What needs to happen for Titans to get to Super Bowl LVI
In 2019, the Tennessee Titans made an improbable run and were on the doorstep of the Super Bowl before falling victim to the Kansas City Chiefs, the same team that ended up winning the big game that year.
In 2020, the Titans had more regular season success with double-digit wins and their first division title since 2008, but were bounced from the playoffs two rounds earlier than the year prior by the Baltimore Ravens.
While the Titans’ defensive woes were abundantly clear during the regular season, it was their offense that led to the team’s demise in the postseason, although that doesn’t erase Tennessee’s need for major improvement on defense in 2021.
If the Titans want to get back to the AFC Championship Game and go even further, general manager Jon Robinson needs to make the right moves in certain areas to get that done.
Here’s a look at what he can do, as well as other things that need to happen for the Titans to get to Super Bowl LVI.
Stay healthy
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
This is the most obvious one, but is always far easier said than done. In 2020, the Titans saw several key players go down to injury on both sides of the ball, however the injuries on defense had a far greater impact, as Tennessee was still able to sport an elite offense despite missing pieces. The first step in seeing improvement from the defense is to have everyone healthy and on the field, and that means a full season from cornerback Adoree' Jackson, as well as the rest of the team's key players.
Major improvement in the pass rush
AP Photo/Gail Burton
The Titans sported one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL last season, and were tied for the lowest sack total (19) for a playoff team in a 16-game season in league history. As we saw in Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their duo of edge rushers, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense can be neutralized with constant pressure, and that's especially important to note considering the conference champion will likely have to go through Kansas City. Robinson cannot afford to whiff in that area once again this offseason like he did with Jadeveon Clowney and Vic Beasley. Granted, we might see the former return to Nashville, but he can't be the centerpiece move. Instead, the Titans have got to bring in at least another EDGE via free agency, and hopefully one of the best ones on the market. Adding to that, we need to see more from Harold Landry. And, with DaQuan Jones set to hit free agency, the Titans could have a hole to fill up the middle, and preferably will do so with an upgrade that will provide more pressure and improve the run defense in one fell swoop. If the Titans can get more from the pass rush, it'll have a domino effect across the board on defense, and in particular for the secondary, which struggled in coverage in 2020 for many reasons, including a lack of a pass rush.
Feed. The. King.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
There's no question that Derrick Henry is the heart and soul of the Titans' offense, and this team is at its best when he is running wild on defenses. But because of his huge workload the past two years, the Titans could be hesitant to run up his number of carries moving forward. However, that shouldn't be the approach, and ultimately we don't expect it to be. Is Henry taking so much punishment that we should be concerned about him breaking down sooner rather than later? History with running backs would indicate that might be the case, but we also have to remember that Henry is a physical specimen who is in phenomenal shape and is built to take a beating. Often times, he's the one dishing out the beating to opposing defenders, also. And take it from Titans great Eddie George, who isn't concerned about Henry's longevity, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online:
"Here's the thing, and people have to understand this: Derrick is not getting beat up like people think he is," George said. "He's getting the carries, the volume. But it is not nearly as violent as when I played, or when Terrell Davis played. Derrick has two receivers who had right at 1,000 yards each, and he had a quarterback who threw for nearly 4,000 yards. So that being said, there is a great deal of balance, and all the pressure is not on him to make all the plays and be the entire offense. There's a difference. He can now run the ball and do it very well because he has space to do it, and with his talent and ability and agility, he is lethal in that combination.
"So, I don't buy into the theory that he is getting the hell beat out of him by looking at all the carries he has. It is the quality of carries, and he is not getting bludgeoned, he is not getting beat up in between the tackles. With that being said, now it's just about him showing a level of consistent moving forward. But it's not one of those situations where I expect him to slow down."
We couldn't agree more. Keep feeding The King.
The passing attack needs to take that next step
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
As we saw in the wild-card game against the Ravens, and even before that in the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs, when Henry is getting stifled, the Titans' offense will often stall, and that's a major issue. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill and Co. have got to get to the point where the passing attack can carry this team when Henry is having an off game. The first step in getting to that point is improving Tannehill's weapons. The Titans lacked depth in their receiving corps. last season, and that became even more apparent after wide receiver Adam Humphries went down. Re-signing Corey Davis or another solid No. 2 receiver to complement A.J. Brown is vital, but there will still be more work to do beyond that, even if Humphries doesn't become a cap casualty. Furthermore, new offensive coordinator Todd Downing must build upon the foundation setup by former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and install some new wrinkles into the air attack. If the Titans can achieve all of this, their passing attack should be even better than it was in 2019 and 2020.
Key defenders need to bounce back
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It's one thing to hope for Adoree' Jackson to stay healthy, but he also has to perform at the high level we've seen him play at in the past. We did not see that when he returned late in the 2020 campaign. And that goes for several other Titans defenders who regressed last season, like safety Kevin Byard and outside linebacker Harold Landry, to name a few. We can say "the Titans need to improve in coverage" but its doubtful any reinforcements are coming. Instead, we expect the Titans to rely on the players already in-house and hope they simply play better in 2021. If the Titans want to progress to being a championship-caliber team, Byard, Jackson, Landry and others need to take two steps forward and not another step back in 2021.
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