The Tennessee Titans took advantage against a team that looked as beat up as they were in the Miami Dolphins on Monday night and won their Week 4 matchup, 31-12.

It was one of the ugliest games through the first four weeks of the 2024 season. The Dolphins were down a few players, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Then, Titans fans saw Will Levis leave the game with a shoulder injury.

Those in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium and watching at home on ESPN were forced to watch the epic duel of Mason Rudolph vs. Tyler Huntley. And it was the Rudolph-led Titans who got the better of the Dolphins.

Nick Folk made five field goals, tying his career high, and running backs Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard each scored rushing touchdowns in the victory.

Pollard ran for 88 yards on 22 carries, including a 41-yard run that set up Spears’ touchdown. Then, Pollard got his touchdown in garbage time during Tennessee’s final possession of the night.

TRAVIS KELCE MAKES CHIEFS HISTORY AS TAYLOR SWIFT SKIPS GAME FOR 2ND STRAIGHT WEEK

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (2) runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Rudolph, who made his first appearance of the season was 9-of-17 with 85 passing yards. Levis had an interception before he left the game with an injury.

For the Dolphins, Jason Sanders did most of the scoring until Huntley found the end zone on a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. But Miami couldn’t get anything going all night.

Miami had 184 total yards on 54 plays. The team had 13 first downs and were 2-of-12 on third downs. The Titans were also 2-of-12 on third down but made the most of their possessions.

Huntley was 14-of-22 with 96 passing yards. He had 40 yards on the ground.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary (21) and safety Amani Hooker (37) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla.  (AP Photo/Brennan Asplen)

Both teams moved to 1-3 with the result.

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Who knew D’Angelo Russell would deliver the best moment from Lakers media day?

The smart money Monday probably would’ve been bet on LeBron James talking about playing with his son, Bronny. Maybe you’d have splashed some down on Anthony Davis talking about trying to win his first defensive player of the year or Austin Reaves knocking down some wild offseason rumor about a beef with Travis Kelce.

Instead, it was Russell, the Lakers’ point guard, who strode to the microphone in the middle of the media-day lineup with the perfect punchline.

“Surprise surprise,” he said to reporters — a reminder that maybe not everyone expected he’d be back for the occasion.

For all of what Russell is and has been, Monday was possibly his most self-aware, poking fun at his frequent stints on the trade block, owning his supreme confidence on the offensive end and his struggles on the other side of the court.

He even, unsolicited, apologized.

“Honestly, I really want to apologize in the sense of showing a lack of professionalism at times. Showing a lack of team-first perception at times,” he said. “So for me, just keeping that maturity and that professionalism throughout the year no matter the ups and downs. Holding myself more accountable on the defensive end. Obviously, I know I’m capable. But when you get subbed out of the game for offensive-defensive possession, that shows where your trust is with your coach and your ability. So for me, just trying to gain that trust with coach defensively. And consistently, I’m going to show up every day, practice game preseason, whatever, knowing that coach has that trust in me as well.

“I think it will just continue into a successful season.”

That answer came to a question about what a career year, something coach JJ Redick said he thought Russell might have, could end up looking like. Scoring never got mentioned.

General manager Rob Pelinka and Redick have both spoken about getting the ball in Reaves’ hands more. Gabe Vincent, who played just 11 games last season, is a full-go for the start of camp Tuesday. Both mean Russell is going to have to contribute in different ways.

And Monday, he sounded like he truly gets that.

Last season, Russell averaged 18 points and 6.3 assists while making more threes last season than any other Laker in franchise history. Still, after another uneven playoff series against Denver, Russell seems committed to change. Asked how, despite some athletic limitations, he could influence games defensively, Russell looked inward.

“Focus. Just focus,” he said. “…I’m able to have a missed box out, a missed backdoor opportunity, a missed lapse like that which can cost a game. When you watch film, you see me having those plays a little more often. I’m trying to limit those plays with me so I can earn that trust to stay on the floor at the end of the games.”

Redick surprised people last week when he said Russell was the player he probably spent the most time chatting with this summer. And when Russell opted into his contract prior to the free agency, people with knowledge of the decision said conversations with Redick played a factor and added to his enthusiasm for a return.

“He’s going to have a major role on this team. I think the thing that DLo and I have talked about a lot is just like, ‘Let’s put you in a position to have a career year,’” Redick said last week. “His mindset, his energy, the talk that he’s brought, the leadership that he’s brought when he’s been in the building, has been excellent. So I’m thrilled. Thrilled to be coaching DLo this season.”

The praise has mattered.

“He’s … harped on [how] my energy is kinda contagious,” he said. “So just being a positive guy, a high-confidence guy, IQ guy. I think, I’m vocal. Me being vocal in the short time I’ve been here this summer, I think he kinda recognized it and harped on it a little more than normal. Just ‘keep that going. Continue that. We love to see that. We notice that.’ These kind words mean a lot to me because I’m not used to hearing those.”

Russell pointed to Redick’s organization over the summer as a reason why things have a “new” feel around the Lakers’ facility, even if Russell knows he’s probably bound for another round of Trade Machine rumors because of his $18.7 million contract that expires after this season.

“Definitely think since I’ve been back [with the Lakers starting in 2022], we’ve done an unbelievable job putting things together and kinda winging it a little bit,” Russell said. “I think throughout that ‘winging it,’ we kinda knew where our flaws were. Obviously, rebounding and things like that can lose games, But it starts now in the summer with the structure you try to implement. Figuring out our last two minutes of the game, how we’re going to finish games. The sooner we can figure that out through the season, the better. And that comes with experience. I’m looking forward to having that experience going forward into the season with some of these familiar faces. Some of our guys who weren’t healthy last year are healthy.

“I like our group.”

On the evening of June 3, 2019, roughly 50 people gathered in the backyard of a single-family home in Valley Grande, Ala. The sun was still high on a 92-degree day that showed no signs of cooling down as the group stood around the pool, munching on chips, dip and pizza.

Kerry and Allen Henderson had been hesitant about attending the party. Hosted by a friend, it was a watch party for Major League Baseball’s annual draft, and their 17-year-old son, Gunnar, was among those hoping to be selected. They were anxious, and wondered if they should have just watched at home. But the host, Terry Waters, had thrown batting practice to Gunnar for MLB scouts who came to their small neighboring town, Selma, which has roughly 16,000 people. Waters and many others in the area felt invested in the outcome of the draft.

Gunnar was a consensus first-round pick, a powerful 6-foot-3, 195-pound shortstop at John T. Morgan Academy, who had been named Alabama’s top high school basketball player. Mock drafts had him going between picks 14 and 25. Pick No. 25 was “the floor,” per The Athletic’s draft expert Keith Law.

The party was in full swing as the first 10 picks flashed on a big flat screen showing the MLB Network’s live broadcast. Then people began to pay closer attention. The Phillies, who told Henderson they would take him at No. 14 if college shortstop Bryson Stott wasn’t available, got their top choice. Three picks later, the Nationals, who had hosted a private workout for Henderson, went with pitcher Jackson Rutledge. The Dodgers used pick No. 25 on Tulane third baseman Kody Hoese.

The names kept ticking off. The group kept waiting. The Yankees had always preferred another high school shortstop, Anthony Volpe, and took him – the eighth shortstop drafted – at No. 30. A faction of Houston’s scouting department wanted Henderson, but the Astros ultimately selected Cal catcher Korey Lee with pick No. 32.

Every team but Boston, which didn’t have a first-round pick that year, passed on Henderson. The Pirates passed on him twice, as did the Dodgers. Arizona and Tampa Bay passed on him three times each. The athleticism was enticing, as were Henderson’s raw tools, but he wasn’t a sure bet. He hadn’t fared that well on the recent summer circuit. The Astros weren’t sure he could make enough contact and stick at shortstop, and the Dodgers had concerns about his swing and lack of domination against the weaker competition Henderson faced in Selma. Team after team didn’t want to take the risk.

When the Texas Rangers took Baylor third baseman David Wendzel with pick No. 41, the broadcast of the draft ended — only the first round and nine compensatory/competitive balance picks were televised — and the TV was switched to another channel.

A pall fell over the party. Kerry fought back tears. Allen felt sick. Eventually, Gunnar and his parents tried to lighten the mood, reminding everyone of the fallback plan.

“We’re going to Auburn!” the trio announced. The group cheered.

Gunnar Henderson never made it to Auburn.

The 23-year-old is one of the top five players in Major League Baseball, by FanGraphs WAR. He’s the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, an All-Star and the face of the Baltimore Orioles, a team widely regarded as being in the early phases of a potential dynasty. The O’s will begin the wild-card round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, and their shortstop — coming off one of the best single seasons in Orioles history — will take center stage.

Henderson was drafted with the first pick in the second round and is one of the bigger scouting misses in recent memory. Most of the prospects drafted before Henderson are still in the minors, or struggling to prove they belong in the big leagues. Only No. 2 pick Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals has been as impactful a hitter.

“Every city we go to, you talk to other coaches who are like ‘How did this guy last that long?” said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.

Henderson’s rise highlights the imperfect nature of the draft, as teams repeatedly talked themselves out of a talented but risky high school player. It’s also a developmental success story, as the plan Baltimore crafted for Henderson, including an unorthodox approach during the pandemic, set him up to arrive and produce in the majors earlier than expected.

In 2018, when Mike Elias was the Astros’ scouting director, he began scrutinizing the following year’s draft class, circling Henderson’s name as his preferred choice with Houston’s late first-round pick. But that November, Elias was hired as Baltimore’s general manager. The rebuilding Orioles had the No. 1 pick and would take Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman.

On Baltimore’s internal draft board, Henderson, who was also well liked by the incumbent scouting group, was somewhere between Nos. 14 and 16. But because the Orioles wouldn’t pick again until No. 42, landing him seemed like a pipe dream. So much so that Kerry told her youngest son, Cade, to change out of the pajama pants featuring his favorite team — the Orioles — before he could go to the draft party.

As the draft picks got to the low 30s, and with Henderson’s name still out there, Elias — who had scouted Henderson more than two dozen times — called Henderson’s then-agent, Larry Reynolds, to ask: Would Henderson sign if they paid him over slot value? Reynolds wasn’t sure. The family had been pretty clear it was the first round or Auburn. They patched in Allen, who was still lingering at the Waters’ home. After the Auburn announcement, Kerry had gone to try to eat something. Gunnar was out back playing cornhole. There wasn’t time to gather them and relay the message, let alone make a life-altering decision.

A few minutes later, Gunnar and Kerry found out the Orioles had selected him in the second round on a ticker scrolling across the bottom of the TV.

No one slept that night. Kerry was up crying, tossing and turning and praying. She never cared which team took Gunnar or how much money he got. Instead she had hoped and prayed for a “clear path.” For her and Allen, being a first-round pick felt like a clear enough path for their son to bypass college. But now what?

The next morning, taking a walk through the neighborhood to think, Kerry received a call from Astros scout Travis Coleman, who had coached Gunnar in travel ball. “Baltimore doesn’t have a shortstop. There’s a clear path for him there,” Coleman said.

Elias called later that day, telling the Hendersons how excited he was that the Orioles had drafted Gunnar. He also mentioned that the Orioles didn’t have long-term infielders and that the organization was rebuilding around its young players. Baltimore, Elias said, was where Gunnar was supposed to be. “There’s a clear path here,” Elias said.

There it was again. Two people using the exact phrase Kerry had used herself to describe what she wanted for her son, that sealed it. Henderson agreed to sign with the Orioles for $2.3 million, $500,000 above slot value, forgoing Auburn.

Within baseball, the COVID-19 pandemic has widely been considered a lost developmental year. The 2020 minor league season was canceled, with most players left to train on their own or not at all. The only setup allowed for Major League teams was an “alternate site” with a maximum of 30 players, which for most teams consisted of big leaguers and Triple-A players who could serve as roster depth for the big-league squad, covering injuries and underperformance.

Baltimore, fresh off a 54-108 season, sent Rutschman and Henderson to their alternate site, even though both were years away from being on a big-league roster. The thinking was simple: These were formative years, and they had just paid both guys big bonuses. What else were they going to do?

“It’s like you have a kid, and you have a choice of either he doesn’t go to school or you skip six grades,” Elias said. “We decided to skip six grades.”

Rutschman, an older, more polished college athlete who had gone through three levels his first pro season, held his own right away. Henderson, who had only 29 rookie ball games under his belt, struggled mightily. In his first at-bat, he faced Eric Hanhold, a journeyman reliever almost eight years his senior. He struck out on three pitches.

“He saw right away that Adley was having some success and he wasn’t good enough. And it drove him crazy,” said Orioles hitting coach Ryan Fuller.

Henderson had always been a tireless worker. When his parents came to visit him in rookie ball, he and Allen snuck onto a high school field after a bad game so Gunnar could swing out some of his frustration. There was no screen to shield Allen, so he held an old chain link fence in front of him with one hand and pitched with the other.

At the alternate site, Henderson “came to us right away and said, ‘I stink, let’s get to work,’” Fuller said. The focal point early on was the barrel entry on Henderson’s bat. It was too steep and he would pull his hands into the zone off plane. Even in rookie ball, Henderson had seen how exposed the natural loft in his swing left him to rising fastballs. So, for weeks, he worked in the batting cage trying to connect with little foam balls — “hoppy heaters” — that would rise as they approached the plate.

Each day, Henderson would get to the field around 10:30 a.m. and work in the cage. Then he’d take ground balls and roughly 5-10 live at-bats, totally overmatched against guys who had been in Triple A or the big leagues.

“Every single day he would take his beating,” said Matt Blood, then director of player development, “and he would go back to the cage and they would just train, train, train.”

There was nowhere to go but the hotel and the field, yet Henderson was in heaven. “It was probably one of the most fun times I’ve had playing,” he said. “It was all about development, and I took it seriously.”

There was no worrying about slash lines, or wins and losses. There were no distractions. “It was unlimited reps, and maybe we weren’t the smartest at the time, but we had young, motivated players wanting to hit,” Fuller said. “When we had downtime, we would go to the cage. And it wasn’t feel-good swings, it was always something really challenging. It was almost experimental at that point. But these guys knew that we were building for something bigger.”

Roughly three weeks in, Henderson started holding his own during the simulated games. A swing change that might have taken months or even a year under normal circumstances evolved much faster thanks to thousands of reps at the alternate site. Henderson was flattening out his swing to create a better path to the ball. The Orioles kept internal stats at the alternate site, and while Henderson’s batting average never recovered from the early shellacking, his OPS started creeping up, approaching the respectable .700s when it was through.

“This young dude is competing against these guys that he really had no business competing against,” Blood said. “And by the end of it, we’re all looking at each other like, if he keeps this rate of practice and development up, we might have an animal on our hands.”

Gunnar Henderson homered in his major-league debut. (Nick Cammett / Getty Images)

That fall, Henderson played in the Orioles instructional league. In 2021 Henderson started putting up what Elias calls “freakish exit velocity numbers,” and flew through three levels to end at Double A. By the following June, he was promoted to Triple A. There, Henderson slugged .504 with a .374 batting average on balls in play. He was promoted to the big-leagues on Aug. 31. Henderson’s first hit was a home run where he swung so hard — 107.1 mph off his bat — that his helmet fell off.

In spring training 2023, Henderson texted his now-fiancée, Katherine Lee Bishop, who is in her final year of pharmacy school at Auburn, his goal was to win AL Rookie of the Year. Before each season, he texts Bishop his big goal for the year, and then they don’t talk about it again.

In that 2023 rookie season, Henderson started slowly. Then on June 8, he hit a go-ahead, two-run, eighth-inning homer down the left-field line in Milwaukee that helped get his mojo back. Every night, he was showcasing the rapid improvements he’d made at the plate and a glove that could hold its own at shortstop. He did win Rookie of the Year, the first Oriole in 34 years to do so, and he did it in unanimous fashion.

This year, Henderson slashed .282/.366/.531 in 158 games. He had 92 RBI, 118 runs scored (sixth-most in baseball) and was voted Most Valuable Oriole for the second season in a row.  Still, after some games, Henderson bemoans to Bishop that he didn’t barrel up a ball all night. It doesn’t matter if he went 3-for-4 with multiple RBIs. In Triple A, Henderson would go from a full sprint to a full-stop down the first baseline so quickly that his manager Buck Britton had to look away, he was so worried about the young star blowing out a hamstring. It was Henderson’s way of blowing off steam.

“I wish he wouldn’t be so hard on himself sometimes,” Hyde said. “He literally doesn’t think he should ever get out … He will come back (to the dugout) and there’s sort of a bewilderment, like, how did that just happen?”

On a young Baltimore team, Henderson’s intensity is mixed with youthful exuberance.

For the All-Star game, Henderson had a Scooby Doo bat made and, when coming off the field, grabbed the ESPN mic to yell the cartoon dog’s signature line, “Ruh Roh Raggy!” Henderson also lists much-maligned Star Wars character Jar-Jar Binks as another top impression and is a surprisingly confident singer, thinking nothing of cranking up the radio and serenading Bishop on their first date.

“We have a couple of karaoke days on the (Orioles) bus,” said Henderson, who used Motley Crue’s “Kickstart my Heart” as his walkup song in the minors and then switch to Gwen Stefani’s “Sweep Escape” — an idea from his older brother, Jackson — to get the fans more involved. Henderson has an old country song he plays in the batting cages on Sundays, but teammates “never wanted me to sing it in there,” he said. He usually respects that.

Henderson’s manners are impeccable, if not jarring in a big league clubhouse. He  peppers every sentence with “sir” or “ma’am”, something coaches have had to tell him to stop doing. It occasionally still slips into an in-game conversation with Hyde. “We are past that now,” Fuller says, laughing. “No more ‘sir.’”

It’s a reminder of the way he was raised. When Henderson went pro, he promised his parents he’d get a college degree. Kerry and Allen have the notepad he scrawled it in for safekeeping. Henderson has completed enough online credits through Wallace Community College Selma, where Kerry works, to be a sophomore.  He’s working toward a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a goal that’s on hold now as he deals with more pressing matters.

Baltimore, whose last World Series win was in 1983, was swept out of the AL Division Series by the Rangers last year, ending a magical 101-win season. It was a setback chalked up, in part, to the team’s youth. The O’s, many national pundits believe, are just at the beginning of what could be a long run of success. This year, the expectations are much higher.

And while the Orioles have relied on key trades (like pitcher Corbin Burnes) and feel-good stories (Ryan O’Hearn and starter Albert Suárez), the roster is built around a young position-player core that includes Henderson, Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg.

All of those guys were picked higher in their respective draft classes than Henderson, who virtually any other team could have had. Instead, he’s in Baltimore, where his face is plastered on posters and where he has already passed a guy named Cal Ripken, Jr. for most home runs (37) by a shortstop in team history.

The awkwardness of that draft party five years ago feels light years away from an already-impressive career still in its infancy.

“The Orioles weren’t on my radar,” Henderson said, “but it worked out.”

(Top image: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)