two games, and safety Xavier Woods (hamstring), who was sidelined for the Titans’ last game before the bye week.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Simmons had seemed optimistic about returning Tuesday night, when he posted on social media “I’m ready to get back to it! That was just the warm up! I haven’t played in three weeks…”
But Titans interim coach Mike McCoy said the team takes a cautious approach with all players.
“We want to make sure when they come out to play, they can be themselves and go out there and do what they do,” McCoy said. “They’ve all been trying to get out there every day … Everybody’s different. You have to rely on them, communicate with the medical team exactly where are they and when are they ready to go.”
Is there still a possibility Simmons could return this week?
“We’ll determine that in the next couple of days,” McCoy said. “We’ll see where he’s at … I want the guys to go out there and be themselves … fly around and be the players they want. And it’s critical that those guys can go out there and do that.”
The potential return to game action for Ridley would be a boost to a Titans offense that’s last in the NFL in average yards per game (244.0), 31st in average passing yards (162.8) and last in average points per game (14.4).
Through six games, Ridley has totaled 16 catches (on 35 targets) for 290 yards and zero touchdowns. The seven-year pro is averaging a career-best 18.1 yards per reception this season.
“It feels good [to see Ridley practicing],” Titans quarterback Cam Ward said. “Just from a receiver standpoint, we get the best guy in our receiver room, with experience and just the way he can take a defense over the top. That’s something we’ve missed … without [Ridley]. We do a lot of stuff gameplan wise for [Ridley], so it’s good to have one of our best receivers back, and he’s ready to make some plays.”
Tennessee will be facing a Houston defense that’s ranked first overall in average yards allowed (261.3) overall and fourth in average passing yards allowed (171.0).
Key’s return would be timely, as the Titans traded edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones (4.5 sacks in his final four games in Tennessee) to Baltimore earlier this month.
The Titans’ pass rush began slowly this season, as the team totaled only four sacks over the first four games. But it’s picked up steam more recently, with Tennessee having recorded 18 sacks in the last five contests — including six against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 2.