Opponent Scouting Report: Tennessee Titans

The Titans are getting a lot of hype heading into training camp, but have they done enough to address their weaknesses on defense?

Many NFL pundits were skeptical about the Titans’ hire of head coach Mike Mularkey as he came into the job with a career record of 18-39.

However, Mularkey’s “exotic smash mouth” offensive philosophy made the Titans into one of the NFL’s most exciting young teams, and gave Tennessee their best record since 2011 last season.

With some shrewd offseason moves, the Titans have improved a roster that just missed out on the playoffs at 9-7 in 2016.

Strengths

You can chalk up nearly the entire Titans offense under the “strengths” category. Pro Football Focus ranked Tennessee’s offensive line as the fourth-best unit in the NFL as they don’t have a single weakness at any of the five positions.

DeMarco Murray revived his career after an awful season in Philadelphia by gaining 1,664 yards from scrimmage in 2016 with 12 total touchdowns. Derrick Henry also looked strong as a rookie with 627 yards from scrimmage and 5 TD’s. Murray and Henry form a terrifying two-headed monster at running back.

Weaknesses

The Titans’ pass defense really held them back last season as it ranked 26th in the league according to Football Outsiders.

General manage Jon Robinson went and picked up a couple cornerbacks this offseason in an attempt to patch that hole on D.

The Titans selected Adoree’ Jackson in the first round of the draft after he established himself as an elite playmaker in his career at USC. Jackson had 5 INT’s and 11 passes defended for the Trojans last season, and he scored 17 career TD’s on defense, offense, and in the return game.

Robinson also signed Logan Ryan in free agency, who excelled as the Patriots’ number-two cornerback during his four-year career.

If these two can step up in 2017, the Titans won’t have an obvious weakness on their roster.

With a new GM and a new head coach, Tennessee took some enormous strides in 2017.

Tennessee may be the Colts’ stiffest test in the AFC South this season. Their athletic backfield and dominant O-Line will give the Indianapolis defense troubles, but Andrew Luck and the passing game could take advantage of an unproven secondary. Expect two competitive matchups between the Titans and Colts this year.