So much is going right for the Tennessee Titans right now. After yesterday’s 34-10 rout of the New England Patriots in Nashville, a result perhaps no one outside of the Titans organization saw coming, that three-game losing streak feels like it happened forever ago. The Titans have now outscored opponents 62-24 in their last two games. One of the biggest knocks on the 2018 Titans was the sputtering offense until that Monday night game in Dallas. If the last two wins are any indication, this is a unit that’s getting better every week.
That was to be expected. We were saying back in August that there would be growing pains and that this offense would take Marcus Mariota some getting used to. But, beating the Patriots is something completely different from dominating the Patriots. That’s just what the Titans did yesterday. Mike Vrabel put together an excellent game plan. Matt LaFleur called a hell of a game on offense, and Dean Pees dialed up the pressure. The Titans defense got to Tom Brady time and time again – sacking him thrice and hitting him a total of six times. But, that’s not even taking the constant pressure into account. Dude was flustered and pushed around all afternoon.
On offense, Mariota and company executed. LaFleur really opened up the playbook and the Pats defense had no answer for it. It was as dominant and complete a win as you could’ve asked for, and has become this regime’s signature win so far.
What comes after is an opportunity to really stockpile some wins.
If you look at the Titans remaining schedule, then you’ll find only two opponents who currently have winning records. One of those opponents is the Houston Texans, who the Titans have already defeated in 2018 (20-17 in Week 2). Sure, the Texans are a much better team now than they were then, but the Titans should be confident against them nonetheless. That game takes place on Monday, November 26th in Houston.
Then, on December 22nd, the Titans get a rare Saturday game as they play host to the NFC East-leading Washington Redskins. They’re the best of a mediocre division, and although they are 6-3, I don’t know what about the R-Words scares you if you’re the Titans. That defense is good, but we know the Titans have a good defense of their own. The ‘Skins offense isn’t going to have anyone shaking in their boots if they show up the way they did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But, that’s it!
Otherwise, the remaining games come against the Jacksonville Jaguars (who the Titans have already beaten), the New York Jets (who may be the most inconsistent team in the AFC), and the New York Giants (who will be battling it out for the first overall pick next spring).
The most intriguing opponent left would be the Indianapolis Colts, and the Titans play ’em twice (11/18 and 12/30). The surging Colts have won three straight now and have shown a propensity for putting up points in the process, averaging 36 PPG over the course of those three wins. This team is going to be battling for a playoff spot. Besides, you never really know what’s going to happen in these rivalry games.
Nonetheless, the Titans have to take advantage of this opportunity and put away the teams they should. The AFC South is still very much in play, but if this team can replicate its effort from yesterday, then they should be thinking about a deep playoff run, too.
The AFC looks like it’s going to be wide open heading into January. Would anyone be surprised if any of the top five ranked teams won the whole conference? Why shouldn’t the Titans think they can put themselves into the race?
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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