3 reasons the Titans are no longer the standard of the AFC South

Fans of the Indianapolis Colts can rejoice because the Tennessee Titans are no longer the gold standard in the AFC South division.

Let me start by stating that even after the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans defeated AFC West opponents in Week 3, the entire AFC South is still in shambles. Unless the Jaguars were just slept on all offseason, it is likely they will still be a below .500 team in 2022.

The current landscape of the AFC South is tough. Last year, not only did the Titans win the division for the second straight year, but they also earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and received a bye week. Despite getting that No. 1 seed in 2021, Tennessee is 1-3 since, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs, and then starting 2022 at 1-2. What has caused this slight fall from the top for the Titans? How come they are no longer considered a favorite to win the AFC South?

The national media has always put their spotlight on one team in the division because typically, the rest of the division is not competing. Only four times since 2013, the division has sent two teams to the playoffs. Why has the national media not highlighted any of the AFC South after just three weeks? It’s likely because not a single team is making it easy for them too. Tennessee is not the powerhouse of the AFC South anymore, and here are three reasons why.

3. Derrick Henry has taken a step back since his injury

Derrick Henry has not been himself to start the 2022 NFL season. The All-Pro running back has not cracked 100 yards rushing yet this season and he and the Tennessee run game has been underwhelming, averaging just 94 yards a game as a team.

The Titans’ offense runs through Henry and with his slow start, Ryan Tannehill has not recovered in the passing game. Tannehill has struggled so far through the start of the season, which makes it tough for the team to really get moving.

Luckily for them, they picked up a win in Week 3, but against a winless Las Vegas Raiders team, is that something special?

The Titans shouldn’t be confident that they are back as a team when they can’t even get the ball moving in their best playmaker’s hands. Henry has to get moving or the Titans’ offense will continue to struggle. He is nowhere near the level of play he had in 2020 and the first half of 2021 before the injury.

The truth is, if Derrick Henry and the offensive line can’t bring back the elite rushing attack, the Titans simply won’t be as dominant of a team as they were. That’s what made them special, and right now, they don’t have that.  As long as the run game is missing in Tennessee, the Titans aren’t a threat to winning the AFC South.

2. Titans shipped out AJ Brown to draft a replacement

The Titans didn’t want to pay star wide receiver A.J. Brown the money that he deserved, so they shipped him to the Philadelphia Eagles instead. Tenessee ended up drafting Treylon Burks, but he has not gotten off to a quick start in his rookie season. Burks has just eight receptions and 115 yards through three games.

Meanwhile, AJ Brown has the third-most receiving yards this season with 309 on 31 catches. The Philadelphia Eagles are one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NFL and their offense averages the most yards per game in the league. Brown is a big reason why.

It’s hard to immediately replace a talent like that. The Titans only average 208.3 passing yards a game. That ranks as No. 23 in the NFL. That’s not going to win many games.

With the lack of offensive production in the receiver room, the Titans have been forced into a one-dimensional offensive unit. This has slowed down the production that they generally get out of Henry.

Without a deep threat, defensive units are able to stack the box and have a more aggressive run defense. The Titans need a star to break out in the locker room so that Tannehill can start making plays and open up the offense. If that doesn’t happen, Tennessee is more likely to finish towards the bottom of the AFC South than the top.

1. The Titans are once again plagued by injuries

We’ve seen this before, Tennessee had the most players on their roster last season due to injuries. The Titans broke the single-season record by having a total of 91 players on the active roster in 2021. The previous record was held by the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, with 84.

Tennessee currently has 11 players on the injured reserve list, including Harold Landry III and Taylor Lewan. Heading into Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans’ depth chart is pretty much a sea of red.

Players on the active injury report include WR Kyle Philips (Q), Ola Adeniyi (Q), Monty Rice (O), Zach Cunningham (Q), Bud Dupree (Q), Ugo Amadi (Q), and Caleb Shudak (O). This does not include the IR list which includes Racey McMath, Taylor Lewan, Jamarco Jones, Da’Shawn Hand, Harold Landry IIII, Chance Campbell, A.J. Moore, Elijah Moore, and Chris Jackson.

The Titans are getting decimated and are on track to break their own record from 2021. To be clear, this is nothing to celebrate. Even through rivalry, you don’t want to see your foes fall off because of injury. The reality though, is that the best teams are the healthy teams.

Last year, with a record number of injuries, Tennessee somehow earned the No. 1 seed. That solidified Mike Vrabel as an elite coach and the Titans as a resilient team. However, it’s not a feasible task to accomplish yearly. The entire nation saw what happens when you are dismantled and square off against good teams in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for Tennessee, that challenge is coming even earlier in the season for them. If the Titans continue to struggle with their health, along with all their other personnel and performance issues, there will be a new king of the AFC South.

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