The Tennessee Titans have been relatively steady this year, sitting nicely with a 6-2 overall record and at the top of the AFC South after a 24-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
Many are impressed with what this team, which has been so inconsistent throughout recent history, has accomplished while surrounded by unprecedented circumstances in 2020.
There’s a lot for fans to be excited about, but some tweaks should be in store as well. We caught up with former Houston Oilers quarterback Sean Salisbury last week to discuss the state of the Titans.
One thing Salisbury noted is that the Titans need to put more emphasis on keeping people out of the red zone and the end zone.
“They’ve got to continue to keep putting more emphasis on keeping people out of the end zone and the red zone,” he said. “I’m a big believer in this team. They were a team that last year I thought definitely had a chance. I actually think that this year, they’re a better team.”
One major factor in that has been the ever-reliable play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who seems to only be expanding upon last year’s success. Some quarterbacks cannot be successful — something Tannehill really couldn’t be called in Miami — until they find their system.
“Tannehill is on another level and I know what’s coming down the pike,” Salisbury said.
“He had a hell of a year last year, I think he’s a better player this year. I think people were still wondering, well, which Tannehill are we going to get? I think he stepped his game up last year and I think now he’s stepping up more. This guy, over the last 17 or 18 games, has been one of the best players in this league. This team is fit for January.”
Tennessee isn’t necessarily the most eye-catching team, but they get down to the fundamentals and have shown they know how to pull a win out for the better part of the season.
“I like them when they get to the basics of what they do,” Salisbury said. “This is a team that’s not overly flashy. They’ve got great weapons on the perimeter with A.J. Brown, and I’m a big Jonnu Smith guy, but feed the beast. Keep running it, keep running play-action. I’m not worried about their ability to take it down and score and play under pressure.”
Is this the most consistently good Titans team we’ve seen in recent times? Salisbury says he thinks so.
“Probably,” he said.
Much of that boils down to the quarterback position, and while Salisbury says he has a great deal of respect and appreciation for ex-Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, the injury bug impacted more than just him.
“When Mariota was there, it was the injuries and it was like a seesaw,” he said. “He’d show flashes of brilliance sometimes — and I love the kid — but he just couldn’t stay on the field. When your quarterback can’t stay on the field, continuity becomes a problem, even as talented as he was. Now you’ve got a guy that’s durable.”
Salisbury also commended the coaching staff, and noted how the mentality trickled down into team performance.
“You’ve got a great staff, and they know how to coach. Guys like Arthur Smith. The coaches put their ego aside. Look at the situation with the Baltimore Ravens, adjusting to Lamar Jackson’s skill set and putting their ego aside.”
Tennessee is a team that “knows its strengths,” according to Salisbury, and takes a physical approach to handling its opponent.
“It’s physically man-handling you, and obviously the offensive line has got to stay firm,” he said. “With injuries, I know it becomes a problem. But they hand the ball off, they run the ball physically. They know how to maul you. They have a quarterback who is adding continuity.
“They can win the game if Tannehill throws the ball 15 times. There aren’t a lot of teams in the league who can do that. Mike Vrabel will take care of the defense, I assure you, and Arthur Smith’s putting himself in line to become a head coach if he keeps this up offensively.”
For Salisbury, it’s not necessarily about what the Titans are doing right now — they’ll make the playoffs. It’s about how they contend and how other teams handle them in the postseason.
“I’m looking forward more to December and January with this team than I am to now. I know they’ll make the playoffs, but my question is, can they play their best football and can somebody handle their physicality at the line of scrimmage in the postseason?”
