After a shocking run to the AFC Championship last year, are the Titans a legit contender going forward?
Let us flashback to Week 6 of 2019. The Titans have just been shut out in Denver. Their record is 2-4. Derrick Henry just ran for 28 yards on 15 carries. Marcus Mariota is about to be benched. So obviously, they are going to the AFC Championship after beating the Patriots and Ravens on the road.
Wait what?
Yes, this Titans team shocked the world last season with Derrick Henry and a reborn Ryan Tannehill leading the way. Not only did the Titans beat aforementioned Pats and Ravens in January. But they punched them square in the mouth and knocked them out. They played a solid first half in Kansas City, but eventually got outclassed by the Super Bowl Champs.
Where do they go from here? Are the Titans a team we put in the category of the Chiefs and Ravens? Were they a one hit wonder? I might compare them to the 2009-2010 New York Jets. Both were teams that had great running attacks and a strong defense led by a defensive-minded head coach. Shocking runs in the postseason, and beating teams with elite QB’s. These two teams mirror each other in many ways.
Will that comparison lead to another championship run like the Jets had in 2010? Let’s take a deeper look at the Titans 2019 season, 2020 offseason, and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 12th (5805 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 21st (3582 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 3rd (2223 yards) |
| Total Defense | 21st (5752 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 24th (4080 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 12th (1672 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 25.1 |
| PPG Allowed | 20.7 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 8th |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 4th |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 32nd |
Coaching Staff Changes
| Dean Pees retired as DC |
| Jim Haslett replaces Tyrone McKenzie as ILB Coach |
| Anthony Midget replaces Kerry Combs as DB Coach |
Offseason Additions
| Vic Beasley DE |
| Johnathan Joseph CB |
| Ty Sambrailo OT |
| Jack Crawford DT |
| Nick Dzubnar LB |
| Senorise Perry RB |
| Ibraheim Campbell SS |
Offseason Losses
| Jack Conklin RT |
| Jurrell Casey DT |
| Marcus Mariota QB |
| LeShaun Sims CB |
| Dion Lewis RB |
| Austin Johnson DT |
| Tajae Sharpe WR |
| Darius Jennings WR |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 1 (29) – Isaiah Wilson OT Georgia |
| Round 2 (61) – Kristian Fulton CB LSU |
| Round 3 (93) – Darrynton Evans RB Appalachian State |
| Round 5 (174) – Larrell Murchison DT North Carolina State |
| Round 7 (224) – Cole McDonald QB Hawaii |
| Round 7 (243) – Chris Jackson DB Marshall |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – at Denver Broncos 10:10 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 0-1 |
| Week 2 – vs Jacksonville Jaguars 1 PM ET CBS | 5-1 |
| Week 3 – at Minnesota Vikings 1 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 4 – vs Pittsburgh Steelers 1 PM ET CBS | 0-1 |
| Week 5 – vs Buffalo Bills 1 PM ET CBS | 0-2 |
| Week 6 – vs Houston Texans 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
| Week 7 – BYE | |
| Week 8 – at Cincinnati Bengals 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 9 – vs Chicago Bears 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 10 – vs Indianapolis Colts 8:20 PM ET FOX (TNF) | 3-3 |
| Week 11 – at Baltimore Ravens 1 PM ET CBS | 2-1 |
| Week 12 – at Indianapolis Colts 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
| Week 13 – vs Cleveland Browns 1 PM ET CBS | 2-0 |
| Week 14 – at Jacksonville Jaguars 1 PM ET CBS | 5-1 |
| Week 15 – vs Detroit Lions TBD | 0-0 |
| Week 16 – at Green Bay Packers 8:20 PM ET NBC (SNF) | 0-0 |
| Week 17 – at Houston Texans 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
Miscellaneous Notes
| TEN went 9-4 with Tannehill starting at QB in 2019-20 |
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Derrick Henry led the league in rushing attempts (303), rushing yards (1540), and rushing TD’s (16)
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| TEN has finished 9-7 each of the past 4 seasons |
| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 53.1% |
| Rush – 46.9% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. Ryan Tannehill QB 90.2 |
| 2. AJ Brown WR 81.8 |
| 3. Taylor Lewan LT 80.2 |
| 4. Adoree’ Jackson CB 79.9 |
| 5. Ben Jones C 79.7 |
| Players who opted out of 2020 season |
| Anthony McKinney RT |
Burning Question: Is Mike Vrabel sure he wants to win a Super Bowl?
Bottom Line: The Titans were truly one of the best teams in the league after giving Ryan Tannehill the starting job. This team had wins over every elite team the AFC had to offer. Chiefs, Texans, Patriots, and Ravens all lost to the Titans at some point after this switch. Tannehill looked very comfortable in Tennessee and look for him to continue the great strides he made.
Derrick Henry is a force to be reckoned with, good luck to all players trying to take him down this year. AJ Brown had a great rookie season and looks like a guy that can go for over 1,000 receiving yards.
This Titans defense is solid enough to compete, led by All-Pro safety Kevin Byard. But there is room for improvement, as they finished 21st in total defense allowing nearly 21 points a game. Jeffery Simmons will be the player to watch on the defensive line. A projected top 10 pick who was hampered in 2019, recovering from a torn ACL.
I believe the Titans will win the AFC South in 2020. They have been a very consistent team over the past 4 years, while showing they are capable of a deep playoff run.
Predicted Win Range: 9-11
