Three Reasons this one team is the AFC Wild-Card
Woof Woof WOOF! All I hear is woof tickets from Baltimore Ravens’ fans and non-Ravens’ fans alike. They are all saying the same thing. “Lamar Jackson is going to the Super Bowl.” I GET IT! I’m totally on board. As one of his biggest fans, I smell you! However, it’s easier said than done. The work has to be put in. This is a very tough playoff race. No team is a pushover, but if my Ravens were to fall to anyone and represent the AFC in the dance other than the Kansas City Chiefs, I would have to say it would be the Tennessee Titans.
NO, I’m not smoking crack. No team in the AFC race is here by mistake (even the Pats). The Titans are definitely contenders. Here are three reasons why I believe they have what it takes to give any squad a scare or even upset them in the playoffs.
Ryan Tannehill
While this former Aggie underwhelmed due to injuries and so-so performances, it was not fully on him. He was part of a losing team that was appeared forever positioned to bow down to the “Brady Bunch”. The 31-year-old Veteran QB did put Jarvis Landry on the map down there, which made him the coveted receiver he is in Cleveland. This former Miami Dolphin is the NFL comeback player of the year. Coming in week seven and changing the course of the team, the Texas Native with a 70.7 completion percentage (3rd in NFL) is most certainly a force to be reckoned with. Did I mention he’s leading the league in passer rating?
A.J. Brown
This is a guy I was watching blowing it up with the NWO (Nasty Wide Outs) of Ole Miss. He D.K. Metcalf and DeMarkus Lodge helped the Rebels achieve 511.3-yards per game on average, according to sports reference.com. Going 4-games straight with a TD, A.J. is still a nasty WR. Stephon Gilmore, who just got embarrassed by DaVante Parker (8-recs, 137-yards), has another tough challenge coming up and could be taken out to the woodshed this time by a rookie.
Derrick Henry
32 Rushes, 211-yards, and three TDs?!?!? This was the stat-line last week against the Houston Texans. Granted, the Texans rested a few of their starters, but with 1540-yards and 16-TDs on your season resume, we know the performance is consistent. Sure, the Titans are facing the NFL’s top-ranked defense, but my bias against the N.E. is that they destroy middling to trash RB but have managed to struggle against a few tougher opponents. Mark Ingram (15-Carries, 115-yards), Joe Mixon (25-Carries, 136-yards), Nick Chubb (20-Carries, 131-yards) all broke the century mark against the defending Super Bowl Champs. Even Frank Gore hit them over the head for 109-yards in week 4. Should Derrick be the workhorse throughout the playoffs, he may even give Baltimore a run for their money.
I take nothing away from Dean Pees, as he has shown he is still in the top half of the league in points allowed per game. However, if the Titans want to get beyond Wild-Card Weekend, they need to pump up the points.