Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Gunnar Helm & Cam Ward NIGHTMARE DUO for NFL, O-Line Optimism & Tank Path Update

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

The Tennessee Titans saw rookie tight end Gunnar Helm break the franchise record for catches by a rookie tight end and the yards record is likely to fall as well. This is just an example of how Helm h...as quickly become Cam Ward's most reliable target and the most promising rookie weapon from the 2025 NFL Draft class for the team. Helm and Ward can terrorize the NFL for years to come. The offensive line has had impressive showings in recent weeks and while there are explanations for that, there is a natural cohesion being formed that can give the Titans a major boost going into 2026. Finally, the thing that will really give the Titans a boost next year will be some high-end rookies and securing the best pick possible is still on the top of fans' minds. With three weeks left in the season, the Titans are still in a great spot to get a very high pick, if not the first overall, but they will need some help. Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclubSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Rocket MoneyTake control of your finances and cancel your unwanted subscriptions with Rocket Money.Go to https://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDONtoday.Aura FramesFor a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting https://AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code LOCKEDON at checkout. FanDuelIf you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit FanDuel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long. PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Gunner Helm looks like the best Tennessee Titans rookie tight end ever, and I think him and Cam Ward are going to be a nightmare for NFL defenses for years to come. That and more on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked-on Titans podcast I am your host Tyler Rowland Titans fans
Starting point is 00:00:35 Today's edition of the Locked-on Titans podcast is brought to you by Fandle If you want to be right in the middle of the action This season visit Fandle dot com and place your NFL live bets All season long On today's show I'm going to tell you why I think
Starting point is 00:00:49 Gunner Helm is the best Titans rookie tight end ever and why I think his connection with Cam Ward will be special for years to come Also, we talk talked about reality with the Tennessee Titans offensive line last night. I want to talk about some optimism with the offensive line going forward into the future and we'll do a little tank job update here as the Tennessee Titans tank is in a really
Starting point is 00:01:12 good position if you look at the rest of the teams around them. Now before we get into all of that, do want to thank you for making Locked-on Titans, your first listen each and every day. And thank you for making the Locked-on Podcast Network, The number one sports podcast network Monday through Friday Tennessee Titans content all year round always for free
Starting point is 00:01:31 You're not gonna beat that anywhere else Make sure that you get subscribed Stay subscribed It's your team every day Shout out to my everydayers out there Tune in Monday through Friday Couldn't do it without you guys If you aren't an everydayer
Starting point is 00:01:45 You need to be one But nightmare on Helm Street folks I quite frankly Every time I see Gunner Helm do something good It's hard for me not to victory lap. I think it was so clear to me early on that Gunner Helm is going to be not only a great addition to the team, but the starting tight end for the team, tight end one right away.
Starting point is 00:02:08 You just look at what he does so well and how it has impacted Cam Ward. He's so good at catching the football. He's long with long arms and big hands and can adjust to the football in different ways and make tight catches, contested catches, over top of guys. I mean, he shows it every single week. He has the most reliable hands on the entire team by far.
Starting point is 00:02:34 I think that Gunner, we're not just talking about, and I'm going to get over my skis a little bit here, but I don't care. We are just talking about a guy who is a good player who could be a starter. I think Gunner Helm has the potential to be a top five tight end in the entire NFL. I think if you want to look at certain connections, and my guy Brad Hopkins, Titans Legend,
Starting point is 00:02:53 talked about this on the squad show on Tuesday morning, but, you know, look at a Travis Kelsey and a Patrick Mahomes or a Mark Andrews and Lamar Jackson, go back to a Tom Brady and a Rob Grancowski, you know, a lot of the great quarterbacks in the NFL had a tight end that they could rely on, a Dallas Clark for Peyton Manning, you know what I mean? Like the connection between a tight end and a quarterback
Starting point is 00:03:17 is so sacred and so prolific. at this point throughout the history of the sport of football and you look at what Gunner Helm does well and again I think it's just it's just a perfect fit for Cam Ward I have talked about Cam Ward's gunslinger mentality and Cam Ward's style of play
Starting point is 00:03:35 and we're seeing it play out every week Cam Ward is not pinpoint accurate he's not going to be Joe Burrow or Tom Brady where his ball placement is elite and superior like he's a gunslinger it's going to be more like Brett Farvean than anything else where, hey, it may not be the most perfect pass ever. Hey, it may be a little behind, it may be a little high, it may be, you know, it's coming like a rocket straight at you.
Starting point is 00:03:59 That's Cam Ward to me, and I've been saying that all season long, even before the season started, that Cam Ward's skill set as a gun slinging quarterback will make a player like Gunner Helm even more valuable because what Cam Ward is maybe deficient at, Gunner Helm skill set can help. him with that again the big catch radius being able to control his body adjust to the ball in mid air make plays like we saw gunner helm the touchdown to gunner helm this week was an adjustment to a pass by cam ward to the outside towards the sideline we saw that exact type of route being missed by mason kensy early in the year you know why because mason kensy isn't as big as gunner helm he's not as good as gunner helm he can adjust on the fly like gunnor helm can gunner helm is just a much more talented player. So with what Cam Ward is as a quarterback, guys like Gunner Helm are going to be absolutely critical. And that's why I think what we've seen so far from Gunner Helm and
Starting point is 00:05:01 what we know about Cam Ward, I think that by far Gunnar Helm will be the most important, the most impactful, the most special of the fourth round picks that everyone was excited about with Ellikio Manor, Chim, DK, and then Helm. I think Helm will be by far the best player out of that trio of guys. And we're seeing already. Gunner Helm has broken the record for most catches by a rookie tight end in Tennessee Titans history. Right now, he is not far away from Chigaconquo's 22 record for receiving yards for
Starting point is 00:05:36 tight ends in NFL history. Right now, Gunnur Helm has 347 yards. Chigacanquo had 450 as a rookie in 2022. So Gunnurlum has three games here to get 100 more yards. and then he would have the record for catches and yards for tight ends. He has two receiving touchdowns on the year for the Titans. I mean, what else could we possibly ask for? And we are talking about a guy in Gunner Helm,
Starting point is 00:06:03 and again, you look at the touchdowns, Gunner Helm second on the team, or second, because there's a tie at first between D.K. and Iow Manor. But then two touchdowns, nobody else on the team has more than one. David Martin Robinson, Jeffrey Simmons. Van Jefferson, one touchdown catch. But it's all the rookies. And again, Gunner Helm has two.
Starting point is 00:06:26 Gunner Helm has 10 more catches than I-O-Manor, three more catches than D-K. He's got 46 more yards than D-K. He's only 23-yard, or 23 yards behind Elyke-I-O-Manner, and this is a guy who's played significantly less snaps than those other players. Gunner-Helm has been treated as the backup tied-end for most of the season.
Starting point is 00:06:47 that is completely asinine that the coaching staff has done that and I've said all along Gunner Helm should be tight end one but it wasn't until the last couple of weeks that Gunner Helm snaps even got close to Chigaconquo and this week Chigacanquo out snapped him again and it's like the best weapon the most reliable weapon that the Tennessee Titans have right now to help Cam Ward and to score points on offense is Gunner Helm yet he's being treated as a backup who gets 30 snaps a game
Starting point is 00:07:17 he would be doing even better if he was being used properly by the coaching staff and the fact that he has improved so much as a blocker and that's something that Mike McCoy, Titans head coach talked about his improvement as a blocker which I'll be honest with you it really angers me because they're going to say oh Gunner Helm has gotten more opportunities because he's improved as a blocker but yet the guy getting more opportunities
Starting point is 00:07:47 than him is Chigaconquo, who is the worst, the worst, the worst, the worst blocker in the entire NFL. There is not a single player on the offensive side of the ball who is a worse blocker than Chigacanquo. He has graded last among NFL tight ends and back-to-back seasons, and we're talking about, if you're talking about pro football-focused run-blocking grade, he is below 30. We're talking about 27, 28. He is by far the...
Starting point is 00:08:19 I mean, Chica Conquo may be the worst blocking tight end in the history of the NFL. Like, he's in the running. He's in the running. So the fact that you'd be like, oh, Gunner Helm got more opportunities because he's gotten better as a blocker, while the guy who's getting those opportunities over him
Starting point is 00:08:36 is maybe the worst blocker in team history, it just... it blows your mind, quite frankly. and Chigacanquo is a good yards after catch guy but Gunner Helm literally does everything else better than him that is the only thing that Chigua does better than Gunner Helm is yards after catch everything else Gunner Helm is better
Starting point is 00:08:54 so I'm hoping to see Gunner Helm get more opportunities in the last three games I'm hoping to see Gunner Helm continue to shine in the last three games of the season again I already think he's the best rookie tight end in Tennessee Titans history because of one of these provided as a blocker for the Titans as well as a record-breaking receiver at the tight-end position for this franchise.
Starting point is 00:09:15 So I think that's the case, and I think he is going to be, again, nightmare on Helm Street. I made that crap up, all right? I better always get my credit for that. But I think that Gunner Helm will be a nightmare for NFL defenses going forward. And again, I think his skill set as a big guy with a big catch radius, goes perfectly with what Cam Ward needs to support him. All right, and that goes past tight-end.
Starting point is 00:09:37 I think we talk about wide receiver in that way going forward too. But regardless, want to see Gunner Helms shine, think he's been absolutely incredible, deserves more hype and more credit than he's getting, and I'm going to be the guy to lead that charge if I have to. But hey, let's keep being optimistic about the future this Tennessee Titans offensive line. I think there's reason to have big time optimism for 2026.
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Starting point is 00:10:54 Go to RocketMoney.com slash locked on today. That's rocketmoney.com slash locked on. RocketMoney.com slash locked on. Titans fans. Let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Being a little optimistic here about the Tennessee Titans, we talked about the special connection between Cam Ward and Gunner Helm that I think is going to get even better as we continue to go throughout their careers in the next couple of years. but I want to keep that optimism going. Optimism going, talking about the Tennessee Titans offensive line before I do.
Starting point is 00:11:44 Thanks again for making Locked on Titans. You're at first to listen. Thank you for making the Lockdown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network. But I gave the Tennessee Titans offensive lineup a cold dose of reality at the end of yesterday's show when it comes to the run game success
Starting point is 00:12:00 that the Titans have had over the last two weeks. I think it's very scheme dependent. I think the Tennessee Titans seeing four-man fronts and having easier double teams, have an easier access to the second level. I think the way the Browns and the San Francisco 49ers play up front specifically allowed the Titans to have better success in the run game. But nonetheless, they had success in the run game,
Starting point is 00:12:26 something that I didn't think was possible, no matter the front, no matter the defense, good run defense, bad run defense. And here's the thing, San Francisco's run defense isn't absolutely terrible. Cleveland Brown's run defense was top 10. and the Titans were able to run. Now, again, I think schematically, the Titans were allowed to do some of those things and they took advantage of them and they should,
Starting point is 00:12:45 but at the same time, I didn't think that they were capable of doing that. I will admit. And I said it again on the squad show a couple of weeks ago when, you know, my guy Brad Hopkins, classic offensive lineman that he is, is like, they got to run the football. They got to run the football.
Starting point is 00:12:59 They got to control the line of scrimmage. They got to do that. And I'm like, Brad, I don't think that they came. It's a skill issue. You know? I love that term that the kids use these days. It's a skill issue. Like they just simply are not good enough as a coaching staff
Starting point is 00:13:14 or as a run blocking unit to be able to do that. They're just not, you know? Cushingberry is a better pass protector than a run blocker because of his size. Dan Moore, not a good run blocker. J.C. Latham has been a disappointment as a run blocker. Peter Skoronski, better pass protector than a run blocker, even though I don't think Pete is bad at running the ball or anything.
Starting point is 00:13:33 And Latham was good in this game against San Francisco. the run game but again you know a lot of the guys on the offensive line in my opinion are suited to pass protection not run blocking and that's part of the reason the titans don't have a very good run game now i think the running backs could be better i think cam ward could get them into better running situations i think the coaching staff not being one of the better coaching staffs in the league obviously helps but nonetheless nonetheless i think that it's a bit of a of a skill issue and i didn't think the titans were capable of executing the game plans that they've executed the last two weeks, even if the defenses presented favorable matchups for them to execute
Starting point is 00:14:10 what they were trying to do. The offensive line still needs credit. And, and we go outside of the run game, which is what everybody wants to talk about. The Tennessee Titans' offensive line has been pretty good in pass protection. The last two games as well. One total sack over the last two games, and it was Miles Garrett right before halftime. Like the Titans' offensive line kept Cam Ward pretty protected. Now, he's getting pressured,
Starting point is 00:14:37 but you're never going to have perfect clean pockets. And this isn't a Cam Ward segment. We talked enough about Cam Ward. But it's frustrating for me when people make excuses for Cam Ward having bad throws saying he was under pressure. I got news for you, folks. That's called playing quarterback in the NFL. You can't be like, oh, well, if that was a clean pocket,
Starting point is 00:14:56 you're not always going to get a clean pocket. If you're a quarterback that can only win from a clean pocket, you're not going to make it long. because that's not reality in the NFL. You have to be able to still be accurate and hit throws when you're under pressure. Now, that dial had been turned throughout the season too high. You know, it was too much pressure for Cam Ward to overcome solely,
Starting point is 00:15:19 but it has been dialed back the other way recently. And the Titans' offensive line has certainly had pockets of good play throughout the season against Arizona, that first Colts game. The Titans' offensive line actually was not bad in those games. So you take the little bit of run game success that they did actually have, even if I think the reality of that is not as good as what people are excited for. I still think nonetheless, they did it, you know? And then you take some of the improvements in pass protection.
Starting point is 00:15:50 And not only that, but you look at the group that they have. All Udo's come in and been a very good backup when they've needed him. Corey Levin has been just as good as Lloyd Cushingberry, if not better. when he got opportunities to start, he came in at right guard for Kevin Zitler in this game against San Francisco and was very good. Jackson Slater is still a young rookie who's being developed behind the scenes.
Starting point is 00:16:14 I think you look at the Tennessee Titans starting five right now and what? Only Kevin Zitler won't be back. Maybe Lloyd Cushenberry. I'm still on the fence about that. Cushenberry could be a post-June 1st designation cut. I think that's absolutely a possibility, but you dig into the financials,
Starting point is 00:16:30 and I just don't know... That's a good idea for the Titans. The Titans have all of this cap space. We're all talking about how the Tennessee Titans have the most cap space in the entire NFL, right? Well, why would you cut Lloyd Cushenberry if you have all this cap space to go out and sign another center to an even bigger deal and pay a bunch of dead money for Lloyd Cushenberry
Starting point is 00:16:51 while paying someone else as well? Like, I just don't know if that's the right thing and then you ruin some of the continuity that you've got. So if the Titans cut Lloyd Cushenberry before June 1st, like a regular cut, then they're gonna save only 3.4 million dollars and they're gonna lose 9 million dollars in dead money. If they cut him as a post June 1st designation, which doesn't actually have to happen after June 1st, you can cut him before, like cut him in February,
Starting point is 00:17:20 but the cut doesn't process financially until after June 1st, which the Titans would only have 4.5 million in dead cap next year. They'd have 4.5 million in dead cap the year after that too, but they would save $8 million after June the 1st. They don't get that money until after June the 1st. Now, that can help you sign your rookies. That can help you do summer free agency. That helps you have money to play with during the season as well.
Starting point is 00:17:46 So it's not inconceivable. But I think that Lloyd Cushenberry is coming off of an Achilles tear. And as a 300-pound guy, I think that could really affect you. I think Lloyd Cushenberry will be better next year when he's had time removed from that Achilles injury. and I think the continuity. That's really the thing here. Like the Titans offensive line,
Starting point is 00:18:06 we can evaluate their 2025 performance, acknowledge that it's been a disappointment, acknowledge that they've had some moments where they've been better than maybe what people want to give them credit for. But really you spin it forward to 2026, where you have Dan Moore's going to be back at left tackle. Peter Skoronsky's going to be back at left guard.
Starting point is 00:18:24 I just talked about how I still think it's more likely that Lloyd Cushenberry is back next year at center. Yeah, Kevin Zitler on. on a one-year deal, he's been banged up, he's 35 years old, the Titans aren't good, he might choose to go elsewhere. And then you'll have to replace right guard. And I don't think that Corey Levin is a full-time guard. He can come in in a pinch, but you aren't going to be like,
Starting point is 00:18:44 well, just play Corey Levin at right guard. And I already know someone's going to be like, well, move Lloyd Cushenberry to right guard, let Corey Levin start center guys. This is not Madden. You don't just go into a player's edit and change their position and their ratings don't really change that much. Lloyd Cushenberry is a center and a highly paid one.
Starting point is 00:19:02 He has to play center. That's what he does well. And Corey Levin is a center. He's too small to play guard full time for a season. Let Corey Levin be your number one interior backup. Let Jackson Slater be your number two interior backup and your number one backup guard. Bring back Oli Udo to be your swing tackle. Bring in another young tackle to compete with Brendan Crenshaw Dixon.
Starting point is 00:19:24 Okay? That's what you do because I think it's not just about being next to a guy playing together it's about what that means and when you see certain fronts you see certain stunts you see certain blitzes different things
Starting point is 00:19:40 it allows the offensive line to say hey we've seen this before we're running duo against a four-man front we're running power G power against a five-man front we're running
Starting point is 00:19:56 G-A counter with a six-man front and linebackers walked up. Like, it's like how we say Cam Ward seeing certain plays against certain coverages allows him to bank those reps and learn. The offensive line is the same way. The first time that you run this certain run play against this certain front. All right, next time we see this lineup, oh, they're going to have two linebackers stacked over the B gap and the C gap
Starting point is 00:20:25 on the right-hand side, they're going to run this sort of stunt on third and long. Seeing all of that together. I made the comparison on the squad show that when me and my girl go out to eat, when we come home, I'm taking the dog out and she's getting the dinner ready
Starting point is 00:20:44 for the dog and the cat. We don't even got to talk about it. We don't got to establish the world. We just know because we've done it so many times. Come home, I'm taking the dog out, you're getting the pets food ready when I come back inside, the food will be ready, the animals eat, and now we're ready to relax.
Starting point is 00:21:03 Like, it's just such a smooth, seamless operation because we're so understanding of what the roles are, what we do in these scenarios. It's the same for the Titans offensive line. So, while the O line has been a disappointment at times this year, I think they've been better this year than maybe your casual fan will give them credit for. But regardless, I am optimistic about the offensive line
Starting point is 00:21:26 in 2026 because you let these guys build that continuity together it'll be year two with much of the same group and some of the things that have given them problems they've already seen and they'll be more ready for and protecting Cam Ward is obviously incredibly important but with that being said optimism for Gunner Helm optimism for the Titans offensive line and now I got a little optimism for the Titans draft pick
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Starting point is 00:22:56 and place your NFL live vets all season long. It's Fandle. The game moves fast, and so can you. Titans fans. Let's cap off today's edition of the Locked-on Titans podcast. We talked about Gunner Helm, the offensive line. Now we've got to go over a tank of. What's up with the Tennessee Titans?
Starting point is 00:23:29 Ability to get the highest draft pick that they can, which obviously talk about Gunner Helm. We talk about the offensive line. What could really help the Titans as well is getting some high-end players in here with some high-end draft capital. But before we do a tank update, do want to thank you for making Locked on Titans.
Starting point is 00:23:43 You work first, listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure you get subscribe to stay subscribed. Your team every day. But the Tennessee Titans, three games left, folks. They're home against Kansas City, they're home against New Orleans, and they're away at Jacksonville. And quite frankly, I think that the Tennessee Titans are going
Starting point is 00:24:05 to lose all three of those games. I know that Patrick Mahomes is out with an ACL tear. They're going to get Garner-Menschu. But the reality here is, the Kansas City Chiefs with Garner Munchu, I still think are a better football team overall than the Tennessee Titans. Now, I think this game is going to be close where it would not have been close if Patrick Mahomes was playing but the Titans are playing better football they're going to be at home
Starting point is 00:24:31 Kansas City is emotionally deflated but the reality is that the coaching mismatch here I think really gives the Chiefs an advantage to still win this game they're still a prideful team I think that they're gonna they're gonna beat the Titans
Starting point is 00:24:44 in a close one. New Orleans is playing great football right now I think New Orleans will be favored over the Titans in Tennessee New Orleans has won back-to-back games. Tyler Shuck is playing very good football at quarterback for them under the tutelage of Kellyn Moore,
Starting point is 00:24:59 who's gotten some good performances out of quarterbacks in the past. And I just think New Orleans is a much better football team than the Titans right now. They're playing like a solid average football team, like a 7 and 10, you know, 8 and 9. Like that's the level of football that the Saints are playing at right now, whereas I think the Titans are playing at a 3, 4, 5 win team level right now, even if that's better.
Starting point is 00:25:23 than the 1-0-win level that they were at early in the season under Brian Callahan. And again, Mike McCoy, terrible head coach, but far better than Brian Callahan. If you were a Brian Callahan defender during the season or somebody trying to protect Brian Callahan, you look like a fool because the Titans are certainly a better football team under Mike McCoy than they were under Brian Callahan. But nonetheless, they play New Orleans. I think they can lose to New Orleans. I think New Orleans is going to win that game.
Starting point is 00:25:54 But then they're on the road at Jacksonville to finish the season. And Jacksonville is one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. Jacksonville will probably not be secure in their playoff spot. They'll probably need to win that game to ensure that they win the division because Houston is on fire so much and Houston beat them earlier in the year. So I think that that will obviously be a loss too. So the Titans are in a good spot to lose those games. Now, right now their strength of schedule,
Starting point is 00:26:21 which is the number one tiebreaker. Their strength of schedule is 576. That is the highest in the NFL. But there are some teams getting close, and I think that could help the Tennessee Titans. They would just need some of the teams that they've played on the schedule thing like Denver, New England, the AFC South as the Colts continue to lose.
Starting point is 00:26:42 Maybe Houston loses one more. Maybe Jacksonville loses one more with some tough matchups. You know, those are all things that could help. the Titans get their tiebreaker in order but it's still going to be pretty hard for the Titans to have a weaker strength of schedule than the teams below them but two win teams right now
Starting point is 00:27:03 the Raiders and the Giants okay those are the teams that the Titans are truly fighting with for the number one overall pick and again if the Titans have the same record as those other teams the Raiders have a 548 strength the schedule and the Giants have a 536 that's weaker than the Titans 536
Starting point is 00:27:21 76, which means that they get the tiebreaker over the Titans. So the Titans need to, if they're going to get the number one pick, be the only team in the NFL with two wins. Okay? The Raiders are at Houston this week. They aren't winning that game. But then they play the Giants. And the Giants are the other team that has two wins.
Starting point is 00:27:43 So no matter what, no matter what, one of those teams is going to have three wins. I'd be curious to know what a tie would do. If those two teams tied and they were 2, 14, and 1, would the Titans at 2 and 15 get the tiebreaker over them? I don't know. I don't really know the answer to that question, if I'm honest with you. I'm going to do some research on that, try to find out.
Starting point is 00:28:08 I mean, unlikely that they actually tie, but nonetheless can still root for it if it would help. But either way, one of those teams is going to drop back. So if the Titans don't win the rest of the year, they are locked in. locked into the number two pick at minimum. So that's what you have to root for is that the Titans don't win their games here and they get at least the number two pick. Now if the Titans do win another game, things get more dicey
Starting point is 00:28:34 and we'll get to the three-win teams here in a second. But the Raiders play at Houston, then they're home for the Giants, then they play Kansas City. And look, Kansas City with Garner-Minchu, maybe they're sitting some guys, maybe they've shut some guys down, maybe the Raiders get that win, I doubt it. but I think what we have to hope for is the Giants in my opinion are a much better
Starting point is 00:28:54 football team right now than the Raiders the Giants are home for Minnesota this week then they're at the Raiders like we talked about then they finish with Dallas I think they're losing to Dallas but the Giants could beat Minnesota Jackson Dart and J.J. McCarthy is a great matchup and I think the Giants could absolutely at home
Starting point is 00:29:14 beat the Minnesota Vikings I think the Vikings should be favored in that game So if you're a Titans fan Here's what you really are hoping for The Titans lose out The Giants beat Minnesota this week At home And then the Raiders beat the Giants
Starting point is 00:29:31 In Vegas In week 17 Then the Raiders and Giants both get a third win The Titans don't The Titans get the number one overall pick But again as long as the Titans don't win Another game They'll get at minimum the number two pick
Starting point is 00:29:47 and I know Fernando Mendoza is the bell of the ball but then you have your pick of the litter of any position player you could still get, look at the Browns the Browns got a massive trade last year to move up and get Travis Hunter so maybe two quarterbacks are at the top the Titans are still in a great spot if they get the number two overall pick But once you start talking about the three-win teams, if the Titans do win another game,
Starting point is 00:30:21 if they beat Kansas City, they beat New Orleans. Then they're in trouble. Because you look at the Jets who have three wins. They have an easier strength to schedule than the Titans. They play New Orleans this week. Maybe they win that game. I think New Orleans wins that game. Then they finish with New England and Buffalo.
Starting point is 00:30:40 They ain't winning those games. All right. So the Jets probably ain't going to win another game. Cleveland plays Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Maybe they can beat Cincinnati in Cincinnati at the end of the year, I guess. But Cleveland's strength of the schedule is $4.85. Like if they tie with the Titans and wins, Cleveland's getting the better pick. And then Arizona is the other three-win team.
Starting point is 00:30:59 I think they have a good shot to win another game. They play home against the Falcons. Then they're at the Cincinnati Bengals. I think they can win both of those games. And then they play the Rams, the last game of the year. They ain't winning that one unless the Rams sit everybody because they have things locked up, which is certainly a possibility.
Starting point is 00:31:14 But the Cardinals are the closest to the Titans. with a 5-71 strength of schedule. So maybe if the Titans tie the Cardinals, they would be above them. But nonetheless, the path is clear here. The Titans are going to have a top six pick, no matter what, as long as they don't win a bunch of games,
Starting point is 00:31:31 which I don't think they're going to do. As long as they don't win another game, they're going to have a top two pick at minimum. So with some of the teams and some of the matchups, like the Giants and the Raiders playing in Week 17 and Minnesota this week for the Giants and the banged up Kansas City for the Raiders at the end I think there is at least a pretty good shot
Starting point is 00:31:53 is what I would say a pretty good shot that the Titans have a chance to still get the number one overall pick and at minimum we'll get the number two. So right now I'm not overly concerned about the tank the Titans are in a pretty good spot in my opinion but this game against Kansas City and Garner Munchu obviously going to be absolutely critical.
Starting point is 00:32:10 I honestly think this game against Kansas City is more winnable than the New Orleans or the Jacksonville game with the way that those teams are playing right now. But with that being said, that's going to do it for me today. Folks, as always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.

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