Rise of the Titans
The last few years have seen a drastic rise in the Tennessee Titans. After quite a few years of mediocrity, the momentum finally shifted for the team with the introduction of Ryan Tannehill as their new starting quarterback in 2019. Some saw the benching of former starter Marcus Mariota as a mistake, myself included, especially after he had taken them to their first playoff in almost a decade a few years before. Even so, with a couple seasons in the rear view there is no debate that it was the right move. Mariota had a rough start to the season, and he was prone to injury throughout his NFL career.
Tannehill had an immediate impact, taking a poor start to the season and turning it into a deep playoff run, losing in the AFC Championship to Mahomes and the Chiefs, who would go on to win the Super Bowl. Tannehill had always been competent as a starter for the Dolphins, but in a division with a Tom Brady led Patriots, the cards were stacked against him year after year. Sometimes it just takes a fresh start, a new system, or the right situation to change everything. He proved this to be the case, leading the Titans to a division championship the next year.
This rise of Tannehill and the Titans was of course due to other factors as well. The meteoric breakout of Derrick Henry was certainly a game changer for the entire team. Tannehill in particular had never had a running back of such quality to distract the defense and buy him time. Having a wide receiver like A.J. Brown, who now has 1000 yards in both of his first two seasons, certainly did not hurt his chances either.
So now they come into the current season with certain expectations. They have made some major moves this offseason in an attempt to give them the push they need to win a Super Bowl. They have proven to have a quality defense, but as we all know defense wins championships, so any addition can have major effects. The addition of an absolute monster linebacker from the Steelers, Bud Dupree, is almost certain to have any immediate impact. Crazy as it seems, that was not even their largest addition this offseason. The signing of wide receiver Julio Jones may have been the biggest signing of the entire season. Now Tannehill has two probable 1000 yard receivers to toss the rock to while Henry clears the way.
It is hard two see a world in which the Titans do not take their division this year. They have a solid defense, a duo of top notch receivers, an experienced quarterback, and quite possibly the best running back in the league. Obviously there is some heavy competition this year, but if they continue to grow together and build chemistry, this could be a championship caliber team.