Well, here we are, folks. The 2017 Tennessee Titans season is in the books. This one feels different, though. I mean, let’s be real. Usually, I could’ve written this piece in October. But, as a professional journalist, I do typically wait for the season to wrap up in December. So, yeah – it’s a bit weird to be writing a season review in mid-January. But, this season wasn’t the typical season we’ve been used to in Nashville over the last decade. The Titans were actually a playoff team. They’re certainly not ready to contend for Super Bowls, but they’re a lot closer than they were two seasons ago. Before we get into the offseason, let’s review the season that was based on the quality of wins and losses.
Great Wins
Kansas City (postseason) – It was the first postseason appearance win for this franchise since 2008, and its first win since 2003. There’s no doubt that Mariota throwing a touchdown pass to himself will be the stuff of Titans lore for years to come. This was the iconic win of this 2017 season.
Seattle – It was a statement game for the Titans, one in which they announced themselves as legitimate postseason contenders. No, the Seahawks did not end up in the playoffs. But, it’s still a quality win over a team that has been a stalwart of the NFC for the last eight years.
Jacksonville (Sept.) – The Jags find themselves in the AFC Championship. Sure, they probably didn’t have it all figured out back in September, but the 37-16 Titans victory certainly looks good now.
Decent Wins
Baltimore – The Ravens flat out shit the bed against the Bengals in the last week of the season. But, they’re still a pretty good football team. This one definitely looks good on the Titans resumé.
Jacksonville (Dec.) – It was an ugly one, that’s for sure – 15-10. You can question how motivated the Jags were for this one, but they played their starters the whole game, and the Titans still walked out with a win and a playoff berth.
Ugly Wins
Cleveland – The Browns finished 0-16….far and away the worst team in the NFL, and it took overtime for the Titans to win this one, 12-9.
Indianapolis (Nov.) – The Titans had to rally to defeat a bad Colts team. That’s not going to get you many style points.
Meh
Oakland – Losing to the Raiders looks a lot worse now, but at the time, they were considered Super Bowl contenders. At the end of the season, this game is far from the first one you’d point to as a season changer.
Indianpolis (Oct.) – Big win on Monday Night Football to snap the streak, but the Colts were so bad, it was largely inconsequential.
Cincinnati – This is a game that happened this season and the Titans won.
Houston (Dec.) – It was a win, but like the Colts wins this season, it just doesn’t mean as much considering how the Texans finished the season. Plus, there was no Deshaun Watson in this one.
Los Angeles Rams – If they could’ve at least slowed Todd Gurley down, maybe they win this game. But, they hung around with the best offense in the NFL regardless. This was far from the worst loss of the year.
Tough Losses
Miami – No real excuse to lose to this awful Dolphins team, especially after beating the brakes off of them a season ago.
Arizona – The loss in Arizona was so frustrating because the defense played so well. But, the offense just couldn’t get going. This is one of the three they’d definitely like to have back.
San Francisco – The Titans led this game with just over a minute left in the game, before Jimmy G drove the Niners down the field to kick the game winning field goal as time expired. You can’t be mad at him…he’s so handsome. But, it was a heartbreaker for Titans fans.
Ugly Losses
Houston (Oct.) – In short, this was the first time the Titans got their collective buttholes wallered out. It was awful. In my opinion, the worst loss of the season.
Pittsburgh – It was prime time Thursday Night Football, and the first measure of where this team stood up against the AFC elites. It was ugly. A completely horrendous beatdown.
New England (postseason) – Yeah, it’s always good to see how your team stacks up against the best in the NFL. But, this was veritable manslaughter. I just want to go ahead and forget it happened.
All in all, was the season a success? With Deshaun Watson and Andrew Luck returning, this division may have never been more ripe for the taking. The Titans failed to capitalize on that. That said, it’s hard to call a season where they won a road playoff game a failure. So, yeah – I’m still marking this one a success.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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