LET'S TALK FOOTBALL - Tennessee Titans

Now that the Tennessee Titans hired a new general manager and drafted quarterback Cam Ward with their first overall pick, it is really time to see what head coach Brian Callahan is made of in this league. Either he is going to prove that Will Levis was truly a nightmare of a player or that Callahan is just a product of Joe Burrow. When I look at the team he has to work with, it is not completely inspiring.

The offense did not really change this offseason, besides the addition of an aging Tyler Lockett. When the heck is Tennessee going to get the hint that signing older receivers does not work for them? Just ask DeAndre Hopkins, Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, and Julio Jones how their brief stints were. It looks like he and Calvin Ridley will form the one-two punch at receiver, but without Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Callahan is hoping that two of their rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike will step up. At tight end, Chigoziem Okonkwo has been somewhat of a disappointment, so GM Mike Borgonzi made sure to address it by selecting Gunnar Helm in the fourth round. With Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears manning the backfield, it is not the worst supporting cast, but then there is the offensive line. JC Latham and Pete Skoronski showed promising signs as legitimate starters, but why in the world would they give Dan Moore Jr. $50 million guaranteed? He was never a legitimate starter in Pittsburgh and there is a reason why they drafted two different guys in the last two years to eventually replace him. It doesn’t help that center Lloyd Cushenberry is coming off a significant injury and the answer for right guard is thirty-five year old Kevin Zeitler. It feels like Cam Ward is going to get thrown into a raging fire, and unless he transforms into the next Jayden Daniels, then it feels like he is heading down the Caleb Williams path of agony.

Last year, The Titans defense gave us a mixed bag of emotions. They were the second best unit in yards allowed, yet they let up the third most points, with the Cowboys and Panthers as the only ones that were worse. Last offseason, they signed a ton of veterans to bring some juice, and a huge chunk of them were gone before the season could end. Harold Landry was released in March, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs were cut in the middle of the 2024 season, while Ernest Jones was traded. Tennessee at least still has Jeffery Simmons and Arden Key to anchor the pass rush, and the rest of their rotation is not completely terrible. Maybe T’Vondre Sweat could break out in his sophomore year, yet he has a long way to go with his development. The Titans also signed both Cody Barton and Dre’Mont Jones from Denver to help clean up the mess, so it was not like the front office neglected that side of the ball. As for the secondary, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is hoping for the younger guys to really step up. With L’Jarius Sneed only playing five games, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. showed tremendous promise at corner, while it felt like safety Amani Hooker was the only player that made sure to get his hands on the ball. Roger McCreary and Xavier Woods have always been up-and-down defensive backs, so I don’t know how much of a difference those two will make, but I doubt things could get worse than what they were last year.

I doubt this team is going to make the playoffs because not only do you have to see what you have in Cam Ward, but with the rest of the roster as well. They might play in a weak division, yet their offseason did not prove that this is the year where they turn things around. Stranger things have happened though, so let’s hope that Ward can finally put this team back on the map in a positive way.

WEEK 1 @ DENVER BRONCOS

The NFL schedule makers were totally generous when they had the Titans began the season on the road in Denver, one of the toughest places to play sports. What makes it even more difficult is that the Broncos were one of the biggest surprise stories of the league by making it back to the playoffs with Bo Nix at quarterback. Their offense was not the strongest unit in the league, but thanks to Sean Payton, their signal caller managed to improve week after week and blossomed as a face of the franchise. However, I did not see their offense get drastically better in the offseason. They did not solve a ton of their issues with the running game, their only notable signing on that front was tight end Evan Engram, and they did not sign another veteran wide receiver to aid Courtland Sutton. My guess is that Payton wants some of the younger players like Devaughn Vele, Marvin Mims, and especially Troy Franklin to form themselves into a legitimate receiving corps. Thankfully, they have one of the more improved offensive lines in the league, so it is not like they will not be given the chance to succeed.

What makes this a drastic challenge is the Broncos defense, which surged in several categories. They led the league in sacks, finished third in rush yards allowed and points allowed, and ranked eighth in takeaways. Their pass rush has an abundance of key playmakers starting with Nik Bonitto and working down to the likes of John Franklin-Myers, Zach Allen, and Jonathon Cooper. Denver boosted their run defense by signing Dre Greenlaw to boost the younger guys like Dondrea Tillman and Jonah Elliss. Did I forget to mention that Alex Singleton is coming back from a torn ACL? The secondary, however, is the most lethal group in my opinion. They have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Patrick Surtain II. They drafted Jahdae Barron in the first round as an elite second option. Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones are the two spearheads at safety, while JaQuan McMillian will secure his spot as the nickel back. I never thought Vance Joseph of all coordinators would be the one to put that defense in this position, but he has done a tremendous job over the last season and a half, meaning that he could get another chance to be a head coach.

I unfortunately do not see this as a fair matchup for the Titans because their first opponent is against a dark-horse contender for the Super Bowl. It is already hard to win a game at Mile High, but this Broncos team is a million times better for the first time in over a decade.

WEEK 2 vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS

I warned everybody when I said this year was not going to be a whole lot better for the Titans. Their home opener is against the Los Angeles Rams, who have always been a consistent playoff contender under Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. Maybe keeping Ernest Jones might have been a wise decision for this franchise. Anyways, this LA offense has always been their bread and butter, regardless of the different pieces they had over the years. Kyren Williams is a touchdown machine just like a certain man named Todd Gurley. The Rams have one of the best young receivers in the league in Puka Nacua, and while the Cooper Kupp era unfortunately had to come to an end, it is not terrible getting Davante Adams as a consolation prize. I personally thought it was a bummer that Demarcus Robinson departed in free agency, but knowing Sean McVay, there are going to be at least a couple guys that will carve out bigger roles. My guesses are Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell. Unfortunately, Tyler Higbee is not the same tight end that he once was, but I think both Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen have a strong chance of stealing the starting spot at some point in the season. Their offensive line gave up the sixth fewest sacks in the league, so if you are a team that does not have a scary pass rush, then it might take a while before you actually get to the quarterback.

Their defense has a boatload of playmakers, but I still feel like there is a lot of room for improvement. Braden Fiske and Jared Verse made instant impacts in their rookie seasons, while Kobie Turner and Byron Young showed the young guys how it was done. Their biggest loss was letting Christian Rozeboom walk away in free agency because they do not really have anybody else that could replace him. Hopefully, the secondary could ease things for the time being. Derion Kendrick is coming back from injury and Darious Williams is back, but this group proved that there were plenty of guys that successfully adopted the “next man up” mentality. Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough thrived in the safety positions, while Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant might have found a new home. It is not the most explosive defense, but they are hungry for blood, a group that is not afraid to get nasty when things get difficult.

There are going to be plenty of matchups where the Titans are not going to be given a chance, so if you thought the first two games were brutal for this football team, just wait as we go through the rest of their schedule.

WEEK 3 vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Now this is the first game where I can give the Titans a legitimate shot of winning, mainly because the Colts do not have a surefire starter at quarterback. We thought it could be Anthony Richardson, but his inaccuracy issues completely plagued this team, and it did not help that he was in and out of the lineup throughout the season. I seriously doubt Daniel Jones is going to get this team over the hump, so what I see is an average offense led by two subpar quarterbacks. I feel bad for Jonathan Taylor because his prime is just being wasted. The same goes with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce, because while Joe Flacco was not exactly the transcendent backup that he was in Cleveland, he at least proved that all those two needed was a better player throwing them the ball to help the two of them grow. However, one player that I think a lot of teams will have a hard time planning against will be rookie Tyler Warren. Regardless of who starts at quarterback for Indianapolis, he is going to be the ultimate security blanket because there are so many things he could do with the football. The offensive line was not so bad last season, but the departures of both Ryan Kelly and Will Fries are going to hurt them in 2025. Outside of Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith, I don’t really know which players on that front are going to excel at the highest level, meaning that Indianapolis is more than likely bound for another mediocre season.

Newly hired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is hoping to get his career back on track in a new change of place and prove that Gus Bradley was truly not the right man for the job. When I look at the Colts defense, I see a lot of names, but I know that the production was not there the year before. Their front four was supposed to be led by DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye, and Laitu Latu. Yet, they totaled the seventh fewest sacks with thirty-six. Zaire Franklin is one of the consistent leading tacklers in the NFL, but their run defense allowed close to 132 yards per game. However, I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that their secondary was still a travesty. This offseason, Chris Ballard did his job to make sure that it would not be an issue again. They brought in Charvarius Ward to be their new number one corner and signed safety Camryn Bynum to elevate it even higher. These were the two latest additions to a secondary that already had starpower in Nick Cross, Kenny Moore, and Jaylon Jones. Now it is up to Anarumo to see if he can finally turn this group around for the first time in close to five years.

Given that this game is at home, I feel like the Titans make this a hard day for the Colts, especially if their quarterback situation does not improve. I think it will be an ugly contest without a doubt, but I think Tennessee has a little more experienced roster and it could be used as a big advantage to barely escape with the victory.

WEEK 4 @ HOUSTON TEXANS

The last time these two teams played one another in Houston, the Titans pulled off one of the most surprising upsets of the year with a close 32-27 victory. However, if I know anything about the Texans, they will not let something like that happen again one year later. Last season was rough for a franchise that was finally starting to get things back on track. Despite winning the AFC South and making it back to the playoffs, it felt like they were worse than last year, and now it is time for everybody to prove that it was just a fluke. That means CJ Stroud is going to have to break through that rough sophomore wall and return to the promising stud he was in his rookie season. This season will be a bigger challenge because not only is Stefon Diggs gone, but Tank Dell is expected to miss all of 2025 with that gruesome knee injury he suffered in December. However, I think both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are going to surprise a lot of people in their rookie seasons, which will take a lot of pressure off of Nico Collins and even newly signed Christian Kirk. Along with Joe Mixon and Dalton Schultz, it is still a talented offense that just let go of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, so it is time for Nick Caley to right the ship. Yet, their offensive line still gives me pause for concern. They traded away Laremy Tunsil, released Shaq Mason, and traded away Kenyon Green. The new guys that the Texans signed include Cam Robinson, Trent Brown, and Ed Ingram. The only returning pieces are Juice Scruggs and Tytus Howard. I don’t know how, but it felt like their offensive line got worse. That says a lot, considering that CJ Stroud was the second most sacked quarterback in the league!

As for the Texans defense, the one thing that held them back from their potential was the lack of discipline. That falls on DeMeco Ryans because this was supposed to be the unit for him to turn around. They have the talent, but they need the chemistry and mental toughness to really go far in the playoffs. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter did a tremendous job on the front four, they have a legitimate linebacker duo of Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, but it is their secondary that I think makes this group even more dangerous. They have a transcendent number one corner in Derek Stingley Jr., a couple of rising studs in Calen Bullock and Kamari Lassiter, and Jalen Pitre is one of the more underrated safeties in all of football. They also just acquired CJ Gardner Johnson in a trade with Philadelphia, which means Jimmie Ward will not have to take a huge load of the work as one of the only veterans on the team.

Knowing that this game will happen early in the season, I think the Texans should play well enough to win at home. However, things might hit a little bump when they meet again in Nashville.

WEEK 5 @ ARIZONA CARDINALS

In the past, I would have had a difficult time picking the winner of this matchup, but not this time. The Arizona Cardinals might not be one of the biggest powerhouse teams of the league, but I have hopes for them after a bounce-back year in 2024. Sure, they didn’t make the playoffs, yet there were plenty of positive flashes they showed on the field. Kyler Murray did not have a hard time bouncing back from his torn ACL and showed that this is still his team for the foreseeable future, James Conner is still a workhorse at running back, and Marvin Harrison Jr. established himself as the focal point of the passing game. Trey McBride rightfully earned a contract extension to make him the highest paid tight end in the NFL, but I am curious to see how Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch are going to perform in what should be make-or-break seasons for both receivers in the league. The fact that Arizona has one of the best offensive lines in football after being such a garbage heap a few seasons ago should indicate that this unit will be very efficient. The question is can they be consistent, because that has been the biggest con of Kyler Murray’s tenure in the NFL.

What I was really more impressed with was their defense with Jonathan Gannon leading the charge. I still feel their pass rush can get a lot better, but totaling forty-one sacks last year showed promising signs of improvement. That number should definitely increase with Josh Sweat signed to a long-term deal, along with players like Darius Robinson and Baron Browning hoping to have improved in the 2025 campaigns. I am also expecting the run defense to get better because even though they have Zaven Collins, there is a reason why Arizona signed a proven veteran in Dalvin Tomlinson. The secondary is also an above average unit that at least made the effort of adding a potential number one corner by drafting Will Johnson in the second round, so that should take a lot of pressure off of Budda Baker’s shoulders. It is still a very young group, so I am anxious to see which guys are going to step up, especially as we approach the second half of the season.

If this game was in Nashville, then I can see the score being a lot closer than people would expect, but I believe the Cardinals should do more than enough to get the job done at home. As I said, the Titans have so many questions they need to answer and it is going to take more than a performance over the Colts to show me what type of team they will be in 2025.

WEEK 6 @ LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Just like their matchup last week against the Cardinals, I really do not see the Titans pulling off a miraculous upset. Geno Smith and Pete Carroll are back together in Las Vegas, which means the two are probably not going to win less than seven games this season. Actually, if you look at the rest of their roster, it feels like watching the Seahawks in an entirely different conference, but there are a few modifications. The Raiders drafted the Heisman winning running back Ashton Jeanty with their first round pick, which was a huge need because this team has not had a powerful player at that position since Josh Jacobs. However, the passing game still gives me some questions. They might have Brock Bowers, one of the more generational tight ends in the league, but the wide receiver room is lackluster. I like Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, but they are not quality number one options, so maybe Jack Bech will jump onto the radar and surprise us out of nowhere. Their offensive line is also a pretty substandard unit that allowed the eighth most sacks in the league, so I do not think that signing Alex Cappa in free agency did not make them a better unit. Nor does hiring Chip Kelly as your offensive coordinator! It was an issue when Pete Carroll was in Seattle and I am scared it is going to linger again in Sin City.

If there is one thing that I hope Carroll does well with this team, it is make sure the defense is not set back a decade. You have an unstoppable menace in Maxx Crosby, but the rest of the supporting cast is just average at best. Christian Wilkins is coming back from injury, Tyree Wilson has not lived up to the first round hype, and they did not do enough to address the linebacking room after Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo left in free agency. I think Germaine Pratt is a solid tackler, but there is not too much depth at his position. The other three veterans in that group are Elandon Roberts, Devin White, and Jaylon Smith. The one thing that all of them have in common is that they have not been good in three to five years. Hopefully there is a younger player that could surprise us out of nowhere, but I truly do not know who that will be right now. The secondary also lost some key pieces like Tre’von Moehrig and Nate Hobbs, but I honestly like the guys that will take their place. I have always been a fan of Jeremy Chinn, and I believe that both Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jakorian Bennett took big leaps in 2024. I do not expect it to be a great unit, but I think they can be pretty good against certain foes.

I know that both Pete Carroll and Geno Smith are going to be desperate to not have a terrible season, so against a team like the Tennessee Titans, this might be just a little more lopsided than normal.

WEEK 7 vs. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

When the Titans played the Patriots at home last season, they managed to hold on in a 20-17 overtime victory. Now that New England has fully reassembled their roster and coaching staff, they are hoping to make sure that this one is not even close, especially now that Mike Vrabel is the new head coach. Don’t tell me you forgot about him. The Jerod Mayo experiment failed, so a more proven and successful man will do his best to develop Drake Maye into the stud that he is supposed to transform into, and the cast around him is ten times better than whatever the heck he had last year. Rhamondre Stevenson had a rough season with fumble issues, which is why New England drafted Trayveon Henderson in the second round, but he is still a flexible back that can fight for yards after contact and bruise defenders with his physicality. They signed Stefon Diggs to be their new number one option, but I have been skeptical about the wide receiver room for the last five years now. It’s not only about the supporting role players, but the fact that Diggs is coming off a torn ACL and is not getting any younger. Fortunately, Hunter Henry is still around and has always been a reliable security blanket, but my biggest area of focus is the offensive line. New England did everything they could to overhaul that unit and managed to do that within a few months. They drafted left Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick, replaced the recently retired David Andrews with Garrett Bradbury, and signed Morgan Moses in free agency to be their right tackle. The only returning starters will be Cole Strange and Michael Onwenu, so their biggest priority is making sure Drake Maye does not get crushed on a weekly basis, or else this season is going to be a disaster.

Just like Bill Belichick did in 2021, Mike Vrabel retooled this defense into a respected juggernaut. They gave Milton Williams a huge contract to be their spearhead on the defensive line, brought in Harold Landry to fly off the edge, added Robert Spillane to be the new starting middle linebacker, and even signed Carlton Davis to complement a rising superstar in Christian Gonzalez. New England had to let go of a few remaining veterans to make these signings possible, but there is no doubt they will have one of the best defenses in football at the end. These signings are going to take the pressure off of guys like Keion White, Christian Barmore, Anfernee Jennings, Jahlani Tavai, and Kyle Dugger to do their best to keep a faded empire alive the year before.

With Mike Vrabel coming back to Nashville, he is going to make sure this team not only gets the win, but blows this Titans team out of the water. I would not want to watch this game if I am somehow still supporting them.

WEEK 8 @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

I do not really expect either of these teams to be good this season, so what is the harm of saying that this series is going to end in a split? If one of these teams win twice, good for them. That is all.

WEEK 9 vs. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Just before the bye week, the Titans will be back in the comforts of their own home, just for them to run into another playoff team from last year. This is not a team you want to underestimate, especially with Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert as the main centerpieces. Last season did not end the way they wanted, but the Chargers proved that they could compete with anybody in the league. Harbaugh implemented the same formula with LA that he did when he won the National Championship at Michigan: run the ball, play great defense, keep the quarterback out of harm’s way. It helped JK Dobbins bounce back with a near thousand yard season, so just imagine what things could be like with rookie Omarion Hampton and veteran Najee Harris. But even if a defense manages to keep the running game in check, then there is wide receiver Ladd McConkey to worry about, who thrived in his rookie season. My only question is who will be Herbert’s second option. Quentin Johnston is incredibly talented yet has drop issues, Mike Williams had a very up-and-down season in 2024 trying to return from injury, and tight end Tyler Conklin is the only other security blanket on the roster. The Chargers offensive line is an average unit that does well with run blocking, but could have its issues in pass protection, so the latter might be a problem if Herbert does not have anybody that can consistently get open.

What really turned things around for the Chargers was their defense, which went from being one of the worst in the league to allowing the fewest points one year later. When you look at the defensive line, there are not too many household names, but this is still a group that had the sixth most sacks in the league last season. Khalil Mack might not be the player he was in his prime, but he is still one of the most productive edge rushers in the league. Tuli Tuipulotu is emerging as one of the more underappreciated players at his position and veteran Bud Dupree did not do bad himself with six sacks of his own. What LA is hoping, however, is for more of the younger guys to step up and shine for this team. Daiyan Henley received that message early by nearing 150 tackles and guys like Troy Dye and Junior Colson are hoping to get caught up. In the secondary, LA let Asante Samuel Jr. walk away in free agency, mainly because they might have found a new number one corner in Tarheeb Still. Elijah Molden jumped into the radar out of nowhere last season and got himself a deserving contract extension as a result. That is not even mentioning that they still have one of the best safeties in football with Derwin James leading the unit. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter did a hell of a job leading that defense, and if he keeps this up any longer, he might enter some head coaching discussions.

I do not make the rules here, Titans. I know that so many people have their hopes high for Cam Ward, but the drastic situation that he might find himself in is not going to be his fault. Hopefully, he proves everybody wrong, but what else did you think would happen?

WEEK 10: BYE WEEK

WEEK 11 vs. HOUSTON TEXANS

Upsetting the Houston Texans at home would be a promising way to come out of the bye week. Knowing that Tennessee pulled off a huge stunner last year, I would not be shocked to see it happen again. Just wear the Oilers uniforms when it happens, that would be even better.

WEEK 12 vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Just when you think things could finally turn around for the Titans, they run right into another brick wall. This time it is the Seattle Seahawks. Many are hoping that last season for Sam Darnold was not just a “one year wonder” and that he does not revert back to his Jets form. Myself included. When I look at the supporting cast around him, it is not as great as it was when he was with the Vikings, but it is still manageable. The Seahawks have an underrated running back tandem of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, two guys that can punish defenders with physicality and acceleration on yards after contact. No more Tyler Lockett or DK Metcalf, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as a number one option and he will have a promising right-hand man in Cooper Kupp. Hopefully, the former Super Bowl MVP can stay healthy because he has proven he can still play. You just need him on the field. Seattle also has an emerging tight end in AJ Barner, and there are a couple of depth guys in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jake Bobo that are hoping to have some role in this offense. However, the state of the offensive line always worries me, from the days of Russell Wilson. One red flag about Darnold’s play is that he tends to hold onto the ball too long, and you cannot have that in Seattle, because he is not going to have a clean pocket most days. They might have drafted Grey Zabel in the first round, but if Charles Cross is the only good lineman they have again, then this team is going to be extremely disappointing to watch.

The main strength of the Seattle Seahawks last year was their defense, despite the fact they missed the playoffs with a ten-win season. They have an incredible amount of playmakers on all three levels and Mike MacDonald did a great job of making sure that this unit cleaned up any issues that they might have had in the past. Leonard Williams is still an absolute beast of a pass rusher and there were plenty more guys that stepped up as well. Boye Mafe and Derick Hall had breakout seasons last year, and now that Demarcus Lawrence is coming on board, this is a defensive line that will have depth. In the linebacking corps, Ernest Jones will hopefully have a full season under his belt with the team, because he is an incredibly versatile player that any team would love to have. The secondary has a plethora of name talent like Riq Woolen, Julian Love, Devon Witherspoon, and Coby Bryant. The hope is that if the offense finds some consistency, the defense will not suffer any setbacks. MacDonald is a hell of a coach, so I am truly hoping for the best.

Even if Darnold does not pan out the way Seattle hopes he will in 2025, I doubt he is going to lose a game to this Titans team. Then again, he did give the Dolphins and Bengals their first wins in 2019, so anything is possible.

WEEK 13 vs. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

If there is one thing that the Titans could do right this year, it is giving their division rivals a regrettable afternoon in the comforts of their own home. It will be interesting to see how the Jaguars look with Liam Coen as the new head coach, because if Trevor Lawrence continues to look mediocre at best and pathetic at worst, then that contract extension is only going to appear worse as the days roll by. Coen has a lot of work to do with not just getting Lawrence back on track, but with the rest of the offense as well. They have two capable starting running backs in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, while Brian Thomas Jr. has emerged as the focal point of the passing game, but the offense suffered a lot of turnover at the same time. Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Evan Engram were all released. Jacksonville replaced them by promoting Brenton Strange as the starting tight end, signing Dyami Brown in free agency, and then trading up with the Browns to draft Travis Hunter with the second overall pick! Not only is Hunter supposed to help out a ton in the passing game, but that secondary has desperately needed a standout cornerback for years, and the Jaguars got a guy that can do both! One of the biggest surprises of 2024 was that their offensive line actually did pretty well, despite only winning four games. It only let up thirty-two sacks, the ninth fewest in the league, and I think it got stronger with the signing of Patrick Mekari in free agency. Anton Harrison showed improvement, Ezra Cleveland thrived at left guard, and the unit did pretty well for itself without Cam Robinson at left tackle. Lawrence is going to be the biggest X factor for this team’s success, or else Jacksonville’s new regime will not be afraid of moving on from him in the upcoming offseason.

As for the Jaguars defense, I have been consistent in saying that it has been the team’s Achilles heel for the last five years. The only two guys that kept it somewhat afloat were Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, so even with the addition of Travis Hunter, this group has a lot of making up to do this year. Arik Armstead has been a disappointment, Devin Lloyd showed a lot of consistency issues, and I did not like that Jourdan Lewis was the only addition they made to the secondary in free agency. Maybe Hunter and Tyson Campbell can form into a solid duo, but for this team to truly turn things around, everything has to be absolutely perfect in all aspects of play.

I do not see either of these teams going far this season, so I will give the Titans the home-field advantage and say that they will not completely wet the bed against a Jaguars team that is slowly going through the motions of what might be another deep rebuild.

WEEK 14 @ CLEVELAND BROWNS

This is already going to be one of the ugliest games of the season. They are not even playing each other until December and I can tell this is not going to be fun to watch. At this point, I don’t even need to say why anymore but I will anyways: the Browns don’t have a quarterback. They might have drafted Dillon Gabriel AND Shadeur Sanders, but if the only veteran backups are Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, then that is not the best considering that Deshaun Watson suffered two torn Achilles injuries. It doesn’t help that Nick Chubb is no longer on the roster, despite the fact that he was a shell of himself trying to come back from that knee injury, and then later suffered a broken foot late in the 2024 season. The good news is that Cleveland made sure to draft not one but TWO future running backs to their core! I’m curious to see which one will be the lead between Qunshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, because if I’m being quite honest, I don’t know what role Jerome Ford is going to carve out in this offense. In the passing game, the two main focal points will most likely be Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku, but there need to be more than a few guys that will have to step up. Cedric Tillman, David Bell, and Diontae Johnson are the more notable examples. However, that offensive line really took a huge slide as it allowed the second most sacks in the league. Even with the addition of Teven Jenkins, I do not know if we are going to see any improvement, unless one of these four quarterbacks completely stun us and somehow lift this team to the playoffs.

Their defense is not void of blame because after a dominant 2023 season, they saw signs of regression as well. A lot of it happened to do with the setbacks of the offense, but Myles Garrett was quite possibly the only player showing any form of consistency. One of the boldest moves they made in regards to that defense was to trade down three spots from the second overall pick and select Mason Graham out of Michigan, while receiving a significant package that includes a future first. Jacksonville might have been the lucky ones to select Travis Hunter, but if Graham turns into a successful player, then Cleveland will have little regrets. The rest of their defensive line has a bunch of rotational pieces that can make solid contributions, but the linebacking corps took a hit with Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah ruled out for the season due to a neck injury. Even though they signed Jerome Baker and kept guys like Devin Bush and Jordan Hicks around, the Browns are going to have an average run defense at best. I cannot say anything different for the secondary, because although Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit are absolute studs, the rest of the group could not follow the way. Martin Emerson and Greg Newsome have been massive disappointments, Rayshawn Jenkins is just an okay safety, and it didn’t help that Juan Thornhill left in free agency. Jim Schwartz is one of the smartest defensive minds in the game, but after that dip of a performance last year, who knows which direction they will take this season?

Neither offense is going to show up in this game until one of them falls apart at the end, so given that this in Cleveland, I will give them the slight edge and pick them to win. I do not feel confident whatsoever, but a job must be done.

WEEK 15 @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ers

I can remember it like it was yesterday when Jimmy Garoppolo beat the Titans in 2017, when Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch first took over for the 49ers. So much has happened since then, and after a forgettable 2024 campaign, they are hoping to jump right back onto the map. There will be no more offseason drama now that Brock Purdy got his contract extension, so now that the offense is healthy, it is time to see what he can do. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams will be returning. Unfortunately, Deebo Samuel and Jaylon Moore will not. However, the 49ers still have an incredible amount of depth at wide receiver and the offensive line has been a stable unit for the most part. Deebo might be gone, but if Aiyuk cannot fully recover from the injury, then there is another trio that could pick up the slack: Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, and Ricky Pearsall. It might not sound totally inspiring, but with Shanahan as the play-caller, they will be effective and efficient.

At the start of the offseason, the 49ers saw many of their stars depart elsewhere. Javon Hargrave, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Charvarius Ward were the most notable names to leave. The good news is that they still have two of their key cornerstones in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Not only that, but Robert Saleh is coming back as the defensive coordinator, so a familiar face will be more than welcomed back in the building. The 49ers made sure to give Bosa some extra help by drafting Mykel Williams in the first round, but I truly do not know if this team is going to be truly better than they were last year. With Greenlaw gone, you don’t know who is going to pair up with Warner on the second level. Deommodore Lenoir got himself a nice contract extension, but who is his right hand man? On the other hand, Hufanga’s void will be filled with the likes of Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown, along with veterans Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant hoping to adapt to their new change of scenery.

At this point, I do not even need to offer my thoughts as to why I think the 49ers will win. They are at home, they have bigger aspirations, and they are vastly superior in all aspects of play. Are you happy?

WEEK 16 vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

No? Well, too bad, because now the Titans have to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. As much as we want to laugh at the national media for saying that Patrick Mahomes is the GOAT if he wins a third straight Super Bowl, I can understand what started this discussion. The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the most dominant dynasties in the league and their quarterback has been the biggest reason why. As long as they have him healthy, they are the class of the AFC. Fortunately for them, the core is still intact. Isaiah Pacheco is one of the angriest running backs in the league and does a better job of getting yards after contact than most other players at his position. They are even bringing Kareem Hunt back, who did a tremendous job in emergency duty when Pacheco got hurt. The passing game will still focus on Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy, but Kansas City made sure to keep around Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster as reliable supporting options. There is also tight end Noah Gray, who is arguably the best backup player at his position, with the exception of Isaiah Likely. Yet, that was not the biggest issue with this offense. Surprisingly, it was the offensive line. To fix their drastic need at left tackle, not only did they sign Jaylon Moore in free agency, but drafted Josh Simmons with their first round pick. Joe Thuney unfortunately got traded to Chicago, but the good news was that Kansas City kept Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey. It appears that Mike Caliendo will be the starting left guard and he proved to be a serviceable placeholder, so let’s hope that it will not be a liability once again.

Over the past few seasons, Steve Spagnuolo has slowly but surely turned this defense into one of the best units in all of football. The biggest reason why is because of their front seven, which opens up the blitz and features several key playmakers. Chris Jones is still playing at an elite level, George Karlaftis deserves a huge payday for how tremendous he has been since he arrived, Mike Danna has developed into a bluechip edge rusher, and I cannot wait to see how Felix Anudike-Uzomah does in what should be a breakout year. Their linebacker room is stacked with Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton plugging up the middle, with Leo Chenal and Jack Cochrane on time when you need the call. The secondary is stacked with younger talent like Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Jaden Hicks, Bryan Cook, and Chamarri Conner. With Kristian Fulton the newest addition, this is a group that can most definitely keep this team in Super Bowl contention.

Patrick Mahomes might not have a win in Tennessee yet and Cam Ward could definitely change that, but bring this up to me again a week before this game takes place, and I will see if I change my mind.

WEEK 17 vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

If both the Titans and Saints are terrible during this time of the year, then this might be a fun matchup for the sake of draft positioning. I can honestly see it happening with how bad New Orleans has been as of late. I feel bad that this is the first head coaching job for Kellen Moore because on a team with no cap flexibility, an aging roster, and no plan at quarterback, this is the worst situation he could have asked for. Everything was put on halt when Derek Carr retired, so now there are three guys competing for the starting job: Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and rookie Tyler Shough. I wish I could say that at least there are the Pelicans, but that team is on the verge of blowing it up. The only silver lining I have is that at least the Saints offense will be healthy. Alvin Kamara had a bounce back season with close to 1500 total yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed will more than likely be the two biggest targets for whichever quarterback throws them the ball, along with tight ends Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill. Brandin Cooks is even coming back, so there is some nostalgia there. The offensive line is not completely horrible either and it got better with Kelvin Banks Jr. replacing Ryan Ramczyck at right tackle. The only issue is that once everybody got hurt, the entire offense plummeted, and it is one of the biggest reasons why the Saints had a dismal five win season.

As for the defense, how do I put this? They have zero depth and they are incredibly old. When you do look at the younger guys in this group, they are either inconsistent or inexperienced. They already lost their top two corners in Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, their only two good pass rushers are Bryan Bresee and Carl Granderson, we don’t know what to expect from Chase Young, and Demario Davis can only do so much at thirty-six years old. At least they signed Justin Reid to reunite with his former Texans teammate Tyrann Mathieu, but with Brandon Staley as the defensive coordinator, my hopes are not that high for this group.

If this was in the Superdome, I would be giving the Saints the advantage. But knowing that this is in Nashville and figuring that the Titans are going to be desperate to win at least one more game late in the year, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. It will be close, scrappy, and ugly to watch. However, the loser is actually the winner, considering that they get the higher draft pick.

WEEK 18 @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

I’m going to guess that this is a meaningless game for both teams, so just like in the first matchup, I will give the decisive edge to the one that gets to play at home. Enjoy another lost season, Titans fans. Who knows if Brian Callahan will last another year if they are truly this terrible?

FINAL RECORD PREDICTION: 4-13