The best NFL team people refuse to believe is any good...the Titans
Despite an 8-8 record in 2006, and a 10-6 record last year w/ a playoff appearance, for whatever reason, people refuse to recognize the Titans as a team that is any good. I would bet that in any preseason publication or article anyone read, any radio or TV preseason prognostication, they picked the Titans to finish 3rd or last in their division (behind the Texans, a team we haven't lost to in 4 years!). Where is the love?
I open my ESPN the Magazine last week, and see that no less than 2 of their "experts" picked the Jacksonville Jaguars to go to the Super Bowl (they also picked the Titans to finish last in the division, but I digress). So, the Titans go out today and pretty much shut down the Jags, a game we could've won by 3 TD's if Vince hadn't played like dogshit. After the game I'm flipping around the tube, CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN post-game shows, looking for any love given to the Titans for smacking down the "mighty" Jaguars, and I get nothing. I get more news about our shitty QB's injury than I do analysis of a game where the Titans defense let the Jaguars do absolutely nothing on offense, and where the Jaguars only scored a TD when Vince gifted an INT to them, giving them the ball inside the 20.
If the Jaguars are supposed to be so good, doesn't the fact that we beat their asses today mean that the Titans are pretty damn good too? Also, the Titans have played extremely tough against the perrenial Super Bowl favorite Colts the last 2 years, and we beat them in each of the last two years. The Titans can play with and beat the Big Boys, no question. If we can beat "Super Bowl" teams in that way, why aren't we considered a Super Bowl contender too? But outside of me, have you ever heard the words "super bowl" and the "Titans" uttered in the same sentence this year? Hell no.
Perhaps its the lack of "flash" on the team. The Titans don't put up great offensive numbers, and don't really have that one star player on offense that people wanna see. Well, maybe Vince Young was, his 1st year, when he actually used his athletic ability to help us win and didn't try to become a "pocket passer." But apparently for VY, based on watching all 16 games last year and week 1 today, those days are long gone. Damn shame.
But for Christ's sake, this team is good - really good! Seriously. I'd venture to say that the Titans Defense is as good as any team in the league. Vikings, Bears, Chargers - I'd put them up against those defenses any day. And the fact that they so often have to clean up the mess our pathetic QB so often leaves behind (i.e. INT's thrown deep in our own teritory, inoppurtune fumbles, countless 3 and outs, etc) and still manages to shut people down, shows just how good they are. And their Offensive Line just pushes people around all day long. If you can make Lendale White look good (1100 yards, 7TD's last year), then you know you've got something special. The only real glaring weaknesses in this squad is our QB and our WR. I'll grant you that those are two fairly major positions in football, but a great defense and a great offensive line will always give you a chance to win in the NFL.
And oh yeah, maybe we've found our "flashy" offensive star this year in the draft in the form of Running Back Chris Johnson, our 1st round pick our of East Carolina (of the shocking Va Tech and West Virginia wins this year). This dude could be a star. Like this year. Like now. He runs a 4.24 40 yard dash, but he's not just a sprinter, he looks like a good NFL RB. I have a feeling he'll compile a nice NFL highlight reel in no time, but for now, this is what 4.24 looked like when he played at ECU. This guy can play in the NFL. He played great today, showing bursts that looked Peterson-esque at times, en route to over 120 total yards and a TD (over 6 yards per carry too).
If Vince Young can rediscover what made him a good, winning QB in the first place, this team could be very dangerous this year. And if he doesn't, ah well. Kerry Collins, even if he is old, runs this offense better than VY right now anyway. This team, unlike most NFL teams, does not live or die w/ the QB - their Defense and Running game is what makes them good. If Vince can rediscover that magic, that'd be great, but if not, the Titans are still a playoff team. With some solid QB play (either VY or Kerry Collins), they are a Super Bowl team.
No, I'm not crazy...
1 comment:
Yes, you are crazy. You have to condense your blog entries or separate them in a couple of different entries. It took me like 20 minutes to read this thing. However, I will recognize the Titans. The only thing that worries me is that they are in a tough division, and that they are QB'ed by Kerry Collins. But I still think they are good enough to win the division, and they are my pick to come in second after the Colts.
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