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Listen to NFL Vegas sharp Steve Fezzik join Jonas Knox on ‘Straight Outta Vegas’ to preview the 11th ranked team on their 2020 win/total prediction rankings, the Tennessee Titans.
The Marcus Mariota era came and went in Tennessee, as the former number 2 overall pick and Heisman winner from Oregon ultimately was bounced from town with mixed results.
Mariota had three consecutive winning seasons in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and even became the hero in one of the most exciting playoff games of the decade against Alex Smith’s Chiefs in 2018, but he never became the productive passer he was in college.
Mariota threw just 76 touchdowns in 63 games, and never threw for over 3,500 yards during his five seasons with the Titans. After starting the season 2-4 in 2019, Mariota was benched for derided former Dolphins wash-up Ryan Tannehill, who shockingly became an MVP candidate the second half of the season.
Tannehill ended Mariota’s future in Tennessee after going 7-3 down the stretch to miraculously sneak Tennessee into the playoffs, posting a league-leading 117.5 passer rating in the process.
Tannehill and the Titans then effectively overthrew the New England Patriots dynasty in the Wild Card round, and pick 6'd Tom Brady in his last ever pass as a Patriot.
Tennessee’s rise from the ashes in 2019 was one of the season’s biggest shockers, but it’s difficult to project another run at an AFC South title given Tannehill’s bizarre career.
Despite earning a lucrative new contract (four years, $118 million) given his elite play last season, Tannehill was one of the league’s most painfully mediocre quarterbacks during his time in Miami from 2012-2018, going a forgettable 42-46, and never once finishing in the top 15 of QBR.
Tannehill’s Titans averaged 30.6 points per game during his 10 starts, second in the NFL to Lamar Jackson’s Ravens in that span, and the team returns 10 of 11 starters on offense.
The Titans face the league’s 2nd easiest schedule, and will be seeking their first division title since 2008.
Notable additions included linebacker Vic Beasley from the Falcons, and cornerback Johnathan Joseph from the Texans, and first round pick Isaiah Wilson, an offensive tackle from Georgia.
Tennessee’s key losses included the aforementioned Mariota, Dion Lewis, Tajae Sharpe, Delanie Walker, Jack Conklin, Cameron Wake, and Jurrell Casey.
The Titans’ Over/Under for wins is 8.5, their odds to win the Super Bowl are 28-1, odds to win the AFC are 13/1, odds to win the AFC South are 8/5, and their odds to make the playoffs are -130.
Check out the entire segment above.