Tennessee Titans' Mike Vrabel isn't relying on navigating injury bug like team did in 2021

The Tennessee Titans aren't trying to duplicate their successful navigation of injuries that turned what could have been a disaster in 2021 to a No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. But for the second straight season, injuries are piling up entering the team's bye week on the schedule.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel discussed the rash of injuries that continue to plague the organization during his press conference Monday, a day after his team hung on to beat the Washington Commanders, 21-17, Sunday in Landover, Maryland.

"I don't think we ever think, like, just because we did something last year or last week, that we're just going to role it out there and survive," Vrabel said. "That's never been our attitude here. Every week is a huge challenge in this league. Games are close and always very competitive. So there's a very thin margin of error for winning."

Defensive lineman Denico Autry injured his back near the end of the third quarter Sunday. Autry tried to walk off the field after a third down play before going down to a knee in front of the Titans bench. He was listed as questionable for return but re-entered the game late in the quarter.

The Titans had ruled linebackers Bud Dupree, Zach Cunningham, Ola Adeniyi and Joe Jones out of Sunday's game and placed wide receiver Treylon Burks on injured reserve. Burks injured his toe in the fourth quarter of the Titans' win at Indianapolis on Oct. 2 and did not practice last week.

Left tackle Taylor Lewan and linebacker Harold Landry are out for the season after both suffered ACL injuries.

Tennessee (3-2) will use the open date this week to get some rest, rehab and healing before the team faces the Colts for the second time in three games next week at Nissan Stadium. Vrabel said he was hopeful players not dealing with significant injuries can return next week. The Titans will be back on the practice field Wednesday and again next Monday.

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"We'll have to see," Vrabel said. "We haven't been out to practice and we'd love to have them all back. When we get them back, we get them back."

Second-year nickelback Elijah Molden was placed on injured reserve prior to the season opener against the New York Giants while wide receiver Racey McMath's hip injury landed him on IR after the Titans' final preseason game against Arizona, Aug. 27.

Players on injured reserve miss a minimum of four weeks and each team can designate up to eight players to return from the IR or the non-football injury/illness list.

Vrabel said there's a chance Molden and McMath could return from IR but wasn't overly optimistic.

"They could come back," he said. "But I just don't know if they will or not."

The Titans used 91 players during the course of the 2021 season, setting an NFL record and was the only team, of the top six on that list, to finish with a winning record after the regular season (12-5).

The team's pass rush is already hampered by Bud Dupree's hip injury.

"Their plan is that they have a responsibility to the football team that when they can't perform and do their job that they stay here and get treatment," Vrabel said when asked if injured players will remain in Nashville this week. "I don't think they're going to have much of a vacation outside of 460 Great Circle (Road)."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans trying to navigate injury bug in 2022