The Tennessee Titans, Their Playoff Hopes, and The Reality in Between

Truth is stranger than fiction, indeed.

Most folks didn’t see the Tennessee Titans’ 0-6 free-fall coming.  

But even fewer could have seen them clawing back into contention with a forgotten quarterback tossing the ball to what many perceived to be second-rate receivers.    

Let’s face it: A few short weeks ago, no one thought that we’d be talking about the Tennessee Titans and the playoffs in the same sentence.  

Granted, they’re on the fringe of the conversation.  

Suffice it to say, the Titans and the Indianapolis Colts are not mentioned in the same sentence.  The latter is on the verge of clinching the AFC’s number one seed; the former falls into the dubious “in the hunt” category.  

And even if they were to win out, they would presumably need a bit of help.  However, that help might not be hard to find, given the rash of mediocrity in the AFC.  

But I’m not here to wax professorial on all of the wild card playoff scenarios.  

This time of year, there is plenty of that to go around.  Almost too much, in fact.

From the most casual local sports segments to the more advanced prognostications of the NFL Network, there are enough “if/then” diagrams to make your head spin.   

Instead, I am playing somewhat of a devil’s advocate today.  

Specifically, there’s an elephant in the room that no one seems to be talking about: if the Titans did, indeed, make the playoffs, just how well would they fare?   

While I understand that that question might border on splitting hairs—making the playoffs would, in a way, be akin to a Super Bowl trip after their disastrous start—we must not forget that “just happy to be here” doesn’t cut it in the postseason.  

For the most part, teams that back into the playoffs are usually shown the door fairly quickly.  

Yet there are two things that foster a shred of optimism.

First, Tennessee has proven that they can play well with anybody…when they want to.

Second, when you throw in the fact that the majority of the AFC is hovering around a .500 winning percentage, it stands to reason that the Titans would actually have a shot at making a moderate push come January.

Trouble is, they have to actually make the playoffs in the first place.  I’ll be the first to admit that, in many ways, everything I’ve said thus far flirts with me getting ahead of myself.  

But regardless, it’s worth pointing out that if—just if —the Titans can defy the odds and sneak in, they could quite well best the fate of their one-and-done predecessors.  

How poetic would a rematch with the Colts be, after avenging their loss to the now-pedestrian New England Patriots in the previous round?

Time will tell; there’s still a lot of football to be played and a lot of things that have to fall into place.  

But if the Tennessee Titans can manage to keep playing beyond Jan. 3, they could very well have an unlikely, near-storybook ending to an already interesting season.  

 

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Five And…Oh! Titans Stumble, Still Harbor Hope

Meanwhile, back on earth…

So, it appears the Tennessee Titans got their inevitable reality check on Sunday, as the streaking Indianapolis Colts rolled to a 27-17 win.

However, all is not lost in Nashville. While it’s true their slim play-off hopes took a significant hit, there’s still an outside shot, given the inconsistent and sporadic nature of AFC teams that don’t play in Indiana.

When Tennessee got their long-awaited first win against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 1, it could have easily been labeled as a fluke. Hey, even the Buccaneers and Lions got a victory or two in 2009, right?  

But to rack up five straight wins against decent competition is more than luck; it’s a talented roster playing to its potential.  

That said, what does the rest of the season entail for these Titans? Most are wondering how they will digest their disappointing loss.  

In fact, one could go a step further and say that how Tennessee bounces back from it will say more about their mettle than the five-game winning streak did.  

Players and fans are no doubt tempted to espouse the “but, we can still go 9-7!” sentiment.   

But to heck with their remaining schedule, their season right now is the St. Louis Rams. Nothing more, nothing less.

And given the Rams’ woes this season, the Titans couldn’t have picked a better opponent to start over with. It’s not as if they have to travel to New Orleans this week.

That’s not to say they should overlook St. Louis, either. The game looks to feature a running back duel for the ages. Much like the Titans in their seven losses, the Rams always run well, despite the final score.  

Simply put, their running back Stephen Jackson is a beast. It will be interesting to see how the stout Tennessee run defense matches up against him.  

In the bigger picture, the first day of the rest of Tennessee’s season starts Sunday.  

How they respond to a loss as a team will speak volumes. Yet, on an individual level, that statement couldn’t be more true for Vince Young.  

During those five wins, Young’s playing was reminiscent of his Texas Longhorn days. By all accounts, it appeared that he had gotten his proverbial groove back, emerging from his hiatus on the bench as both a better player and a man.  

However, the burning question from both admirers and critics alike was “how will he handle adversity?”  

Initially, he didn’t fare too well with it during his pro career. After his season and a half in the abyss, it was almost hard to remember that he won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2006.  

Young didn’t exactly stink it up this past Sunday, but he wasn’t as good as he has been up to this point.  

And that’s not to pin the loss on his shoulders, either. All of the Titans not named Chris Johnson shot themselves in the foot at one time or another.

But Young needs to have the coveted amnesia that all quarterbacks must have. Forget about last week and move on.  

Will he be able to do it? Yeah, probably so. We’re talking about a guy who played decent in a non-embarrassing loss to a great team. It’s not the end of the world.

But if the Titans start slow this coming Sunday, then it’s the response to it, more than anything else, which will reveal not only the character of Young but of the team.  

Henceforth, it’s a four-game season, and it starts now.  

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Tennessee’s Titanic Turnaround Goes Beyond Vince Young

Let me clear the air, get it out of the way and say this: I am not a Vince Young hater and never have been.  

Even during the season and a half where he was the backup quarterback after a dramatic benching, I knew that it would not indeed be the strange and bitter denouement to his career.  

It was too early for him to be a bust; his talent would prove useful somewhere, if not in Tennessee.

However, as most of us who don’t live under rocks or in caves know, his career has been revitalized since he was thrown back into the starting lineup.  He’s older,but not too much so—and wiser, displaying a maturity that many thought would never surface.

He’s beating teams with his legs and arm, as evidenced by his late game heroics and southern-fried version of “The Drive” last Sunday.

And now, the Tennessee Titans pure laughingstocks who looked up to the Cleveland Browns a mere six weeks ago, are on the fringes of the playoff hunt.

However, before the Vince Young bandwagon gets too full, I think that a point should be made—his resurgence, while a key component, is not the sole reason for the Titans’ turnaround.  

It was merely the spark;  an important spark, yes, but not the be all end all.  

Hear me out on this.

Remember the first six weeks of the season, how mystifying and baffling Tennessee’s winless start was?  With 20 of 22 starters returning, they theoretically should have picked up where they left off, especially with the same solid proven coach.

So, the talent was there.  As mentioned, the “better than their record” quotes were beginning to sound like, well, a broken record.  This was not a team that lacked key personnel; there wasn’t any snarky “one receiver away from the Super Bowl” badinage.

But the game still has to be played and the Titans weren’t playing it well. After the week three loss to the New York Jets, it became increasingly obvious that a change of some sort was needed.  

Of course, that change wouldn’t come for three more games. There was a fine line that coach Jeff Fisher was treading, one that still might come to haunt the Titans as they make their surprising playoff push.

Instead of shaking things up, he opted to stay the course.  At the time, he deemed a quarterback change to be a move of desperation. Truth be told, you can’t really blame the guy, he had a 50/50 chance and did the best he could. 

Of course, in hindsight, it’s obvious what he should have and ultimately did do, which brings us full circle in my argument.   

While happy days are here again in Titan Nation, the fact remains that Young’s insertion in the lineup and subsequent stellar play,is not the sole reason the Titans rediscovered their winning ways.

He was simply the right guy with the right style of play to help the offense play to its potential.  

And that’s not to belittle his accomplishments either.  Please hold off on those “how can you say that?” emails.  His athleticism, maturity, and improved pocket presence have payed great dividends.  

Yet, this is obviously not a team that relies on him the way the Indianapolis Colts rely on Peyton Manning or the New Orleans Saints rely on Drew Brees.  

The offense runs through running back Chris Johnson.  He simply needed a speedy quarterback to take the burden off of him, even though he still did well with said burden.

And it’s a funny thing, winning;it has a ripple effect. In addition to the aforementioned offensive improvement that Young sparked, the defense has begun to play better as well.  

Granted, the Titans probably won’t produce as many Pro Bowlers as they did last year on that side of the ball, but judging by their renewed gusto, confidence has proven to be contagious.

Bottom line?  Young, who should be the runaway winner of the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award, was the catalyst for change in Tennessee, not the sole reason.

Of course, that could change if the Titans increasingly find themselves in positions where he has to use his talents alone and he succeeds.  

But at this point, their good fortunes should be more so attributed to everyone playing as well as they are capable.  

Giving Young all the credit makes for a good headline yes.

But his story is still being written.   

 

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Is Vince Young’s Resurgence Enough to Keep Him in Tennessee?

If anything, this is a good problem for the Tennessee Titans to have.  

A few months ago, the burning question in Nashville was who the Titans would draft in the wake of what was sure to be a disastrous season.  

The incumbent, Kerry Collins, was deemed washed up.  He was essentially a graybeard that had used up all of his luck and opportunities.  

And we all know the story of his then-backup, the much-maligned and embattled Vince Young.  Most viewed him as a bust.  

The best case scenario for his move to the starting lineup was for him to increase his value in a possible trade.  

Now, however, the tide has turned, as Young’s inspired play as of late has Tennessee on a four game winning streak.  Whether or not he’s directly or indirectly affected their reversal of fortune is debatable.  

But on thing is true: he’s looking more and more like his Texas Longhorn self.  Granted, his numbers will never be confused with Peyton Manning’s.  

But his patience, poise and, of course, speed, have given opposing defenses fits and the Titans new life.  

So while one burning question has been answered, another one has been posed: is all of it enough for Tennessee to go back to 2006’s Plan A, and name him the indefinite starter for the future?

Or is he merely on a lucky streak?  Most signs point to the former scenario, given his healthy new attitude.  Remember, there was another scrambling quarterback for the franchise a few years ago who just so happened to develop into a MVP pocket passer. 

His name?  Steve McNair.  Once his game developed, the “Dare McNair” defenses of the old AFC Central became obsolete.

True, the comparison isn’t exactly parallel.  McNair never pouted when booed, nor did his exhibit quasi-suicidal behavior in the aftermath.  But Young’s exhibited a maturity that’s rarely been seen from him this season.  

Most agree that his time on the bench behind Kerry Collins was good for his maturation, for both his football IQ and himself.  

If the season ended today, the aforementioned question about Young’s future would be a tough one.  However, he is arguably in control of his own destiny.  Because the more he wins and the better he plays, the more this becomes a no brainer for the Titans’ front office.  

Barring any meltdowns, he should be given the keys to the franchise; this is not the same old Vince.

Perhaps this time next year, we’ll be discussing how big of a new contract he should be getting.  

Time will tell.   

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Four Down, Six to Go: Can the Tennessee Titans Run the Table?

Initially, Chris Johnson’s prediction that he and his Tennessee Titans would win the remainder of their games seemed like a pipe dream.  

The prevailing sentiment from players and fans alike was that he was simply overexcited from his team grabbing their long-awaited first victory of the season.  

But then the victory at San Francisco happened.  

Next, they dispatched the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The following week, the Houston Texans followed suit.  

Could Johnson be on to something?  

Perhaps. But a good chunk of the Titans’ remaining games are against solid opponents with winning records.  

“One game at a time” is a tired cliché in the sports world, but it is essentially the best philosophy for Tennessee right now.  

So far, it has served them well.  

One piece of information that has repeatedly surfaced in the media as of late is that no team has won four straight games after losing their first six.  

In fact, no team had won three.  

Suddenly, all of those “if anybody can keep the team together, it’s Jeff Fisher” quotes don’t seem so foolishly quixotic anymore.  

Heck, it proved this sportswriter wrong.

As long as the offense keeps clicking the way it does, their chances are good. Strange as it may be, the old college-style option offense that the Titans occasionally run seems to be giving opposing defenses fits.

Granted, in the NFL, a team can’t run it all the time, but it’s proven to be a nice twist in the gameplan—a perfect utilization of Chris Johnson and Vince Young’s respective talents.

On the other side of the ball, Tennessee’s “bend, don’t break” style of defense seems to be working no matter who the opponent.  

In a sense, this Sunday’s game against the high-flying Arizona Cardinals offense should be a good test for their later rematch against the Indianapolis Colts.  

However, the Titans can ill afford to find themselves in a shootout. They’ll need to force more turnovers on defense in order to pull out a win.   

As the last quarter of the season approaches, there is much that stands in the way of Tennessee’s playoff hopes. (Gasp! The word “playoffs” used in a Titans article!)

They would presumably need help from the Jaguars and the Texans.

But if they take care of business in the same fun-loving yet efficient way that they have the past four games, they just might have a shot at their second 10-game winning streak in as many years.

The poetic truth would be stranger than fiction indeed.

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NFL MVP Favorites Part Two: The Contenders

Today’s list is the conclusion of a two part series that dissects the top ten NFL Most Valuable Player candidates and their chances of taking home the trophy.
Yesterday, the focus was on the popular, perennial favorites that, while their numbers are good, aren’t necessarily the most crucial aspect to their respective team’s success.
Today, the spotlight is turned on the top five players who, at this point of the season, have the most realistic shot at nabbing the award.
And now, here the rest who, incidentally, are the best.

Begin Slideshow

NFL MVP Favorites Part One: The Overrated

This time of year, the chatter of who will likely take home the NFL’s Most Valuable Player trophy begins to heat up.
By the end of the season, it has inevitably crescendoed into a raucous cacophony of “no, MY player’s better!” and “your player’s over-rated!” rants.
The funny thing is, by the time the award’s actually given out, it’s ironically an afterthought of sorts.
By that time, teams are deep in the playoff hunt. Home field advantage, sexy storylines and title games captivate more interest in the end.
At this juncture, however, the debate is in full swing with many intriguing twists and turns so far.
This is the first of a two-part list that breaks down all the usual suspects. The stars in today’s slideshow are traditional favorites, yes.
But good numbers alone don’t merit an MVP. The number one criteria of the award—”where would your team be WITHOUT you?”—bears much significance.
In addition, it should be noted that their inclusion in the “overrated” portion of the list does not mean that their play on the field is overrated; their case for the award is.
Without further adieu, here are the five best players on the outside looking in.
Let the debating commence.

Begin Slideshow

Titans Vs. Texans: May The Best Defense Win

At least this time, the Tennessee Titans know what they’re getting into.  

The Houston Texans can flat-out play.  

When they want to.  

As per their usual, consistency, or lack thereof, has plagued this otherwise talented franchise.  They followed their best-ever 5-3 start with a tough loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and now find themselves in “do-or-die” mode.  

Both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee are resurgent as of late; Monday night’s matchup—along with the Jags’ success or failure on Sunday—will go a long way in determining who the runners up to the Colts will be in the increasingly interesting AFC South.  

For the Titans to emerge victorious, they’d be wise to hedge their bets and assume that the Texans of Week Two will show up.

Chances are, this battle will hinge on defense.  Tennessee’s offense can keep pace in most shootouts, but isn’t really strong enough on defense to come out on the winning end of such contests (see: Titans vs. Texans, Week Two).  

So, how can the Titans, who will no doubt find a way to get their points, keep the potentially explosive Texans in check?

In essence, they should play the pass.  To heck with the psychology of “but what if they run?”  The Texans’ ground attack is downright anemic this year and Tennessee’s rush defense, in spite of their other woes, has been decent (when not facing the Jags’ Maurice Jones-Drew, of course).   

Odds are, they won’t get burned by daring the running game.  

On the other, parallel side of the ball, the burning question remains: can Houston stop Titans’ running back Chris Johnson?  All year long, teams have been stacking the line to stop him, knowing the limitations of Tennessee’s passing game. 

And yet he still is on pace to rush for over 2,000 yards.  A while ago, he was merely a bright spot on a bad team.  But, in light of the Titans’ recent winning streak, the MVP murmurs are beginning (but more on that later this week).  

Even if the Texans manage to bottle him up as a rusher and “limit” him to, say, 70 or so yards, he still remains a volatile and dangerous receiving threat.  

In addition, Vince Young poses a whole new set of challenges for opposing defenses. Now, does he necessarily make it any harder for those defenses?  Well, frankly it depends on which Vince shows up.  

But if he plays like he has been recently, then things bode well for Tennessee.  

On Monday, two teams on the way up will square off.  At the end of the day, one will go home to their proverbial drawing boards with their spirits deflated.  

With both offenses clicking and displaying their fair shares of explosiveness, the smarter, more tenacious defense will win.  Look for mistakes and turnovers to play a large role in this matchup.  

It will all come down to whoever allows the least big plays.  On Monday, simple fundamentals will take center stage.

 

 

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Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: The Top 10 NFL Collapses Since 1990

Since the dawn of free agency in the NFL, patterns and trends in the win-loss column have been less frequent; dynasties tend to be more of a rarity.
In a sense, the vices are wrapped in its virtue.
What’s pleasing to a fan is equally as frustrating—the fortunes of a franchise in any given year are not necessarily indicative of how things will play out the next.
This list chronicles the more significant falls; the ones that ultimately weighed heavier in the grand scheme and big picture than a mere “off year” would have.
For instance, the disappointing 1992 Atlanta Falcons didn’t make the cut. They were surprising Cinderella’s in 1991, but their lackluster campaign the following year didn’t generate much headlines, considering that they had been mediocre at best in previous years.
Conversely, these rankings are not based on shock value. Some of the clubs on this list were indeed expected to have slight drop offs—only to accelerate their slides into oblivion faster than anyone could have predicted.
So, in light of the inexplicably bad 2009 Tennessee Titans*, here’s a rundown of the other teams that have gone down that path.

*-Then again, at the time of this writing, the Titans just reeled off their 3rd consecutive victory in rather convincing fashion. In a few weeks, the context of this article might just be irrelevant. No doubt, a good problem for Tennessee and their fans to have.

Begin Slideshow

Tennesse Titans vs. Buffalo Bills: Striking While the Iron’s Hot

Lookout, Tennessee Titan fans.

Things seem to actually be going in the team’s favor as they prepare to take the field against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday.  

Hmmm.  This is game that they should win.

The last time that was the prevailing sentiment, well, you know, they reeled off six straight losses.

But as long as the Titans keep playing the same brand of football that they’ve been playing the past few weeks, things should take care of themselves.

Come to think of it, the Bills are, in fact, not unlike the Titans. Like Tennessee, they should be better than they actually are this season.  However, the former continues their tailspin as the latter is getting hot.  

For starters, there’s the anemic Buffalo offense, which figures to play well into the hands of a Tennessee defense that has begun to regain its swagger.  Even if star wideout Terrell Owens plays, he has proven to pretty much be a non-factor this year.

Then again, teams that have looked like pretenders on paper, have found ways to methodically pick the Titans apart at various times this year.  

For instance, for all that’s been said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see wide receiver Lee Evans or Terrell Owens have his breakout day against the Titans, given Tennessee’s snake-bitten status in 2009.

But if the defense plays smart and can recover from the mistakes that they’ll inevitably make, things should fall into the hands of Buffalo’s defense.  

Unfortunately for the Bills, that could be a big problem.  Buffalo currently has a run defense that ranks dead last in the NFL.  

The Titans?  Yep, they sport the league’s leading rusher in Chris Johnson, who, incidentally, is playing the best football of his short career.  

Buffalo is only marginally better in the pass defense department, where they rank 15th. But as long as Vince Young maintains his pedestrian, yet newly mistake-free, way of playing, things should fall into place for Tennessee.

In all honesty, both teams are probably equal at this point, in spite of all the aforementioned statistical probabilities in favor of the Titans.  

Remember, the New England Patriots that demolished the Titans were taken to the wire by these same Bills, who, this week, anyway, look to be the underdogs.

Any given Sunday, indeed.  

Bottom line: the team that makes fewer mistakes will win.  Neither is good enough to overcome a lack of execution by compensating in other areas on the field.

Considering their recent respective paths, one has to like Tennessee in this one. They’re healthier and more confident, both of which can go a long way.

However, as evidenced by these two teams’ rich history of dramatic matchups, all of that can change with one play.

 

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