Author: Phill Lytle

I love Jesus, my wife, my kids, my family, my friends, my church, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, 80s rock, the Tennessee Titans, Brandon Sanderson books, Band of Brothers, Thai food, music, books, movies, TV, writing, pizza, vacation, etc...

The Playoffs Start Now

There is no tomorrow. Today is all the matters. The playoff run starts this Sunday.

I realize the title of this article is not exactly accurate. I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, the playoffs start on Sunday for the Tennessee Titans. There really is no other way around it. Obviously, the Titans could still make the playoffs with a loss against the Houston Texans, but I think we can all admit backing into the playoffs is not the best approach for a team that has been a .500 club over the last 10 games.

Did you catch that? Over the last 10 games, the Tennessee Titans are 5-5. For a team that started 5-0 and showed such early promise, the majority of the season has been average at best. True, they have some big wins but they also have some inexcusable losses. (I’m looking at you, Bengals.)

Yes, the offense has been spectacular throughout the season, with only a few hiccups along the way. I’m not going to hit them too hard for a few missteps. (The first Indy game and the recent debacle in Green Bay come to mind.) Taken as a whole, the offense has been better than any fan could have hoped for. Tannehill, Henry, Davis, Brown, and company have created the best offense Titans’ fans have ever seen. It’s been impressive, to say the least.

But (you knew it was coming), the defense has been equally as bad. Maybe worse. I’ve been watching Tennessee Titans’ football since Day One, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a defense this pathetic or inept. Sure, I’ve seen defenses equally as bad, but those had zero to little talent. This squad has talent. You will never convince me otherwise. Perhaps we all overvalued the talent on the roster, but I firmly believe the talent is mostly there, outside of edge rushers. Virtually no one on the defense has played up to their talent. Most have had career worst seasons. It’s mindboggling and exasperating. And I see no scenario where is gets much better this season.

So, it’s been a mixed bag. Offensively, this should be a 12 or 13 win team. Defensively, it should be a 1 or 2 win team. It’s miraculous this team has clawed it’s way to 10 wins so far. But, with the way last season ended and the historic firepower of the offense, fans have a right to expect great things from this team. Losing to Houston on Sunday and missing out on the playoffs and the division are not part of the plan.

The playoffs start now. The Titans have no business losing on Sunday to a depleted Houston team. The Titans have the talent to win 11 games, win the AFC South, and host their first playoff game since 2008. This is not a throwaway game. This is a game that will set the tone for the remainder of the season, one way or another. If the Titans win, they have the potential to make another run, maybe all the way to the Super Bowl. (Yeah, I think they are good enough to hang with anyone on any given Sunday.) If the Titans lose, the could miss the playoffs entirely and the fan base would have every right to be more than a little disappointed. Missing the playoffs with this roster and this offense, would be a lower point than anything in the Mularkey era.

The playoffs start now. Titans, go down to Houston this weekend and establish your dominance. Take control of the game from the opening kick and never let it go. Crush the will of the Texans early and keep crushing it until they cry “Mercy!” The playoffs start now and your fans will accept nothing less than a win, a division title, and trip to the playoffs. We’ve stuck through the lean years. There needs to be a payoff for all the suffering. Make it happen.

The playoffs start now.

Five Things I Would Rather Do Than Cheer For Tom Brady

There are four things, nay even five, I would rather do than cheer for Tom Brady.

If you listen to the rumors, it appears that Tom Brady is seriously considering joining the Tennessee Titans for the 2020 season. And to make matters worse, the Titans are said to be fine with that plan. Well, I am not fine with that plan. I realize Tom Brady is considered by most to be “The GOAT” but I can’t stand him. Everything about him makes my skin crawl. His stupid face. His whiny personality. The fact that he plays for the worst organization in the history of sports. He is the worst and I want no part of him on my favorite team. I don’t think I’m alone.

As far as I’m concerned, Ryan Tannehill did everything he needed to do to earn the job for the foreseeable future. I see no reason to do anything other than ride with the guys who took our Titans to the AFC Championship game last season. Tom Brady makes little to no sense in this offense with all that in mind. So, here are five things I would rather do than cheer for him.

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Dreams Do Come True: The Tennessee Titans are in the AFC Championship Game

This run is very real and it is very, very awesome.

It is January 17, 2020 and your Tennessee Titans are playing the Kansas City Chiefs for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl. That is a real thing. It’s not some drug-induced dream. It’s not a pleasant fiction, crafted to inspire and cheer. This is very real and it is very, very awesome.

If you are new to the Tennessee Titans’ bandwagon, welcome. We are happy to have you. It has been a long road for those of us who have been around since the beginning. We have suffered so many bitter losses while supporting this team. We’ve had some good times as well, but those have been rare until the past few seasons.

This team has done the impossible. At least what most experts and prognosticators thought to be impossible. They have knocked off the defending Super Bowl Champs, the New England Patriots, on their home turf. After that, they visited the number one offense and best record in the league, the Baltimore Ravens, and punched them in the mouth and walked away with a trip to the AFC Championship game in Kansas City. The Titans have done the impossible and that makes them mighty.

It’s okay to be excited. It’s even okay to be a little overwhelmed. This team wasn’t supposed to do this. You don’t go 2-4, bench your long-time starting QB, sneak into the playoffs, and then beat the best the NFL has to offer. That is not a thing that happens. Yet, it has happened. The Tennessee Titans, with their mythological beast of destruction, Derrick Henry, and their dangerous and violent defense, are crushing souls and breaking wills. They are leaving complete devastation in their wake. For Titans fans, it is unfathomably beautiful stuff.

All along the way, there have been doubters. Even now, most people are not giving this team a chance to advance. Personally, I think that is fantastic. Bring on the doubters! This team relishes the dissenting voices. They bathe in the doubts, slights, and lack of respect. It nourishes them. It feeds their drive and bolsters their will to win.

This unexpected run feels right. Enjoy it, Titans’ fans. Savor it. The Tennessee Titans are the best story in the NFL this season. If you cannot appreciate what the team is doing, you are missing something incredibly special. On Sunday afternoon, the Titans walk onto the field at Arrowhead Stadium and I see no reason why this run should end.

Why not us?

Why not now?

Give them nothing.

Take everything!

Thank you, Delanie Walker

A letter to Delanie Walker.

Mr. Walker, I see the Titans just placed you on IR for the remainder of the season. That is very disappointing. It is disappointing because it means your season is over. But, it’s more disappointing because it means your time with the Tennessee Titans is probably over as well. I hope not, but that’s typically how these things work.

You don’t deserve to go out like this. You have been a consummate professional in your time in Tennessee. You are one of the main reasons the Titans were able to leave the dregs of the NFL behind and become a winning franchise again. You are the best Tight End in the history of the team, no offense to Frank Wycheck. I’m convinced that if you had played for a Dallas or a New York and put up the numbers you did in Tennessee, you would be a household name. Instead, you produced at an All-Pro level for 6+ seasons in virtual anonymity. Again, you don’t deserve that.

So, if this move to IR is the end of your time with the Titans, I just want to say “thank you.” You have exemplified what it means to be a professional, a leader, a teammate, and a role model. You have excelled at your craft and worked harder than everyone around you. The results speak for themselves: 381 catches. 4,423 yards. 28 touchdown in your time with Tennessee. Those kind of numbers don’t happen by accident. They happen because of all the hard work and time you put into perfecting your skills. They happened because of your unstoppable work ethic and drive.

I hope this isn’t the end of your time in two-toned blue. We loved cheering for you. You did more for this franchise than most players who have walked through the doors at St. Thomas Sports Park. If this is goodbye, you did everything you could to make this team great and the fans won’t forget it.

Thank you, Delanie Walker. Thank you for being a Titan fans could be proud of. The number 82 is yours to keep. The team won’t need it for anyone else after you are gone.

Monday Morning Reaction: “This is my happy face.”

That was fun.

Show of hands: How many of you saw THAT coming? Be honest. I’ll wait…

It is really nice to get a game like that after about a month of really close nail biters. I enjoy those as well, but sometimes, I just want to be able to relax at the end of a Titans’ game. Yesterday’s game was just what the doctor ordered.

Here are my main reactions to the game:

Continue reading “Monday Morning Reaction: “This is my happy face.””