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The Titans ended a successful first half of the season by defeating the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The win gives the Titans a stellar 6-2 record and sole possession of 2nd place in the extremely competitive AFC South division.
Now that the second-half of the season is upon them, the Titans must continue to play solid football if they are to accomplish their goal of reaching the postseason. As the Titans head towards the second half of their quest for the playoffs, there are areas of the team such as the defense that only need to sustain their dominating performance during the first half of the season. However, there are also certain aspects of the team where vast improvement is needed if the Titans are to emerge as a legitimate playoff contender.
Need to sustain their performance
Defense
The Titans have utilized a suffocating performance by the defense to race to a 6-2 record this season. The defense, currently ranked #2 in the league in yards (270.8 per game) and #1 in the league against the run (66 yards per game), has been the engine in the Titans’ success thus far. Motivated primarily by a contract season, Albert Haynesworth has finally decided to live up to his enormous (pun intended) potential, amassing five sacks and thirty tackles while providing a consistent presence in opposing teams’ backfields. Haynesworth is tied for the team lead in sacks with fellow defensive lineman Travis LaBoy, who is finally living up to his status as a former second round draft selection, and Kyle Vanden Bosch, who has again provided a relentless pass rush from the defensive end position.
In addition to the standout performances by the defensive lineman, the Titans have also received consistent contributions from Keith Bullock, who continues to provide steady veteran play and leadership and ball hawking safety Chris Hope, whose ability to cover ground in the secondary makes life easier for the Titans’ cornerbacks.
Kicking Game
The days of Al Del Greco remain as a distant memory as Rob Bironas continues to emerge as one of the league’s most accurate kickers. Currently the NFL’s 2nd leading kicker in points scored (75), Bironas has successfully converted on 20 of 22 field goal attempts. He almost single-handedly defeated the Texans a few weeks ago with an NFL record eight field goal performance.
As Adam Vinatieri has consistently shown us with the Pats and now with the Colts, teams that do well in January have solid kickers that can be depended upon to make crucial kicks in the postseason. Bironas will play a huge role if the Titans are able to make the playoffs.
Running Game
The Titans currently own the league’s 3rd best rushing attack, averaging almost 150 yards per game on the ground. LenDale White leads the way with 613 yards, but is only averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Chris Brown and Chris Henry have provided the element of speed to the Titans’ run attack, with both averaging over 5 yards per scamper. With the struggles of the passing game, the Titans will need to continue to grind out solid performances via the running game if they are to remain in playoff contention.
Much improvement is needed
Passing game
Vince Young is the conductor of the league’s 31st ranked pass offense, averaging a dreadful 149 yards per game. Young is currently having a horrific sophomore season, throwing only 3 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions thus far. The Titans’ receivers have suffered from untimely drops at the most inopportune times, and have consistently lacked the ability to make the big play.
The Titans’ game plan is to combine an effective running game with a stifling defense to win ballgames and so far, that strategy has been very successful. However, if the Titans are to reach their full potential, the passing game must improve upon its consistency and ability to make at least an occasional big play.
Scoring Touchdowns in the red zone
Only the Colts, Patriots and Cowboys have been to the red zone more times than the Titans. However, unlike Indianapolis, New England and Dallas, the Titans have failed to consistently score touchdowns in the red zone. Tennessee is currently the league’s 28th ranked team in touchdown percentage in the red zone (35.5%), reaching the end zone on only 11 of their 31 red zone opportunities. The Titans have been able to win in spite of their red zone deficiencies but as the season progresses it will become more difficult to win ballgames without converting more red zone scoring opportunities into touchdowns.
At 6-2, the Titans have already proven to be a team that is capable of competing for a playoff spot. However, if the Titans are to fulfill their dreams of reaching the postseason promise land, areas such as the passing game and the ability to score touchdowns in the red zone will need to improve.