For three straight seasons, the Titans have finished with a 9-7 record. Naturally, Las Vegas has set their over/under around the eight-win mark, and they might be one of the trickiest plays for gamblers in 2019.
This wasn’t a flashy offseason for the Titans, but they did make some quietly savvy moves. With injury questions surrounding starting quarterback Marcus Mariota, they added former Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill as a backstop. If Mariota stays healthy, he’ll have Adam Humphries and rookie A.J. Brown as new targets and distractors for defenses who may key in on incumbent Corey Davis. Meanwhile, they beefed up the interior offensive line by signing Rodger Saffold, who graded out as Pro Football Focus’ ninth-best guard in the NFL last year, and drafted Nate Davis in the third-round, who could be primed to unseat Kevin Pamphile for a starting role.
On the other side of the ball, the Titans picked up Cameron Wake and first-round pick Jeffery Simmons to bolster their lackluster pass rush, and they should easily offset the retirement of Brian Orakpo and the potential departure of Derrick Morgan, who remains in free agent limbo. The common thread to the Titans offseason across every position group is this – they didn’t grab headlines, but they made some smart under-the-radar moves without losing a whole lot in the process.
How do you see things playing out for the Titans? Will they, at minimum, reach the .500 mark?
Cast your vote below (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comments section:
Exactly .500
Yep
highly unlikely with the division they are in
Titans are the most maddeningly inconsistent team in football
A fourth straight 9-7 season will make them quite consistent but perhaps no less maddening.
10-6, maybe 11-5. Dig a bit deeper on the reasons. MM had a half dozen injuries last season, better quality back-up QB, receivers upgraded strongly, O-line was upgraded in the off season along with healthier (which helps MM), O-line blocking scheme is changing for the better, LB/Secondary play will be better.
Keeping the offense on the field has always been the big problem for the Titans. 2007 was the last time they were among the top 10 in time of possession. Only two seasons since then have they had a positive turnover ratio which doesn’t help either.
That’s great, but Indy and Jacksonville have also gotten better. I’m not sure Tennessee out-improved either team.