Mike Keith: Looking Ahead

How can you lose nearly 5 yards of punting average and have a better year? I think that Craig Hentrich has done just that.

Hentrich had a fabulous 1998 season, where he averaged over 47 yards per punt. Hentrich, however, admitted that his average was somewhat inflated by the fact that he was not put into a great number of 'pooch kick' situations. In fact, Hentrich had only 18 punts downed inside the opponent's 20 yard line.

This year, the situation has changed and Hentrich has responded with his normal, excellent work. His gross punting average is down nearly 5 yards, but he's had 32 punts downed inside the opponent's 20 and has kicked the ball into the end zone just 3 times. In other words, Hentrich has set up the Tennessee defense to succeed by forcing the opponent into starting drives in poor field position.

Hentrich can still boom punts when needed. As a matter of fact, he's punted Tennessee out of trouble on several occasions this year. Whatever the situation calls for, Hentrich seems to always hit the appropriate punt. For that reason, I think that Craig Hentrich has been more valuable to Tennessee in 1999 than he was in 1998.
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As I read newspapers in other NFL cities, I see many of them already taking a look at young players who figure to make a bigger impact in 2000 and beyond. Frankly, most of this is being done in cities where their teams have already been eliminated from playoff consideration.

But it seems like a good idea anyway, even with the Titans already having locked up a playoff spot. Some are very obvious, like Jevon Kearse, Kevin Dyson, Kevin Long, Samari Rolle and Benji Olson. Those five players are all starters and are playing very well. You all know them.

Second-year safety Perry Phenix and cornerback Dainon Sidney have both played a lot in their two years, so you likely know them, too.

Here are five other first- or second-year players to watch in 2000:
John Thornton: The 1999 second round pick has gotten to play a great deal at defensive tackle in 1999 and has done a nice job. His pass-rushing is better than advertised and he plays consistently hard. Thornton is going to be a good player.

Zach Piller: This year's third round pick has seen very little time due to his youth and a shoulder injury. Yet, everyone is high on his progress. Piller is very big (6'5, 330 lbs) and athletic, so there's a lot for line coach Mike Munchak to work with.

Donald Mitchell: A fourth round pick out of SMU, Mitchell has seen time on special teams and in the Titans' six defensive back package. Mitchell is very active, unafraid and seemingly always around the ball. He seems to have a bright future.

Kevin Daft: The heady quarterback out of UC-Davis impressed everyone with his work in training camp and seems like a steal in the fifth round. He's obviously smart, but has a good arm and makes smart decisions. Daft figures to be Tennessee's #2 quarterback somewhere down the line.

Joe Salave'a: Injuries have slowed the progress of this second-year player after he had a super 1999 pre-season. People talk about players with 'a motor,' referring to how hard that they play the game. Salave'a's 'motor' absolutely doesn't stop in running or passing situations. His enthusiasm is also catching for the defensive line.
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Some other thoughts from around the NFL...

Anybody else interested in seeing a Minnesota-St Louis playoff game? While the Rams' defense is good (maybe even very good), they have given up points in their losses (24 at Tennessee; 31 at Detroit) and have played few good offenses. In other words, they've been tested little.

Plus, Minnesota is also a 'dome team' that is set up for artificial surface. Playing in the loud TWA Dome wouldn't scare the Vikings in the least. This would be quite a shootout and a playoff game that I would to see.
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Whether or not he plays much in the next few weeks, Jags running back James Stewart has likely made himself a pile of money with his 1999 performance. Stewart has returned from his '98 knee surgery and, with 240 carries for 889 yards and 13 touchdowns, has proven that he is totally rehabilitated. Jacksonville missed Fred Taylor for all or parts of 10 games due to a hamstring injury, but Stewart did the job while Taylor was out.

This off-season, Stewart becomes a free agent and plenty of teams need a quality back. Stewart's incredible work in rehabbing the knee has paid off and will pay off more in 2000.
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Speaking of former UT backs, Charlie Garner's 1999 performance is about the only bright spot for the San Francisco 49ers. Brought in with Lawrence Phillips as a last resort to replace Garrison Hearst, Garner quickly beat out Phillips and has rushed for 1200 yards and caught another 530 yards worth of passes. The biggest question about Garner has always been durability because he's no bigger (5'9, 187 lbs) than when he enrolled at Tennessee.

But with over 250 'touches' this season, Garner has dispelled that myth. Especially after it came out this week that he's likely been playing with broken ribs since late September.

The 49ers are headed into a major rebuilding program, but Garner should give them stability at tailback through the transition. He'll be only 28 years old when the 2000 season begins.