By Bailey Biddle
The Tennessee Titans a legit contender for super bowl?
As a longtime Tennessee Titans fan, just being able to write a title like that just doesn’t seem right, I mean come on the Titans really? After watching the Titans week 1 game against Miami I lost all hope in this team and thought to myself was last year really a fluke, is Mike Vrabel a good coach, and can the Titans offense function without star tight end Delaine Walker. To make it even worse, the Titans next 3 games were against the Houston Texans with breakout quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Jacksonville Jaguars with their dominant defense, and the Super bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles. I thought that the Titans were bound to go 0-4 and was looking forward to having the 2019 draft in Nashville with a very high pick. The home opener in Nashville with no Marcus Mariota against the Texans, I mean looking at the teams on paper I thought this was going to get ugly fast. Somehow and someway the Titans found a way to win, just like they did against the Jacksonville Jaguars. By having Mariota make a surprise entrance, he was able to make plays with his legs to win the game for the titans.
By far, the most successful and groundbreaking win for this franchise in a long time was against the Philadelphia Eagles with a comeback victory where our offense looked like it finally found its stride and the future looked promising. With all this momentum and promise of what is to come with this team they, laid an egg at Buffalo and looked like the Titans teams of old. So I ask this question, are the Titans a legit contender this year? If you ask me, I can honestly say yes I do, I really do think they can make some noise and here’s why. I believe in this coaching staff, and I have seen in a couple of games that the atmosphere in that locker room has changed. They have a great offensive line with strength in numbers and arguably the best left tackle in football in Taylor Lewan. The Titans are a top 15 defense in the league and are the best red zone defense in the NFL through week 5.
They have a secondary full of playmakers, a defense line that applies pressure and makes their presence felt in games, and a good linebacker core that makes plays when necessary. The Titans no matter how bad their offense plays makes the opposing teams play down to their level in a defensive game, but has many tools in its arsenal with an offensive coordinator that doesn’t get the credit he deserves. This running back core has not been the dominant force that we thought they would be, but they have potential to be a dominant threat with Lewis’s playmaking ability adding on Henry’s ground and pound mentality, the Titans have something special. Now I get to the biggest question marks on this Titans team that is the difference in them being good or a great team, and that is the Quarterback and receivers. The receivers have shown us many signs of them being what this Titans offense needs and Corey Davis showed us what promise he brings to us in the future against the Eagles, and even the Patriots in the playoffs last year. I believe in this receiving core and most importantly, I believe in Marcus Mariota. I believe he is the guy for this franchise and I believe that when it matters the most Mariota has shown us time after time he can make those plays, yet we still doubt him.
With all that has happened in the month of September including Mariota’s elbow injury, Walker’s broken foot, Rishard Matthews leaving the team, and all the wild stuff that has happened to this franchise the past 5 games and still be number 1 in the AFC South is an amazing stat in itself. This franchise day by day and week by week has continued to change the culture into something positive and that I am proud to be a Titans fan.
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