Where do the Titans go from here?
The Tennessee Titans‘ first-place finish in the 2021 AFC standings seems more confusing now than it did last season.
After Monday night’s embarrassing 41-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills, it’s clear there is something off in Tennessee. Head coach Mike Vrabel put it best in the post-game press conference. “We got our asses kicked, plain and simple. They outcoached us, they outplayed us, and that’s the definition of it.”
Titan fans will need to remind themselves that it has only been two games, but with an 0-2 record while being outscored a combined 62-27, questions are being raised about where will the Titans go from here. Tannehill or Willis? Why did we trade away A.J. Brown?
These are the kind of things that the Tennessee front office and coaching staff will need to address every week moving forward.
Stay on course
The easiest and most likely decision for the Titans is to stick to what they know. They are less than a year removed from an AFC-leading 12-5 record, so it’s not ridiculous to say that they are the top team in their division.
The notable departures of A.J. Brown, Julio Jones and Rodger Saffold III have left the offense in turmoil. Through the first two games, the passing attack for the Titans has been less than prolific, combining for only two touchdown passes. The lack of a clear number one receiver in the offense has also led to this anxiousness amongst the fans.
However, the Titans did add Robert Woods, and Austin Hooper, as well as drafting Treylon Burks eighteenth overall in the 2022 NFL draft. These are decent additions as is good reason to stay the course since almost every offensive weapon is brand new to the team and system.
And let’s not forget, the Titans still have one of the best offensive playmakers in the NFL on their team in Derrick Henry.
The next five games for the Titans are scheduled against much weaker competition than the Bills, so there is an opportunity to enter Week Eight with a 5-2 record. It seems too early to panic but I’ll let you tell that to a Titans fan.
Or is it time to make dramatic changes?
NFL fans are an emotional and impatient bunch. So it is unsurprising to see fans calling for change after two weeks. The outrage that came with the offseason trade of A.J. Brown seems to have been warranted with the offense struggling so far this season.
The loss of Brown, along with Julio Jones and Chester Rogers has left the Titans coaching staff and Ryan Tannehill to adjust to an entirely different receiving core, something fans are beginning to doubt that they can overcome.
This brings us to rookie quarterback Malik Willis, who made his first NFL regular season appearance during Monday night’s loss to Buffalo. The third round quarterback out of Liberty University is the parachute waiting to be pulled by the Titans coaching staff. Coming into the NFL, Willis has been compared to Jalen Hurts, whom we have seen emerge as a bonified NFL talent this season.
He may provide a spark to the Titans stagnant offense, even though his debut was less than perfect, going 1-for-4 for only 6 yards, while also fumbling the football. There will be some growing pains for Willis, however, the reward may be enough to lead the Titans to the playoffs again.
My verdict
I am in favor of waiting for a few more games before making any rash decisions. The Titans were a great team last season, so I think the Tennessee fans need to put a little more faith in Mike Vrabel and the Titans.
But if there is no improvement within the next few games, they need to hand the ball over to Malik Willis and draw an end to the Ryan Tannehill era in Tennessee.
