It has been a whirlwind of a season for the Tennessee Titans, complete with inexplicable losses, key players going down, and wins that no one expected them to get. Yet, here we are with the Titans clinching another AFC South division crown after their 34-3 home win against the Miami Dolphins. On top of that division crown, with a win against the Houston Texans this upcoming Sunday, Tennessee can clinch the number one seed in the AFC.
Like usual though, no one is taking them seriously when it comes to being a viable Super Bowl contender. People are mentioning the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, and even mentioning the Buffalo Bills but when it comes to the Titans, not many are giving them a shot, but one analyst sees them as a viable candidate.
“In a year where the unusual is more the norm, the grittiness of this team truly makes them viable.”
Charles Davis, a color analyst for the NFL on CBS, is quite familiar with the Titans, as he has covered them a few times. The grittiness he speaks of has been evident this year as they have been hit with many obstacles, with the biggest one being the injury to running back Derrick Henry, over the season. In fact, they have had the most active players used on a roster in NFL history because of the injuries they have suffered, but here they stand at 11-5 on the season. That is a testament to the coaching staff and also the ability of this team to find ways to win, whether it be with defense, running the football, or playing error-free football. With the losses they incurred all season, it would have been easy for them to give up, but they did not and built a resolve that is undeniably infectious throughout the entire team. But the grittiness was not all Davis pointed out about the Titans.
“Don’t underestimate their talent. Grit is a great additive, but they have playmakers on offense and defense and if you add Derrick Henry back in the mix, they are definitely viable.”
The Titans always get mistaken for being Derrick Henry and the Titans just like many remember Gladys Knight but not the Pips. But honestly, there is much more to this team than Derrick Henry. Not to say that Henry isn’t very important to the Titans, but there are other pieces that factor in like wide receiver AJ Brown. The Titans went 1-3 without Brown this season and 10-2 with him on the field. Add in the defensive playmakers in outside linebacker Bud Dupree and All-Pro safety Kevin Byard and the Titans definitely have enough people to cause headaches for any team left standing.
The Titans have the grit and the talent to make some things happen and with Derrick Henry reportedly ramping up to come back and play after breaking his foot two months ago, Tennessee is a very dangerous team in the NFL’s second season. With the improved defense, playmakers, and Derrick Henry coming back, the Titans are every bit of a threat to win the AFC and make the Super Bowl, if not win it all.
