Now that they’ve advanced to the AFC Championship game, yes, we have to say the Tennessee Titans have a real shot at winning Super Bowl LIV in February.
Usually, it presents itself at times during the regular season if a team is Super Bowl-caliber. A team will catch fire at some point, piling up one signature win after another. However, we might be seeing something totally different out of the 2019 Tennessee Titans.
After a 2-4 start, where the team struggled due to poor quarterback play from Marcus Mariota, Mike Vrabel and his staff opted to go with former Miami Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill. Tennessee would go on a 7-3 run to end its season as the No. 6 seed in the AFC. The Titans were playing great football in November and December, but a slow start hurt their national perception.
Winning the AFC South would have been huge for them, but that’s not how their playoff story was going to be told this year. As the No. 6 seed, the Titans went into Foxborough and shocked the No. 3-seeded New England Patriots, 20-13. Derrick Henry had the game of his life in the Titans backfield. His reward: Another tough road date vs. the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
Baltimore was riding a 12-game winning streak. The MLB’s Baltimore Orioles had lost a game more recently than the city’s professional football team. Baltimore has the frontrunner for NFL MVP in quarterback Lamar Jackson. There was no way Baltimore was going to lose this game until the Ravens did.
Tennessee was unafraid of playing at M&T Bank Stadium in primetime. Tremendous offensive creativity by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and solid defense under Vrabel and defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ direction were the reason Tennessee advanced to the AFC Championship by clobbering Baltimore, 28-12.
So yes, Tennessee becomes the second team to join the NFL’s final four this weekend, along with the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers out of the NFC, who throttled the Minnesota Vikings in Santa Clara on Saturday afternoon. As strange as it may sound, we have to say Tennessee can seriously win the Super Bowl at this point. They are a real threat at this point and can beat anybody now.
Next week, the Titans will have to travel on the road to face the winner of the other AFC Divisional Round game between the No. 4 Houston Texans and the No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs. Tennessee has beaten both of these teams already this season. The Titans split their season-series with division-rival Houston. Tennessee won a nail-biter in Nashville over Kansas City in early November.
In short, the Titans shouldn’t fear whoever they play next week. They are playing with house money once again, poised to make their second trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history. Tennessee is better coached than Houston. It’s not like NRG Stadium is the toughest stadium to play in any way. Houston has never been to an AFC Championship game in franchise history either.
As for Kansas City, playing at Arrowhead would be challenging, but there are a few things that play right into the Titans’ hand to reach Super Bowl LIV. Kansas City has a history of losing home playoff games in heartbreaking fashion. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is something like 1-9 in games vs. the Titans in his coaching career. Also, how good is Kansas City’s run defense? Not great.
Ultimately, Tennessee can absolutely win the Super Bowl because it’s already beaten arguably the two toughest teams to beat this year. The Titans might have ended the Patriots’ dynasty on the road in Foxborough last week and the just handed Jackson another immediate playoff exit at home in his promising NFL career.
If the Titans play like this, they’ll be Super Bowl champions.