With yesterday’s overtime victory over the Dolphins, the Tennessee Titans joined the six-member club of AFC teams sitting at 7-7. Along with the five other squads, the Titans are also desperately clinging to slim postseason aspirations due to being a game behind the Ravens and the Broncos with two games to play. Here’s a quick look at some potential scenarios that would allow the Titans to accomplish what seemed improbable several weeks ago: qualify for the postseason despite their nightmarish 0-6 start. The Ravens or the Broncos must lose their remaining two games As I mentioned earlier, Baltimore and Denver are the two teams sitting uncomfortably as the leaders in the AFC Wild Card race with only two games remaining. If the Titans can win out, their chances of qualifying for the playoffs would be enhanced dramatically if either the Ravens or Broncos lose their final two games. Baltimore has two road games left: @Pittsburgh and Oakland. The Steelers still have some playoff life remaining after yesterday’s dramatic 37-36 win over Green Bay, and of course, considering both teams are a part of one of the league’s most heated division rivalries, it’s going to be anything but a cakewalk for the Ravens this Sunday. Oakland, despite their poor 5-9 record, has played surprisingly well in their upset defeats over the likes of the Eagles, Steelers and the Broncos, so that may not be an easy matchup for the Ravens either. As for Denver, they go on the road to face the Eagles, which easily could result in a loss for the Broncos. However, with their final game against the terrible Chiefs, it’s going to take a minor miracle for Denver to lose both of their remaining games. The battle of the 7-7 teams If either the Broncos or Ravens lose both of their final games and the Titans win out, here’s what has to happen with the other 5 teams who are currently sitting at 7-7 and competing with the Titans for a long-shot playoff spot: Due to tie-breakers, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and the Jets all would finish ahead of the Titans if they finished at 9-7. Therefore, the Titans must hope that each of these three teams lose one of their remaining two games. Here are their remaining schedules: Jax: @New England, @Cleveland Pitt: Baltimore, @Miami NYJ: @Indy, Cincinnati As for the two remaining 7-7 teams: Miami and Houston, the Titans would own the tie-breakers over both teams if they each finished at 9-7. This is due to Tennessee holding the head-to-head over Miami and a better divisional record than the Texans. So, there you have it folks, a quick take on what the Titans need in order to do what appeared to be the unthinkable just a few weeks ago: embark upon an improbable journey to the postseason after starting the year in such a disastrous fashion. What do you think, guys? Can the Titans pull it off?
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