Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Around the League Friday: AFC South Coaching Carousel, Conference Championship Picks & Locked On Showcase

Episode Date: January 27, 2022

The Tennessee Titans may be benefiting indirectly from some of the moves being made on the NFL coaching carousel. Indianapolis lost a critical coach, the Jaguars keeping doing Jaguar things & Houston is being weird. Tyler goes over all the recent news and how it affects the Titans. Then, sadly the Titans are not playing this weekend, but two games will happen regardless. Tyler goes over his picks for each game and who will end up in the Super Bowl. Finally, check out a Locked On showcase showing all the great coverage the network is providing!Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP3332GMOh4y5PX3q9NFybwSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.OnlineGambling.comVisit onlinegambling.com/NFL to get the edge over the competition throughout this year’s Playoffs!GetUpsideJust download the FREE GetUpside App and use promo code TOUCHDOWN to get 25 cents per gallon or more cash back on your first tank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, it is another Around the League Friday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast and on today's show, we're going to take a look at the NFL coaching carousel. directly impacting the Tennessee Titans division rivals. So we'll talk about those and have a laugh as well. Then we're going to take a look at the games that are being played this weekend with a chance at the Super Bowl on the line. The San Francisco 49ers against the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals against the Kansas City Chiefs. Then I have a special segment for you guys. Going to hear from some of the other talent around the Locked On NFL world. Can't wait to show you guys that.

So all of that and more on an Around the League Friday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked On Titans. Your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked On Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Titans fans, it is an Around the League Friday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. We are going to kick off the show talking about the NFL coaching carousel and everything that's going on there.

Before we dive into that, I do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first to listen every day. If this is your first ever listen to the Locked on Titans podcast, make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream. Check out the show on video on YouTube at the Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Subscribe over there. Smash that notification bell so you know when all of my content goes live. Check out the Locked on Titans Facebook page at Locked on Titans Pod.

And check me out on Twitter at Tic Tac Titans. But with all that being said, time to dive into this NFL coaching news. Number one, we are going to start with one of the jobs that got filled on Thursday, and that was the Chicago Bears. They filled that spot with a name that you guys should recognize, Matt Eberflus. He was the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. Obviously, the Bears get a head coach that they're looking for. Kind of funny that they hired a GM with the name Ryan and then a head coach with the name Matt when their GM's name was just Ryan and their head coach's name was just Matt. But I don't know if any of you guys find that funny, but I sure do. Very strange occurrence there. But either way, we got to look at this through the lens of how it impacts the Titans division rival Indianapolis Colts. One thing that the Colts have been able to count on for the last few years is that defense. Not only are they a great defense in general, but they force a ton of turnovers.

And you have to think that a lot of that defensive success comes from Eberflus and got him a head coaching opportunity. But also, Frank Reich is purely an offensive guy as the head coach for the Indianapolis Colts. So a lot of that defensive credit, probably 95% of it, needs to go to Iberflues. And we can also say that the Indianapolis Colts offense, while it has some great moments of success over the last few years,

it can be a tad inconsistent. And when you consider that the Colts are going to go into next season with that inconsistent offense, and then they're maybe going to take a step back on defense because they're losing Eberflus. Well, from the Titans' perspective there, can't be upset about that. So anything that hurts the Titans' enemy helps the Titans. So Matt Eberflus going to Chicago to be their head coach, a big hit for the defensive side of the ball for the Colts, and that's their most consistent side of the ball.

The other coach that got hired on Thursday doesn't have a direct impact to the Titans. It was Nathaniel Thackett, the offensive coordinator from the Green Bay Packers. He is now going to coach the Denver Broncos. That's a good match there, but personally, I don't think that that hire is so tremendous that it makes the Broncos an immediate contender.

But if that move is followed up by a trade for Aaron Rodgers, who Hackett has just worked with, well, then that could create a pretty good Denver Broncos team that people have to worry about. But in that division with the Chargers and with the Chiefs, it's always going to be tough to come out of that no matter who your quarterback is or what your situation is. So Nathaniel Hackett to the Denver Broncos.

Those are the two hirings. There are still some openings here. And I want to talk about two teams that are still open, and they are the Titans' division rivals. So we hit the Colts. Now we need to talk about the Jags and the Texans. And the Jaguars, man, they just can't get out of their way. Got to give credit to my buddy Jordan.

He said, when everyone zigs, the Jags jag. I think that's pretty perfect. So right now with the Jaguars, they decided to keep general manager Trent Baalke. And Baalke has a very mixed bag of results and a mixed bag of relationships in the NFL. And some people say that keeping Trent Baalke around is a huge detriment to the Jags moving forward. He's a

guy who can't be trusted, tries to win out in power battles, and has had some questionable hires in the past when he was running the San Francisco 49ers after they lost Jim Harbaugh. So we're seeing some of those things play out right now. The Jaguars were looking to bring in young offensive mind Byron Leftwich, who's the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a guy who I wrote about back in about 2015 saying that he's going to be a good head coaching candidate one day. Well, here we are in 2022 and that is the case. So Byron Leftwich looked like he was set to be hired by the Jags,

but then there was some discrepancy. There was some holdup in the negotiations because Byron Leftwich wanted final say on the roster, not giving it to Trent Baalke because nobody in the industry trusts Trent Baalke. Well, looks like maybe that deal is off. Maybe the Jaguars lost the coach and one of their former players, who they wanted all along, and there's rumors that Balke is going to go out and get Vic Fangio, who just coached the Denver Broncos.

If that turned out, no Byron left, which Fangio, that would be a boon to the Tennessee Titans, and that decision to keep Trent Balke around is really hurting Shad Khan already. Now, for the Houston Texans, no major progress to hiring a coach for them, but just want to point out that two of the guys that they've interviewed that not a lot of other teams have,

former quarterback Josh McCown and former Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward, really outside the box from the Houston Texans. And do we trust the Houston Texans to make the right decisions when it comes to hiring their next head coach? I don't. So not looking great for the Titans division rivals all the way around. Also, the other openings still are the New Orleans Saints after Sean Payton's retirement, the Minnesota Vikings, the Miami Dolphins, the New York Giants, and the Las Vegas Raiders. So those are the openings that are still remaining. That's the news that affects the Tennessee Titans from their division rivals in the NFL's coaching carousel.

That's going to do it for our first segment. We're going to move forward and talk about the games that are being played this weekend, the two conference championships that, unfortunately, the Tennessee Titans aren't a part of. Before we get into that, I do want to tell you guys about a free app that anyone who buys gas has to know about.

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don't wait to take advantage of all their amazing offers. BetOnline is the fastest and easiest way to wager on all your favorite sports. BetOnline, where the game starts. Titans fans, let's continue this Around the League Friday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Just discussed the NFL coaching carousel. Now going to talk about the championship Sunday games that are coming up this weekend,

who I think is going to win them what to watch for in those games. And then, of course, we're going to cap off the show with a little preview of some of the excellent content that the Locked On Podcast Network is churning out, whether it be the Locked On Now Insiders, whether it be other Locked On hosts. Just a great job all around. Very proud of the work that this network is doing. So, before we get into all of that, do got to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your

first listen every day. Speaking of that awesome content that the network is putting out, make sure you guys check out the Peacock and Williamson NFL show. They're going to be live in LA for Super Week, bringing you the best and most comprehensive coverage you can get. Check out the Peacock and Williamson NFL show, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. But diving into these games, the number one game I'm going to get into is what hurts the most,

and that is Kansas City hosting the Cincinnati Bengals. Should have been KC at Tennessee. But we will only have to live with that hurt for the rest of our lives. No big deal. Moving forward though, KC is a 7-point favorite. I think that's way too high, personally. If you guys are looking to place a wager at betonline.ag, I think that Cincinnati plus 7 is a great deal.

Now, I'm thinking that Kansas City wins by about 3 or 4, but 7, that's way too many points for a conference championship. Now, I know what you're thinking in your head. If the Titans would have had Kansas City's offense last week, then, yeah, they would have beat the Bengals by more than seven. But the reality is Kansas City doesn't have the Titans' defense. They don't have their defensive front. They have two guys who are pretty solid up front, though,

and that's Chris Jones and Frank Clark. And because of that, the pressure that Kansas City is going to be able to get on Joe Burrow will be key. Now, Kansas City got themselves in a tough spot in their previous matchup because defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo really likes to focus on cover zero blitzes where he has one-on-one coverage on all the receiving options and he just brings everybody on a blitz. Well, that's going to leave you in one-on-one situations

against T. Higgins, against Jamar Chase. And I don't really know if that's what Kansas City wants to do. The one time the Titans really tried to do that, they did it a couple of times during the game, but the one time they did that early on gave up a huge play to Jamar Chase because one missed tackle. And guess who's really good at making people miss? Jamar Chase. So you're really setting guess who's really good at making people miss? Jamar Chase.

So you're really setting yourself up in a tough risk-reward scenario when you go cover zero against the Bengals as much as Kansas City did in their last matchup. Now, that was a great game, but it also was in Cincinnati. And if you know anything about betting, you know that having a home field advantage is typically a three-point advantage. So with Kansas City having that, I don't like the minus seven, but I do think they win the game.

Give me Kansas City 32, Cincinnati 28. I can see somewhere in the lines of that. I don't think Cincy gets over 30 points. If they do, they have a real shot. The other game to watch on Sunday is the Los Angeles Rams against the San Francisco 49ers. A much less interesting game, in my opinion. If it would have been the Packers or Tampa Bay against the Rams,

that would have been an interesting game. Of course, obviously, Tampa Bay played L.A., so it didn't end up being possible the way it all shook out. But I know that San Francisco has beat LA six times in a row, and I know that Kyle Shanahan seems to have a hold on Sean McVay, but I just think LA gets it done. I think LA being in the Super Bowl is big time for the NFL, establishing that fan base, having that home Super Bowl in LA,

getting that LA fan base really riveted and ready to go for their future in LA, trying to turn the Rams into one of those pillar franchises. Now, I'm not saying that the NFL is going to influence to make that happen, but sometimes the thing that seems like what's best for the NFL just seems to play out. So it's more of a psychological read on the game than any kind of statement on whether the NFL is influencing it.

I just think that's the way that it's going to work out. It's just a feeling that I have. LA right now is a three and a half point favorite. I think they cover. I think the Rams cover. I think the Rams win by about, I'm going to say by about 11, 11 to 14, somewhere in there. I do think LA is going to win this game. I mean, San Francisco's only touchdown last week was on a punt block. They're not going to get

that this week. So you stop the run game of the San Francisco 49ers, which I think LA has the opportunity to do up front. You get Jimmy G in third and long situations. And here's what's going to happen. The Rams pass rush with Von Miller and Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd, they're going to get pressure on Jimmy G. And he's going to throw some interceptions. I just think it's the Rams' time. We're going to see a Rams-Kansas City Super Bowl.

And honestly, out of all the combinations that we can make from these four teams, LA versus Cincinnati, San Francisco against Cincinnati, San Francisco against Kansas City, LA against Kansas City, from all the combinations, we've seen Kansas City versus San Francisco. I think Kansas City is just a better team than Cincinnati. I think LA is just a better team than San Francisco. So with all of that taken into consideration, I want to see Kansas City versus LA.

Remember when they played in the regular season a couple years ago? I think it was in Mexico City. It was 54-51. That was one of the best games I've seen in a long time. And I know that Matthew Stafford is now the quarterback of the Rams and Jared Goff was then. The teams are a little bit different, but I think we deserve that rematch. So I am looking forward to that matchup in the Super Bowl, hopefully.

But, of course, we will see what happens. So that's how I feel about the games going on this weekend. I am going to get into this, I would call it kind of a locked-on preview. You're going to get some snippets from some locked-on insiders, going to get some snippets from some other locked-iders, going to get some snippets from some other locked on hosts, some really great coverage around the network. I'm really proud of the work that this network's doing. So I'm excited to let you guys in on some of that. Before we get into it though, do want to let you guys know about our sponsor Built Bar. It's a new year and that means

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The Super Bowl is right around the corner. And this weekend, we find out who goes to the big game in Los Angeles. Here to break it all down are local experts covering the four remaining conference championship teams the way that only we can here at the Locked On Podcast Network. So here's everything you need to know about this weekend's games from our Locked On Now podcast. Coming up, Championship Sunday is just days away, and we've got to punch two tickets to

the Super Bowl. Who will serve as the reigning AFC and NFC champions for the year to come? We'll find out what each team still standing needs to do to earn a conference title on Locked On Now NFL. The biggest games. The best performances. Expert analysis. You are Locked On Now.

Expert analysis. You are Locked On Now. You're listening to Locked On Now NFL. Local experts on the biggest stories throughout the NFL. I'm your host, Kim Becker, and thanks so much for making Locked On Now your first listen every weekday. Our Locked On NFL hosts are here to look ahead to the NFC and AFC championship games. Let's start where these teams are trying to get to Los Angeles, SoFi Stadium. They will host the Super Bowl in two weeks, but first, the Rams have to host the 49ers for the NFC crown. The biggest game. San Francisco 49ers fans don't know if Jimmy Garoppolo will be their starting quarterback next season,

but they do know that he'll be under center to try to win his second NFC championship game in three years against the Rams on Sunday. With a chance to remain undefeated against the NFC in the postseason, our Locked On 49ers host says the key to a San Francisco victory is Jimmy G not making the big mistakes that could cost the Niners the whole game. What's good, everybody? It's your boy, former NFL and NFL defensive back Eric Crocker, and I am one half of the Locked On 49ers crew here to give you your 49ers main key to victory as they travel to Levi's South and take on the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC

Championship game. All right, I think this game, it begins and ends with the play of Jimmy Garoppolo. Now, if I had to give just one main key victory here, it's Jimmy G, don't turn the ball over. And if you do, just limit it. So right now, 49ers, the way I see it, Jimmy G, one turnover. That's all we're giving you, just one. Anything more than that, it'd be trouble for the San Francisco 49ers. All right, so that's going to do it, man. I hope you guys appreciate that. Make sure you guys listen to our show as well, Locked On 49ers,

the best show on the Locked On Network podcast. Let's go, 49ers, the best show on the Locked On Network podcast. Let's go, 49ers. Win this game this Sunday. Matthew Stafford picked up his first playoff win just a couple of weeks ago, and now he's a win away from playing the biggest football game on the planet in the Rams' home stadium. Our Locked On Rams host tells you how L.A. gets the veteran QB to the Super Bowl he's chased for 12 whole seasons.

Hey, it's Travis Rogers from Locked on Rams. So here is the one key to victory this weekend for the Rams in the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. Remember when you used to play with matches as a kid and maybe you'd get away with it once in a while and a couple of weeks, months, years later, you realize how bad of an idea that was that you could have burned the whole house down? That was the Rams in Tampa against the Bucs. They were playing with matches.

They turned it over way too many times. Four turnovers in that game. Somehow they escaped. Somehow they beat Tom Brady despite turning it over four different times. If they're going to beat the Niners, they simply cannot do that. They might be able to get away with one. Two is probably the end of the wrap. And anything more than that, it is absolutely not going to happen for you there. You can check out more about the Los Angeles Rams on my podcast, Locked on Rams, part of the Locked On Podcast

Network. It is free and available on all platforms, your team, every day. The Kansas City Chiefs played the Cincinnati Bengals just a few weeks ago at the end of the regular season and since he won. So how do the Chiefs make sure that that doesn't happen again with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line? Our Lockdown Chiefs says a combination of learning from the mistakes of that game and keeping the momentum going from last week will add up to a big win. But he has more on the details. The AFC Championship game comes down to two things for the Kansas City Chiefs. Can Patrick the Reaper Mahomes continue his run as we saw against the Bills, and can the Chiefs defense and its staff learn its lesson from

the last time they played the Cincinnati Bengals? I'm Ray Tracy from Locked On Chiefs, and that's what it comes down to. You saw an extraordinary effort by the offense, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey, Tyreek Hill, to not only get to overtime, but then win it. They don't need to do that. They have to avoid it, in fact, in order to get this win against a team that is nearly as explosive. On the other side, you have to be careful if you're Steve Spagnuolo or anyone out there on the field on the defensive side of the ball to not overreact to what you saw the last time when Jamar Chase destroyed that secondary on a circus catch after circus catch. Tyron Matthews should be back and playing in this ballgame. That helps.

You have to adjust and you have to play over the top and you have to try to take Chase and limit him. Not take him away because then you're devoting too many other resources to that and someone else is going to hurt you I think they're going to play more zone I think they have to back off and let Joe Mixon hurt them if he can they'll live with that and that will get them the win for more on this game and your Chiefs check out Locked On Chiefs we're free on every platform we're part of Locked On Podcast Network your team every day Joe Burrow took a beating last week as he fought his way into the AFC championship game. And while Cincinnati does already have a win against Kansas City under its

belt this season, our Locked On Bengals host says that the team can't get a second one if it doesn't keep its quarterback on his feet. Will the Bengals take down the Chiefs on Sunday in Kansas City in advance to the Super Bowl. Hi again, everyone. I'm James Rapinoe of the Locked On Bengals podcast. And that is the question going into this epic AFC championship game between two teams that played each other this month. They played each other on January 2nd at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals came out victorious 34 to 31,

overcoming three different 14-point deficits. I expect Sunday to be a different story. The Bengals can't fall behind against this Chiefs team by two scores and expect a rally on the road. But the number one key, protect Joe Burrow. Burrow was sacked nine times last week against the Titans. He was hit 13 times. And yeah, the offense had 19 points.

Well, 19 points isn't going to cut it against Patrick Mahomes. The magic number, 40. If they can somehow get to 40, you feel good about their chances. How do they do that? They keep Joe Burrow upright. If they do that, he can distribute the ball to all of his weapons, including Jamar Chase, T. Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, and the Bengals just might sneak in to the Super Bowl.

For more, make sure you check out the free and the only daily Bengals podcast, Locked On Bengals, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. That's a wrap for us here. Thanks so much for making Locked On Now your first listen every day. For more on the National Football League and your team, make your second listen,

Locked On NFL and your team's Locked On Podcast. I'm Kim Becker. This has been Locked On Now, locked on your team every day. All right, guys, if you want more of our Locked On podcast. I'm Kim Becker. This has been Locked On Now, locked on your team every day. All right, guys, if you want more of our Locked On Now podcast, you can find it anywhere you get your podcasts as well as our Locked On NFL, NBA,

and NHL YouTube channels. The local experts are always going to be covering the biggest stories in sports every day, so make sure that you guys check those out. But that's going to do it for me today. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.