For years, smashmouth football has served as the bread and butter of the Tennessee Titans’ offensive attack. While the faces have changed since the days of Steve McNair and Eddie George, the grind-it-out style of punishing the opposition has remained as the team’s modus operandi on offense.
However, based on recent moves, there appears to be a shift from the “three yard and a cloud of dust” mentality to the desire of having an offensive arsenal full of speedy playmakers capable of making big plays.
Are we witnessing a change in the offensive philosophy of the Tennessee Titans?
In 2007, the Titans rode the combination of a stout defense and powerful running game to the team’s first playoff appearance since 2003. Despite the team’s success, Mike Reinfeldt’s 2008 offseason agenda consisted of getting a playmaker to add a new, more explosive element to the ultra-conservative Titan offense.
Chris Johnson was the game-breaker that Reinfeldt was searching for and then some, as his speedy presence provided a new dimension to the Titans’ offensive arsenal. However, CJ’s injury that forced him out of the second half of the playoff loss to the Ravens made it clear that the team was still in need of another playmaker or two.
With the desire to add more offensive weapons at the front of the team’s ’09 offseason wish list, the Titans signed speedy Nate Washington in free agency, while selecting talents such as Kenny Britt and Mr. Matchup Nightmare a.k.a. Jared Cook on draft day.
While it may take some time for Britt and Cook to emerge as contributors, it’s pretty clear in my mind that the team has adopted a new approach on offense. With a chest of shiny new toys to play with, I’m expecting offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger to make big plays a big priority on offense next year and beyond.
So what do you think, guys? Are you looking forward to watching a more wide-open Titan offense in 2009?
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