Tennessee Titans: Preseason Hype Can’t Erase Recent Past
By Erik Lambert
The Tennessee Titans certainly seem like the trendy sleeper pick of the AFC in 2017. With good reason as they have a lot going for them.
Of course it starts with Marcus Mariota. The young quarterback seems poised to join the upper tier of star NFL quarterbacks. He likely would’ve made the Pro Bowl last season if not for his untimely injury. Tennessee also has craftily built a strong offensive line and powerful running game around him. Throw in some new faces at receiver and things are looking dangerous there.
They’ve also thrown plenty of money and draft pick on defense in an effort to help what was a beleaguered secondary in 2016. Early indications from the preseason are they’ve made significant progress and appear poised for a strong season. All the signs say that the AFC South could be theirs for the taking if things come together.
Peter King of the MMQB was quick to temper those expectations though.
"“I realize I’m one of those in the media banging the drum for Tennessee taking a giant step this year. I think the Titans are going to be good, and could play deep into January, and the performance of the offensive first unit in limited play this summer hasn’t deterred me. But I will splash some cold water on my own story.Since 2009:• The Titans are 14-34 in AFC South games.• The Titans have not swept a season series with Jacksonville, Houston or Indianapolis.• The Titans are 1-15 against the Colts.• One more thing: Marcus Mariota has not beaten Houston or Indianapolis in four career starts.”"
Division woes have held team back for years
People often say that nothing matters more in the NFL for a team than winning division games. That’s because it’s true. It isn’t a coincidence that the Patriots have enjoyed such prolonged success. Part of that is their ability to master the AFC East. Whenever they’ve gone down during certain seasons, it was due in part to a division opponent playing a role. The Titans are an even more severe case.
The Houston Texans remain the favorite thanks to their dominant defense and optimistic quarterback situation. Meanwhile the Indianapolis Colts look more vulnerable than they’ve been in years due to the injury status of Andrew Luck. So hypothetically it looks like a two-team race between the Titans and Houston. Then again history shows it’s never that easy for Tennessee.
There’s no doubt that 2017 is a year of proving for this franchise.