After a crucial win against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, the Tennessee Titans secured their spot in the playoffs, but can they unexpectedly take the top spot in the AFC for the first time since 2002?
Many people don’t consider the Titans a serious threat thanks to an inability to secure a championship over the last 56 years.
The Titans have had an impressive season with a record of 10-5 and the first place spot in the AFC South division with only two more weeks to go until the playoffs, making some fans wonder if they can take the top spot in the entire AFC.
Clinching The AFC
The Titans have a 93 percent chance of placing first in their division as long as they win one of their next two games or the Indianapolis Colts lose at least one of their next two games.
Assuming they pull that off, they have a little more of an uphill battle when it comes to taking the top seed and earning the first-round bye in the playoffs.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will be the greatest obstacle for the Titans as the leading team in the AFC West division and the entire AFC with a current record of 11-4.
In order for the Titans to clinch the division, they need to win both remaining regular-season games and hope that the Chiefs lose at least one of theirs.
Upcoming Offensive Obstacles
Despite leading their division for a majority of the season, the Titans have noticeable weak points, most notably their inconsistent offense.
Many people blame the poor offense on the absence of Derrick Henry thanks to a foot injury.
Luckily, Henry will likely return in week 18 to “knock off some of the dust” before the playoffs, but the rest of the offensive line should be prepared to step up in case Henry’s foot isn’t fully healed.
"There is optimism that [Derrick Henry] will be back early January. That is perfect timing for this team for playoffs to begin."@diannaESPN fully believes that the Tennessee Titans are the best team in the AFC.
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 18, 2021
The Titans have struggled to score when they have the opportunity, as demonstrated by their confusing loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers where the Titans should have won based on the numbers but made mistakes that lost them the game.
So far this season, Ryan Tannehill has fumbled the ball nine times (five times in one game) and lost the ball four out of those nine times.
Titans’ Strengths
One of the Titans’ major strengths is, well, their physical strength.
The defense proved that they can stop the unstoppable Mahomes in Week 7.
They also have a solid record when it comes to getting the first down with a total of 322 first downs this season compared to 297 achieved by their opponents.
Now, if they can just focus on turning those first downs into points, they may sneak up from behind the Chiefs and take it all the way to win the whole thing.
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