Offensive Linemen Skoronski, Petit-Frere Thrilled to Be Back on Field for Titans

NASHVILLE — You can never have too much depth along the offensive line, and the Tennessee Titans got two critical pieces back into their group on Wednesday

Tennessee right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and rookie left guard Peter Skoronski were back at practice this week as the Titans prepare for a critical AFC South showdown with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. It's still far too soon to know if either will play on Sunday, but it's a good sign to see them both back on the practice field.

Skoronski is back after needing an emergency appendectomy on Sept. 16. He played well in the season opener, but has missed the last three games. Xavier Newman replaced him in Week 2, but was quickly replaced at left guard by Dillon Radunz, who's played ever since.

Petit-Frere, an Ohio State product, has been away from the team the first month after being suspended by the NFL for violating their gambling policies. He was originally suspended for six games, but it was reduced to four last week. So he's eligible to play now.

He spent the first three weeks back at his home in Tampa, working out there and doing all he could to stay ready despite not being allowed to have communication with the team.

He's in shape, but there working out and there's working out in pads while mixing it up in practice. 

It is an adjustment, but he's diving right in.  

"I still have a lot of work to do," Petit-Frere said. "There's a lot of stuff I can do on the field, and now I get a chance to be back on the field with the boys. So now it's going to be re-acclimating, being back on the field.

"I am just glad to be back, and I am happy about it. I'm re-acclimating with my team and trying to get as game ready as I can be. I'm just going to keep working and try to get better."

Veteran Chris Hubbard, who was signed late in training camp after Petit-Frere's suspenson was announced, has actually played fairly well at right tackle in NPF's absence. Outside of the Cleveland loss, when everyone was horrible, he's graded out well.

So Petit-Frere, who started 16 of 17 games at right tackle last year, understands full well that he's got to work to get his starting job back.

"It's the NFL. You always have to earn everything you get,'' he said. "It's hard not being with the team because there are a lot of small things you didn't learn until you get back. I did a lot of work last week, and I'm doing a lot of work this week, making sure I was in pads, making sure that I was conditioning and running.

"Chris (Hubbard) has done an amazing job (at right tackle) the past few weeks. The whole line has done an amazing job and I’m just happy to be back with the boys. At the end of the day, you just want to be back with the team. ”

Petit-Frere is overstating the job the offensive line has done, because it's been a struggle, especially in the two losses. But they looked great last week in the 27-3 blowout win of the Cincinnati Bengals, and now it's about continuing that growth. A tough road test awaits, and the starters will need to play well. Have Petit-Frere and Skoronski back provides options, which is always a good thing.

Skoronski, the first-round pick out of Northwestern, started the season opener at New Orleans at left guard, and graded out well. He was the highest-rated Tennessee lineman according to Pro Football Focus, and a top-five guard in the league in Week 1. 

But that was his only game so far. He needed an emergency appendectomy the day before the Titans' home opener on Sept. 17, and has been out ever since. He's recovering well, he said, and he's gotten his appetite back. He's been able to put on the weight he lost post-surgery.

“I can’t say that I’m 110 percent back, but I'm going to see how I feel out there and keep working after that,'' Skoronski said in the Titans' locker room prior to Wednesday's practice. "Mentally, I am ready to be back out there on the field. Seeing the great win on Sunday motivates you. You want to be out there and be a part of that. I just have to see what my body can handle.”

Titans coach Mike Vrabel wants to let things play out this week in practice before making any decisions about Sunday. He wants to see Skoronski and Petit-Frere bang around a little bit — and see how their bodies respond to the work. That's a factor, without question. They've both been away for a long time, at least on the football calendar.

"We’ll see where things go," Vrabel said. "I like the way that Chris (Hubbard) has played over there (at right tackle). We’ll just see how (Petit-Frere) looks this week."

Vrabel said Skoronski feels better, and he's looking forward to gertting him back on the field when he's ready. He plays so well in Week 1 against the Saints that the Titans are excited about how good he can be at left guard, a position that's new to him. He was an All-American left tackle during his four-year career at Northwestern, playing against elite rushers in the Big Ten. 

Radunz is coming off ACL surgery, and he's helped, but he's also had his struggles at guard, too. He's a tackle by nature, so we'll see if the Titans have different plans for him once Skoronski is ready to go.

Left tackle Andre Dillard, a big free-agent signing out of Philadelphia in the offseason, has had a lot of struggles so far in 2023. His stats are horrible, allowing the most sacks and the fourth-most pressures of any NFL tackle this season, according to Pro Football Focus. 

But he also just played much better on Sunday against Cincinnati, allowing just one pressure and no sacks against a Bengals defensive front that's pretty good at rushing the passer.

So, yes, the offensive line has been better, but they're still nowhere close to where they need to be. Getting these two big pieces back will help.

Titans center Aaron Brewer, a guy who gets used in a lot of ways because he's so athletic, has been playing well, too. But he's not reading a lot into their success against the Bengals. They know what they're capable of, and there's still a lot to prove.

"That didn’t reset the bar,  it’s trying to get to that bar,'' Brewer said of the Bengals game. "We had a good game this past Sunday but the bar is still set at the top. We’re trying to be the best, so we’ve still got some more work to do."

That next test comes Sunday, against a Colts defensive front that can cause some problems. The Titans' offensive line still needs to prove they can play well on the road, too, something they haven't done yet this year.

They need to prove that on Sunday.

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