State of the Franchise - Tennessee Titans

2017 Record: 9-7 (10-8 including playoffs) (5-1 in AFC South)

General Manager: Jon Robinson

Head Coach: Mike Vrabel

2017 Review

Going into last season, it felt good to be a Titans fan. Offensively, we had a receiving corps that looked good, on paper, with the addition of 5th overall pick Corey Davis, a top 5 running game with Demarco Murray, and Derrick Henry, toting the rock powerfully behind an offensive line that had an all pro Right Tackle in Jack Conklin and a Pro Bowl Left Tackle in Taylor Lewan (an underrated funny man as well as a great blindside blocker).

Defensively, the secondary looked to be better with the additions of Logan Ryan and 18th pick Adoree Jackson. This was meant to be the season, in the minds of Titans’ fans, that we would push for the AFC South and forge ahead to the playoffs. The season, however, didn't quite pan out that way for a variety of reasons.

Going into week one against the Raiders, the aforementioned Davis looked to be carrying an injury (something that would follow him throughout the season). This was a game we should have won but, in the end, just couldn't get it done. The running game never really got going for the Titans but, in contrast, Marshawn Lynch (in his first game back from retirement) gained 74 crucial yards with most at critical points in the game.

The next two weeks saw impressive performances against the Jaguars and Seahawks both ending in wins for the Titans and 30+ being scored each time. In both games, the Titans defense was able to shut down the opponents run game whilst grinding down the clock with a strong running game of their own. This proved to be a theme for the season, if Tennessee got ahead early, and ran the ball well, they won. If we couldn't, Sundays were ugly.

Two losses followed against the Texans and Dolphins. Both were bad losses but for different reasons. The Dolphins had Jay Cutler at Quarterback. Yes, that Jay Cutler, the one from memes and a man who was meant to be in a booth a few months earlier. The more painful loss off the two was a 57-14 thumping, by the Texans, in week 4 in which Mariota was the Titans leading rusher.

Next up the Titans were, finally, able to gain some momentum with 4 wins on the bounce against the Colts, Browns, Ravens and Bengals. All these teams suffered with bad Quarterback play and, therefore, teams the Titans were expected to beat fairly easily. The Titans were only able to beat the 0-16 Browns with an OT field goal and it took a last-minute touchdown, against the Bengals, to get the W. The closeness of the game was all caused, in my opinion, by bad play calling on the offense. Making a bad team look half decent was Tennessee's forte in 2017.

A Thursday night game in Pittsburgh followed, a game that the team in light blue just didn't show up in. After a 40-17 loss, there were lots of questions about what exactly was going on especially with the predictability of running the ball, no matter what, on 1st and 2nd down.

Thankfully, two wins were to come in weeks 12 and 13 against the Colts and the Texans (both using back-up Quarterbacks) and with Derrick Henry showing why he should be the lead running back, instead of Murray, who was clearly hurt with a bad hamstring. Henry was particularly dominant whilst rushing for 109 yards on 11 carries against the Texans. Murray had 9 yards on 12 carries, the week before, against the Colts.

The next three games led to losses all of which by less than one score against NFC West teams: The Cardinals, the 49ers and the Rams. The Titans were only able to score 7 points against the Cards in a game where the Titans defense had restricted them to only 12 points, very frustrating.

This led to a must win game against the Jaguars, a team that Tennessee had beaten, earlier in the season, in convincing fashion. A tight game ensued with it being 12-3 to the Titans at the half. In the 4th, Jacksonville brought it to 15-10 with the Titans just needing to run out the clock but they struggled and were left with a 3rd and 5 needing just one final play to put the game to bed and, in turn, book their place into the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Mariota dropped back to pass, saw nothing, took off and scrambled, side-stepped a Jags pass rusher before stiff arming a defensive back and picking up the 1st down to secure a trip to the Chiefs in the Wild Card game. Cue this writer going mad, at his telly, for a good 15 minutes before quickly finding out how much flights to Kansas were for the following Friday (the answer: way too much!!)

Saturday came and, before long, nerves were creeping in. By the end of the 1st, things weren't looking good for the Titans with them being down by 14 and not creating much offensively at all. Then, half way through the 2nd quarter, there came a turning point. Travis Kelce got taken out the game with a Concussion and the Titans woke up. Still behind at the half by 21-3, something needed to change and legendary coach, Dick Lebeau, made the adjustments required to shut out the Chiefs in the 2nd half. Henry started to run as if his life depended on it, ending the game with 156 yards on 23 carries. Still, that wasn't enough, the Titans needed a miracle to claw their way back into the game. Cue Mariota again, from the shotgun, seeing nothing on 3rd down, taking off and throwing a pass that was batted down only to be caught by him with a dive into the end zone. That happened when the Titans were still down 21-3 and proved to be the catalyst to a comeback that ended 22-21 and sent to Titans to Foxborough to face the Patriots and TB12.

The next week, rumours were surfacing about the Head Coach, Mike Malarkey, and if his job was safe. This time, the Owner (Amy Adams Shrunk) came out in support of the Head Coach. A trip to New England, however, ended in a predictable defeat.

Gronk constantly beat on whoever covered him, the pass rush couldn't get much going and Dion Lewis, ironically, turned in a playmaking performance. In the 35-14 loss, there was a silver lining; Corey Davies looked to be over his injury setback and ended the game with 5 catches, 63 yards and 2 touchdown grabs (One of which was a great one-handed catch on a fade/streak). That was, pretty much, the only good thing to happen for Tennessee during the game on what was a bitter, but expected, end to the season.

2018 Off-season Report

A couple of days after the Patriots loss, Mike Malarkey, and most of his staff ,were let go by the Titans. Personally, I think he could have saved his job if he agreed to change his Offensive Coordinator to one that would have played more to the personnel that they had on the team. In particular, Mariota needed to be utilised better with his ability to make big plays when given the chance. A couple of weeks later, Mike Vrabel, former Patriot and Defensive Coordinator for the Texans became Head Coach. Vrabel quickly assembled his staff including: Dean Pees as DC (former Ravens DC whose retirement lasted about as long as my fingernails during the Chiefs game) and Matt Lefleur (former OC for the Rams during their fantastic season last year where Goff became 5th in passer rating and Todd Gurley led the league in yard from Scrimmage).

Some of the fat was trimmed off the roster. Demarco Murray being cut was the main story, this, in my opinion, is a good decision. Middle Linebacker, Avery Williamson was taken by the Jets, in free agency, for a contract that was just a little too rich for us. Some players that just weren't good enough for a team pushing for playoff football were also cut (Searcy, Cassel and Sly Williams to name a few). The re-signings of Quinton Spain and, former Patriot, Josh Kline kept our Offensive Line intact for the year to come. The Titans biggest splashes in free agency were to sign two more former Patriots: Dion Lewis, a Running Back that offers a change of pace to Henry and Malcolm Butler, former Superbowl hero fresh from being benched for SB 52. We also upgraded our backup QB with Blaine Gabbert joining the team from Arizona, not the most splashy signing but one that was desperately needed.

Up next, was the draft. Jon Robinson went into the draft with 6 picks but left with only 4 players after, aggressively, trading up 3 times. Firstly, the Titans traded up to the 22nd pick to grab Middle Linebacker, Rashaan Evans, from Alabama. Evans is a ready-made replacement for Williamson and fits our multiple front scheme really nicely coming out of Bama who use the same kind of set up. Next, Robinson traded up again to get Harold (Honer, if you're Vince Young) Landry at pick number 41, a great pick considering Orakpo and Morgan, Tennessee's two main pass rushers, are both in the last year of their contract and Landry was predicted to be the Titans pick, at 25, in many mock drafts. It was a long wait for the Titans next pick and, in the 5th, they selected Dane Cruikshank from Arizona State. Cruikshank is a player who can play Corner if needed but will, more than likely, compete for, and win, the Titans 3rd string Safety job.

Tennessee's last pick came 199th and they selected Luke Falk, a Quarterback from Washington State. At the moment, Falk is more of a developmental prospect but, for someone who some pundits were thinking could go in the 3rd/4th round, to snag him in the 6th round must have been pleasing for the Titans organisation. (Side note another QB that was selected at that spot was Tom Brady, I don't think he will ever become anywhere near as good as him but, if he is a capable backup, this will still prove to be a great pick).

2018 Projected Starters

Offense

QB: Marcus Mariota

RB: Derrick Henry

WR: Corey Davis

WR: Rishard Matthews

WR: Taywan Taylor

TE: Delanie Walker

LT: Taylor Lewan

LG: Quinton Spain

C: Ben Jones

RG: Josh Kline

RT: Jack Conklin

Defense

DE: Jurell Casey

DT: Bennie Logan

DE: Daquan Jones

OLB: Brian Orakpo

MLB: Wesley Woodyard

MLB: Rashaan Evans (R)

OLB: Derrick Morgan

CB: Malcom Butler

CB: Adoree Jackson

CB: Logan Ryan

S: Kevin Byard

S: Jonathan Cyprian

2018 Outlook

Prediction 10-6 (4-2 in AFC South)

There's a lot to look forward to, yet again, for the Titans. The offense should be better mainly because of a new OC who will use the players’ strengths rather than calling plays that were boring and predictable. Tennessee are in a sneakily difficult division. The Texans, with Watt and Clowney headlining one of the better D-lines in the league along with Watson at QB, will be tough to beat. The Jags went one better than the Titans in the playoffs last year and have one of the strongest/deepest rosters in the league (apart from a glaring hole at Quarterback with Bortles still under center). The biggest unknown, in the division, are the Colts with Luck still not even throwing a ball this offseason and a lot of rookies, potentially, forced in to starting roles. I expect us to split games again the Jags and Texans as well as losing to the Pats and Eagles. A late season match up against the Giants should prove a pretty hard test as well.

In a division, and conference, that is getting better I expect us to make the AFC Championship game but this will depend a lot on how Vrabel handles his 1st season as a Head Coach and the ups and downs of an NFL season. As well as that, Mariota needs to stay healthy for the first time in his Career and the Titans need to handle a trip across the pond to face the Chargers at Wembley.

Overall, things are looking good over in Tennessee. I just hope we capitalize on this and push one further than we did last year.

From there, anything is possible.

Written By