The Tennessee Titans shocked the NFL when they made it to the 2019 AFC Championship Game.
They did not even win the AFC South due to their 9-7 regular season record.
But Mike Vrabel’s crew defeated the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round and the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional round.
Sadly, their run ended against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, 35-24.
It’s no surprise that the Tennessee defense turned on the ignition during the postseason.
It's officially #Titans game week! Let's go to work! ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/yRkQzfdkz5
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 6, 2021
After all, their top mentor is one of the defensive stalwarts that helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls.
As Titans head coach, Vrabel helped plot out an approach that limited New England to 13 points.
However, it was Logan Ryan’s pick-six of Tom Brady that sealed the victory for the AFC South squad.
A week later, the Titans limited the NFL’s top-scoring offense to 12 points.
League MVP Lamar Jackson threw for 365 yards and rushed for 143.
However, the Titans picked him off twice and gave him just one touchdown drive.
In 2020, the Titans won the division with an 11-5 record.
Unfortunately, the Ravens got their revenge with a road win during the Wild Card round, 20-13.
Nashville billboard. 👑🏈@Titans pic.twitter.com/7Fh9YoGKz8
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 6, 2021
Vrabel is yet to have a losing record in his tenure with the Titans.
As a result, they always fly under the radar in terms of selecting Super Bowl favorites.
But being a consistent contender may help them break through and finally hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
It would be a big shock when it happens because they’re not one of the marquee names in the AFC or the NFL for that matter.
The Titans could not care less because they’d rather win under the element of surprise.
King Henry And The Knights On Offense
The quarterback may be the most important position in football, but Derrick Henry is the Titans’ heart and soul on offense.
No offense to Ryan Tannehill, but Tennessee goes where King Henry does.
Chalk up a victory if Henry plays a big game and a loss if he doesn’t.
It would be hard for him to reach 2,000 rushing yards again this season.
But a solid year will help the Titans free up their receiving corps led by A.J. Brown and Julio Jones.
@benmaller : I’m not a Titans fan, but I can’t wait to see Josh Norman get steam rolled by Derrick Henry for a second season in a row. pic.twitter.com/0Li9GDz9yy
— ManicMike (@ManicMike_13) September 6, 2021
Henry embodies the “still waters run deep” proverb.
He’s not fond of trash talk but opponents get dazed once they receive a stiff arm from him.
The Titans will be difficult to beat if Henry remains the best that he is and Jones turns back the clock.
Opponents will be picking their poison between a big gain on the ground or through the air.
Tannehill and company will also rely on their solid offensive line with grizzled veterans Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones, and David Quessenberry.
Upgrades On Defense
Pass defense became the Titans’ weak link last season as they gave up 277.4 passing yards per game.
Only the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, and Atlanta Falcons were worse in that department.
They do have Janoris Jenkins and Amani Hooker on the secondary.
But they need more help than those two.
They used their first selection (No. 22 overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft for Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.
Jenkins on Caleb Farley’s progress: pic.twitter.com/RhpzbPmzwd
— Luke Worsham (@luke_worsham) August 31, 2021
Tennessee drafted another cornerback, Washington’s Elijah Molden, with their compensatory third-round pick.
If their secondary can make the jump from mediocre to modest, taking a flyer on the Titans to win it all will look like a smart bet.
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