Sports - Titans Ever On

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.

A Sword Has Arisen

The evil giant of the north must and shall be defeated.

A sword has arisen from the south. For too long now has sorrow been cast upon this land. For too long has this North Eastern winter deprived us of hope. By week’s end, a new power will unsheathe its sword and end this darkness.

For nearly a score has this Giant reigned. Disguised as a lover of liberty the Giant has deceived and enslaved the people. His spies have gone through the land. His deceptions have taken wind from their hopes. Surely, he has ruled with an iron hand. Verily, his time is over!

Age has slowed him. While is mind is as cunning as ever, his body yields to the passing of time. His arm his weakening. Now is the time for his downfall! Now is the time to break his shackles!

Behold the Sword of the South! Its time has come. A new age will dawn upon all men of good will. Only one thing remains to be done—march into his dominion and plunge the sword into the heart of the enemy. The sword is both strong and swift. May you strike him deeply and repeatedly until no life is left.

The time of winter shall be over; a Southern sun shall shine on us all.

Around the League (Week 16)

Here are the best games for Week 16 in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills (10-4) @ New England Patriots (11-3)

In what will almost certainly be a battle of the defenses the Bills will roll into Foxborough with 3rd best YPG defense. The Bills D has been consistent all season which is currently 3rd in YPG. QB Josh Allen will be the X factor. He has struggled this season and will face the NFL’s best defense on the road in a hostile environment. Allen’s best game thus far has been 266 yards passing. He has failed to reach 200 passing yards in 6 of the team’s 14 games (that’s nearly half for the mathematically challenged). If Allen can throw for 250 or more yards and take care of the ball then anything can happen. This Bills D is that good.

Divisional opponents simply do not win in Foxborough especially in December. The Pats and Bills are nearly mirror images of one another. And for Patriots fans who are accustomed to watching their team score seemingly at will that is a bit alarming. That Pats offense has stumbled to 18th in YPG. Brady has failed to throw for more than 216 yards in 4 of the last 5 games (3 of the 5 he had less than 200 yards through the air). The Patriots’ offense is a mess. They have no weapons to lean on. And the fear factor is evaporating. Yet their defense is 1st in YPG, 1st in PPG, and 1st in turnovers. No matter what is happening on offense the Pats can still beat any team thanks to their defense. They may flip the switch or continue to win ugly. But despite recent struggles the Pats are still capable of beating anyone.

Around the League: Week 11

A closer look at each game this week in the NFL.

Houston Texans (6-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (7-2)

TEO Game of the Week!

In a matchup that features two of the most exciting, young, dual-threat QBs in the NFL I wonder if many have forgotten just how good Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans have been this season? Watson is 4th in QB Rating, 3rd in Completion %, 3rd in passing TD’s, etc. Oh and BTW all of those rankings are higher than Lamar Jackon’s! Likewise the Texans are 4th in YPG and 8th in PPG.

The Ravens offense is flying high led by their do-it-all MVP candidate Lamar Jackson! The team is 1st in PPG and 2nd in YPG. What else can I say about Jackson? Well here’s one more stat: Jackson is 11th in the NFL in rushing yards and has more rushing yards than the Ravens starting RB Mark Ingram. Because the Ravens depend on Jackson to do so much I wonder if the team can still win if he plays like a mere mortal.

Around the League: Week 9

We look at every Week 9 game.

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Did you know the AFC South is the only division in which every team has a record of .500 or better? Every divisional game is tough and crucial. Another year in Texas and another season ending injury to star, J.J. Watt. As a result the offense must shoulder more of the load. Watson and company look ready to do just that boasting the 4th most YPG in the league. As if pressure from the standings wasn’t enough Garner Minshew now faces pressure from the impending return of injured QB, Nick Foles. Minshew stats are on par with the best in the league. And he’s been successful despite the Jags’ defense regressing from a top D in 2018 to the middle of the pack in 2019.

Mid-Season Reaction: What Do We Know?

Do we actually know anything about this team?

The Tennessee Titans are 4-4 at the midway point in the season. They currently are on the outside of the playoff race, though it is much too early to be seriously looking at the standings. They have a hard road ahead of them if they want to qualify for the playoffs, but winning two games in a row has helped their case considerably.

I would like to break down the team into two categories: The things we know for sure – good and bad – and the things we think we know. Let’s start with the stuff we know.