Titans are quietly worth watching in AFC

The Tennessee Titans are the forgotten team in the AFC. Maybe that’s fair. Maybe not.

Over the past two seasons, Tennessee has an 18-14 record, going 9-7 in each campaign. The Titans reached the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in 2017 and shocked the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round, reversing a 21-3 deficit to win, 22-21, at Arrowhead Stadium. Last season, Tennessee lost win-or-go-home contest at home to the Indianapolis Colts, albeit with Marcus Mariota out due to injury.

Now in his second year at the helm, head coach Mike Vrabel is hoping his team turns the corner. The roster isn’t loaded with name stars, but the group is better than many nationally would believe. The defense is actually stocked quite well behind defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, safeties Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, and cornerbacks Logan Ryan, Adoree Jackson and Malcolm Butler.

The problem has been the other side of the ball. Mariota has been largely mediocre through the first four seasons of his career. He’s also been injury prone. The former Heisman Trophy winner has yet to play 16 games in a season, and now there’s a backup quarterback who given the chance, might not give the job back.

Ryan Tannehill was wisely acquired by general manager Jon Robinson for a seventh-round pick from the Miami Dolphins, and he provides ample insurance. Unlike Blaine Gabbert, Tannehill is a legitimate quarterback who has thrown for 4,000 yards in a season before. If Mariota misses time, there’s a real opportunity for Tannehill to step in, gain momentum and make a play for the starting gig. This is especially true with Mariota entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Not surprisingly, this entire season for Tennessee comes down to whether it gets above-average play from the quarterbacks. If the Titans see something like 4,000 yards and 25 passing touchdowns combined from Tannehill and Mariota, they likely go to the playoffs.

Looking at the AFC, it would take a huge upset for the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers not to make the playoffs. After that, you’re looking at the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Titans as the other teams which are likely to make a run towards the postseason. If Mariota finally takes the proverbial leap or Tannehill proves to be a real answer, why not?

Tennessee seemingly gets forgotten about. If the Titans have a few things break right, that won’t be the case for long.