The Tennesse Titans are the reigning AFC South champions, and many of the players that were on the team are still on the roster, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see them win the division again in 2022.
Having said that, the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars made several moves in the offseason that should help them keep up with the Titans in the division race. With that in mind, here are three reasons why Tennesee could fail to make the playoffs and take a step back this upcoming season.
3. The Titans might have lost Harold Landry for the 2022 season
It’s always frustrating to see players go down with injuries. After all, they spend an immense amount of time training and trying to be in the best possible shape for game day. Then again, injuries are an inherent part of football, so clubs must have a contingency plan in place in case someone goes down.
Then again, some injuries have a bigger impact than others, and the Titans will have a hard time replacing outside linebacker Harold Landry, who is probably out for the year after tearing his ACL in practice.
Defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons and defensive end Denico Autry will try to pick up some of the slack but there’s no replacing Landry, who logged 12 sacks and earned a Pro Bowl nod last year. Without him, the Titans could struggle to get after the quarterback in 2022, which is not ideal when you have to face off against Trevor Lawrence and Matt Ryan twice a year.
2. The bill may be due for Titans running back Derrick Henry in 2022
Derrick Henry can single-handly win games by wearing defenses down, This has helped him be one of the most dominant running backs in recent years and earn the King Henry moniker.
As recently as 2020, Henry ran for more than 2,000 rushing yards, which is somewhat surprising when you take into account that modern offenses are built to throw the ball and gain yards in chunks. Nevertheless, the former Alabama standout has shown there’s still room for old-school running backs in the NFL right now.
Last season, Henry was on his way to another 2,000-yard season but he then fractured his foot and ended up missing nine games. He was back for the playoffs, but he wasn’t fully healthy and wasn’t nearly as effective as he was prior to getting hurt.
Maybe, just maybe, Henry’s monster workload in recent years has started to catch up with him. He toted the rock a combined 286 times in his first two seasons — a relatively low figure for a lead back — but he then had 303 carries in 2019 and 378 in 2020. Moreover, he was closing in on another 300-plus carry season in 2021 before he got injured. There’s a chance he will pick up where he left up but there’s an equal chance his body won’t hold up.
Even if Henry loses a step, he should still be able to clear 1,000 rushing yards but the Titans need him to play at a top-notch level if they want to make the playoffs.
1. Ryan Tannehill hasn’t proven he can carry the Titans on his shoulders
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has enjoyed a career revival since replacing an ineffective Marcus Mariota at quarterback in 2019. Since then, Tannehill has made 43 starts and has led Tennesee to three consecutive playoff games and an AFC Championship appearance in his first year at the helm.
A first-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2013, Tannehill has proven that he can win games when he’s put in a position to succeed… but that’s the thing! He isn’t the kind of quarterback that will elevate everybody around him like Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, or Russell Wilson. Instead, Tannehill will mostly thrive when conditions are optimal.
Last season, Tannehill wasn’t as efficient when Derrick Henry was injured. Without Henry on the field, opposing defenses no longer needed to stack up the box against the Titans and dared Tannehill to beat him. It’s true that Julio Jones missed time with injuries and without him on the field, teams could zero in on A.J. Brown but Tannehill’s limitations as a passer were exposed.
Without much talent around him, Tannehill showed he’s better suited for a game-manager role, which isn’t a bad thing if you have a well-rounded roster. Just don’t expect to make a deep playoff run if Tannehill doesn’t have optimal talent at his disposal. Brown is now with the Philadelphia Eagles after being traded before this year’s draft and Henry might be a hair slower.