NFL Preview: Tennessee Titans

Jeff Fisher is awesome. Why? The moustache; the shades; the inability to make an excuse for himself when his team underperforms; the love and respect of his players; and an indomitable, never-say-die attitude that saw the Titans recover from an abysmal start to last season to finish a mind-blowing 8-8. There is no sarcasm in the assessment of that record: they were down and out and it looked like Fisher’s long-running tenure as top-dog in Nashville was coming to a close.

Then, on the back of stellar performances from Chris ‘CJ2K’ Johnson and up-and-down QB Vince Young, the team finished the season on a hot streak and. remarkably, had a mathematical shot at the playoffs come the final fortnight.


The miracle failed to materialise in the form of a post-season berth, but confidence was jacked-up and faith in Fisher was higher than in any other coach to lead a talented team to an 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

So what can we expect from the boys in light blue this time around? Chris Johnson has told us all to prepare ourselves for another rollicking season in which he intends to rush for 2,000+ yards. That would be nice. Vince Young is looking like a Pro now, going into his fifth year, while draft contemporary Matt Leinart is floundering in Arizona.

Young is mature enough to carry the weight of responsibility levied on an NFL Quarterback. The receivers are largely anonymous, but good enough distractions for a team that will score many of its points through the combination of legs and feet: both Young and Johnson are electrifying runners – in fact, Young is probably the most mobile starting QB in the National Football League given that Michael Vick is behind Kevin Kolb on the Eagles’ depth chart – and Rob Bironas is one of the best long-range kickers and cool under pressure.

A Wild Card spot would be a medal of honour for a team that must face the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans twice a year. If they make it to the post season, they will have earned their ticket.


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