Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans IDEAL START to Schedule is Cleveland Browns in Week 1 & Best PRIMETIME Matchups

Episode Date: May 12, 2026

With the Tennessee Titans schedule dropping this week it is time to wonder what they should be hoping to see on the list. First, a week one matchup with the Cleveland Browns at home would be an ideal start. This gives the Titans an interesting, but winnable matchup and starts them in Nashville. Finishing the season at home against Jacksonville or Indianapolis would also be the perfect way to end the year. The Titans could also use a primetime game this season and an AFC South matchup or a big game in the big apple against the New York Giants would work. Finally, there are certain teams on the schedule that would be better off at the beginning or the end of the schedule and Tyler makes his picks.   LOCKED ON TITANS EVERYDAY CLUB: https://lockedontitans.supercast.com/   Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans   TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop...   Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans   Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod   Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LockedOnTitans   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/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Square If you’re starting a business, or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down. Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at https://square.com/go/LockedOnNFL. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. Rocket MoneyLet Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join athttp://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON   Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.   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.

The Tennessee Titans schedule drops this week, and I think the perfect week one opponent would be the Cleveland Browns. I'll tell you why. Let's tell you what else I want on the Titans schedule 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 Roland Titans fans on today's show. I am going to do my wish list for the Tennessee Titans schedule. I'm going to tell you the teams that I would rather play early in the season,

as opposed to teams I'd rather play later in the season. We'll talk about how I think the Tennessee Titans need to get one prime time game and there are a couple of teams that make a ton of sense. But we are going to start with the ideal week one matchup for the Titans and the ideal week 18. matchup for the Titans. And of course, I start at week one, and I think a home game against the Cleveland Browns would be the perfect start to the season for the Titans. And I think it is a good enough matchup where the NFL will like that as an option as well. Now, of course, we know all of the teams that the Tennessee

Titans are going to play this year. We know that the Titans have home games against the The AFC South, of course. And then the Browns, the Jets, the Eagles, the Steelers, the commanders. We know that the Titans have away games against all of the AFC South opponents. And then the Ravens, the Bengals, the Cowboys, the Lions, the Raiders, and the Giants. So out of all of those options, to me, it is clear that there are two teams that would be the best teams for the Titans to start with, and that is the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. It's one of those two.

Now, there are different reasons why those would be the best matchup, but I think those are clearly the top two for similar and for different reasons. But again, the Titans have started the season on the road for what, three or four years now with their first game of the year being on the road. I'm tired of that. The Titans deserve a home game at this point. It's finally time for the Titans to get a home game to start the year. and after having a play in Denver,

Denver is historically the most difficult place that you could possibly play early in the season. People's bodies aren't used to the elevation, the Broncos have a good crowd, it's a good team, typically. The Broncos are just a nightmare week one matchup, especially for a rookie quarterback. So the Titans are owed, in my opinion. They deserve a chance to open the season at home.

and it would be great if an easier opponent as well. That's why it's the Jets or the Browns to me. I want an easier opponent in week one. And here's what it comes down to. The Titans have brand new coaches. They have a lot of brand new players. I don't want to play the most difficult team on the schedule to start the week.

And think about it. The Broncos got the number one seed in the AFC, should have went to the Super Bowl if their quarterback didn't get injured at the end of the divisional round against the bills. Like, the Titans did play the most difficult

AFC team that they could. They also played the Patriots. They also played the Seahawks. They also played the Rams. Like, last year's schedule was absolutely ridiculous. And now the Titans are eighth and strength of schedule.

It's supposed to be easy. Yeah, right. We're not falling for that this year. Okay, we thought we were going to have an easy schedule last year. Nope. So again, I don't know who's going to be the best teams, the worst teams, this and that. But I know that the Browns and the Jets aren't going to be them.

I know that the Browns and Jets are not going to be Super Bowl contenders. And the Jets has some pop. I can see it be in the Jets because the Robert Solof factor. That's his old team. obviously there's, you know, former Jets players that the Titans have grabbed, Jermaine Johnson in the trade, John Franklin Myers, you know what I mean?

I think that the connected tissue between the Jets and the Titans, neither of them being a great team by any means, could make them a very good matchup in week one. Robert Sala, Revenge, and all that. It does make sense. So I can see that. But I'll say this.

I think the Jets are a better football team than the Browns. Gino Smith in week one, probably able to get ready quicker and get used to new teammates quicker than a younger quarterback would, right? So I would rather play Deshawn Watson or Chador Sanders and the Cleveland Browns

then take on a Jets team that I think they're not going to be good, but I think they're going to be better than the Browns this year. Now, I will tell you this. Playing against Miles Garrett in week one and the Browns defense in week one, not awesome. But the Browns also have new coaches. Todd Monkin, new defensive coordinator, no Jim Schwartz this time.

So where Aaron Glenn is a hold of, I know Frank Reich is a new coach for the Jets. But Aaron Glenn is a holdover. So I think the Jets have a better roster. I think the Jets have a better quarterback. I think the Jets will have more revenge on their mind, even though it'll be small with playing against Robert Solid than the Browns will.

Brown's Titans is just a perfect week one matchup for the Titans. If you're the Browns, wouldn't you kind of feel the same? Yeah, you've got to go on the road, but it's the Titans. you know. So I think, and especially if we get Shador Sanders and Cam Ward, like, that's a great, juicy, fun week one matchup. And the Titans get to be at home.

So we're doing my wish list. The most important thing for me is that the Titans get a home game in week one and I want it to be the Browns or the Jets. Now, finishing the year, we know it's going to be in a division opponent. that's how the NFL does it, divisional games at the end. And if I got to have my pick, I'd want the Titans to finish the season at home with the hopes that they're still in the playoff race.

I know it's a long shot, but we can hope. And I want them to play Indianapolis. I don't trust Indianapolis. I don't like Indianapolis this year. Danny Dimes, the roster is worse. Is he going to stay healthy? let's play Indianapolis Week 18.

I think the Titans can beat them and if it's not going to be Indy, then give me Jacksonville. Because no matter how good Jacksonville gets, if the Titans and Jags are playing for something, if there's something on the line for both teams, the Titans are going to win. They always have.

They always will. If both teams need it, the Titans will win against Jacksonville. We are their big brother. I don't care what Jacksonville has to say. So if it's not Indy, then give me Jacksonville. But I will tell you this, I don't want it to be Houston.

I am high on Houston this year. Where I was down on Houston last year, I really like what they've done. I think Houston is going to be a monster this season. I think they're going to win the division. I do not want to play Houston. Now, you could make the argument, maybe Houston has won the division and they're sitting players.

And that can help the Titans, but I can't bank on that. I got to look at all of these teams as if the Titans are going to get their full strength, full version. And I do not want to play Houston in week 18. Home away. Don't care. Don't want it. But if the Titans could get a home game against Indianapolis or Jacksonville in week 18,

that would be a great spot to be. So let's start with the Browns. Let's get Indianapolis in week 18 at home, start home, finish home. That's what I would love to see for the Titans. Now again, I talked about it earlier today. Prime time. The Tennessee Titans deserve a prime time game. Now, if they were to get multiple primetime games,

I'm going to tell you who I think the best opponent for each of those Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday night matchups will be. Do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by Square. Support Square, because Square supports your local businesses. And listen, even for the people running it, starting a business is exciting. But actually running the business, that could be a headache.

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Download the game time. app, create an account, use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account, redeem the code L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download the game time app today. Fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked-on Titans podcast. Again, doing my wish list for the Tennessee Titans schedule. I talked about week one wanting to start with the Browns or Jets, week 18, what in the Colts or the Jags at home.

But now I want to talk about primetime matchups. Because, again, I only expect the Titans to get one primetime matchup. But if they got more, I think there are a lot of good options for the Titans with each of the different time slots. Before we dive in, though, do want to thank you again for making Locked on Titans. Your first listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round,

always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of 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, you need to be one, remember, stay locked in to the number one Tennessee Titans podcast in the world, locked on Titans. But, again, I talked about it earlier today. Give me Jacksonville

on Thursday night football. I don't care if it's home. I don't care if it's home. It's away, whatever it happens to be the case. I want the Tennessee Titans to get a primetime game, and I want it to be against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's nostalgic to me. It's the perfect Thursday night football matchup

to start an NFL week. Remember those old school battles that the Jags and Titans used to have with their color rush uniforms. Jacksonville would be in all yellow. The Titans all light blue. Yeah, those games were terrible. Neither team was very good at the time.

All of that may be true. And everybody hated those games, but I miss them. I miss them. I'm nostalgic about it. I want Titans Jax and Jacksonville is good. The Titans are exciting. If not good, they're interesting. So I think that makes it a perfect matchup.

Do it in the first two months of the season in September or October. so that you're not using a late-season prime-time match-up on a team like the Titans who probably won't be fighting for the playoffs. You know what I mean? Or won't be at least fighting for a good playoff seed. Maybe they're in, you know, on the bubble, on the graphic, or whatever.

But I get why the NFL would not take a risk on having the Titans in prime time late in the season. Like, come on, let's be honest here. So give me Jacksonville Titans early in the year. Thursday night football. It's a perfect Thursday. day night football matchup. Absolutely perfect.

Again, I talked about it. You have the excitement around Cam Ward, former number one overall pick, who played better than the numbers looked like last year. You got a bunch of new players on the Titans. You have new coaches. You have new jerseys. They had zero primetime games last year.

They deserve one this year. The AFC South is a good division, so two AFC Souths playing each other is not a big problem. And if you want to cherry on top of all of that, the Robert Sala, Liam Cohen rivalry. So not only is there a rivalry between the Titans and the Jags, but the coaches do not like each other.

And they could say, oh, there's no big deal, and oh, it was just blah, blah, blah, blah. They could say that all they want. They don't like each other. They don't. So when you have two coaches that have drama, two franchises that have always had drama, Jacksonville being the division winner last year, Titans up and coming, all the different stuff we talked about there, it's perfect.

It's literally perfect. Now, if the Titans are on Sunday night football, the crowning jewel of the week of football, which they're not going to get a Sunday night football game, guys. not. But if they did, it would be against one of the big national brands. It would be the Eagles, the Steelers, the Ravens, or the Cowboys. Period. Now, the Giants are a big national brand. The Raiders are a big national brand. The Bengals are popular for sure. But I don't think that the Lions, popular team,

I don't think that they are big enough or good enough guaranteed to be good enough as teams for the NFL to risk having the Titans on Sunday night football. Like it would have to be one of the most popular teams in the NFL who they know is going to be a competitive team. Eagles, Steelers, Ravens, Cowboys.

Those are the only options. There would be Sunday night football matchups for the Titans. But again, they're not going to get Sunday night football. they're going to get one game and it's going to be either a Monday night football double-header type

or Thursday night football. Now, if it is one of those Monday night football type matchups, to me, it's the Giants. The Giants would be the perfect Monday night football matchup for the Titans.

Now, I found it, interesting that I said it was lame that the Giants and the Cowboys were Sunday night football week one. And I didn't say that because I thought the Titans would play in prime time. Like a bunch of moron Giants fans were like, this dude thought the Titans would get a prime. No, I didn't. That's not what I was saying. I just wanted to play the Giants in week one. I don't think the Titans would get prime time week one. What are we doing here? You know? Who do you think I am? All right.

But if the Titans did play on Monday night football, and again, not week one. But if the Titans get a Monday night football game, the Giants would be perfect. The Giants are a big national brand, which helps kind of lift up the Titans in a popularity sense as a television product. Dart versus Cam,

dable back against his old squad, a bunch of former Giants players. John Harbaal was being court. by the Titans and said no. Like, the Giants of Titans both trying to turn things around and be better teams

in New York, which helps the NFL. That's a great matchup. That would be excellent. Imagine if there was a, you know, a 7 o'clock and 9 o'clock or 7 and 8 what they do, Monday doubleheader,

which I hate Monday doubleheaders, but if they want to keep doing, whatever, they want to sell TV ads, you know. Titans Giants at 7 o'clock would be a great primetime game. Now, I will tell you this. That's Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday night. You know what I don't want?

I do not want to play Philly, Pittsburgh, or Detroit in prime time. Nope, not for me. Philly would roll the tight. Titans, I don't trust it. The Titans never, never beat Pittsburgh. They never beat Pittsburgh, ever. They never do.

I do not want to play Pittsburgh. They never beat Pittsburgh. I don't care. Pittsburgh could be 0 and 82, and the Titans could be undefeated. Pittsburgh would. They just always beat the Titans. So I don't want Pittsburgh anywhere near any prime time games.

Titans get a primetime game. I want them to acquit themselves well. I want them to look good. I want them to be interesting. I want them to be fun. Don't give me Pittsburgh. I'm begging you. Don't get me Philly.

Don't get me Pittsburgh. And don't give me the Detroit Lions. Like, not in prime time. I want those games to be regular Sunday, run-of-the-mill games because I just don't trust the Titans against. They don't see Philly or Detroit very often. They don't see Pittsburgh very often either, honestly. But more often than they do the others.

but they're going to get rolled by Pittsburgh. They always do. Although Robert Salah against Aaron Rogers, you know, the Titans were interested in Mike McCarthy. That's very interesting. There's interest there. But I just, I'd have a bad feeling about it. I don't want Philly, Pittsburgh, or the Lions on prime time.

Make those normal 1 o'clock Sunday games. You know, I'm not about it. But with that being said, there are some teams that I would, would rather play early in the season versus some teams that I would rather play later in the season. We'll go over that right now.

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Join at RocketMoney.com slash locked on. Once again, that's rocketmoney.com slash locked on. And let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Going over my schedule wish list for the Tennessee Titans. We talked about the ideal start, the ideal finish, what I want from the primetime games. Now I want to talk about teams that I would rather have early. Teams I would rather see late before we dive in.

Thanks again for making Locked on Titans. Your first listen each and every day. Speaking of every day, you guys got to join the Locked On Titans every day or club. Hit the link down below in the description to join. You're going to get commercial free versions of the podcast in your favorite podcast app. You're going to get added to the Locked on Titans.

Group chat with me and all the other Locked on Titans every dayers. You want to be a real Locked on Titans every day or join the Locked on Titans every day or club. With that being said, though, I want to see some of these teams early in the year. Baltimore. Number one. I want to see Baltimore

in the first month of the season. They have a brand new offensive coordinator. They have a brand new head coach. Lamar Jackson coming out of the gate. Will he be fresh? Will it be right? Will it be comfortable?

I think the Ravens could be a better team at the end of the season than they are early on as they adjust to their new coaching. Now you could say that about the Titans as well, but Baltimore is a better team. So the Titans being new and Baltimore being new, I think gives an advantage to the Titans.

Because everything is fresh. Baltimore has better players. So the more time that they have, the better they'll team will get. You can catch them off guard with new stuff early in the year. Give me Baltimore early in the season. I think the Raiders are another team that I would love to have early in the season.

Because I'd rather play Kirk Cousins than Fernando Mendoza. I think that Fernando Mendoza is a better player right now than Kirk Cousins. Also another team with new coaches that may be better later in the year than they are early in the year. So I want to play Kirk. He's got way less mobility,

and you let the Titans defensive line tee off against Kirk Cousins. That's what I want. And I think the Raiders are being idiots by holding back Fernando Mendoza here for a lesser player. It's illogical. Let the better player play. You drafted him number one.

Trust him. But I hope the Titans get to see the Raiders early. The Lions. The Lions have a new offensive coordinator. I think if they hit with that and they get on a role, they have so much talent on the roster. They're going to be a boss soul later in the year.

Now, I think that Drew Petzing sucks. their new offensive coordinator. He was terrible in Arizona. He is the reason that the Titans probably came back and won that game because his offense choked. I don't want to play the Lions after maybe they fired him

or moved on or changed play callers or Dan Campbell took it back over again. Let's play the Lions while Drew... I know Drew Petzing is going to be calling plays. That's what I want. And the Lions have a new offensive line that they're going to have to figure out and I want to play them early in the year.

That's better for the Titans on the road against the Lions. Let's do that early. The Browns, the Jets, again, new coaches, new players, new quarterbacks, all that stuff. Let's play them early on.

I want to play one game against Indianapolis early because I want to play against freaking Riley Leonard or Riley Leonard. Yeah. Like Daniel Jones, just getting back from the injury, adjusting to life without some of the people in his

supported cast on the O-line, Michael Pittman Jr. I want to play one game against Indianapolis pretty early in the year, like they did last year. And then the Giants. Let's get the Giants before they get rolling before Harbaugh really starts to coach that football team as good as he possibly can. Let's play the Giants early. Now, teams that I want to play late, again, I want to see Indianapolis later in the year. I think that down the home stretch,

I'd rather play indie than Houston, for example. So I don't want to play Houston early or late. I hope the Titans play both their games against Houston. Let's hope it's like week eight, week nine, and week 13 or 14. Like, I don't want to have Houston be a part of a critical start to the season where the Titans need to get off on a good foot and a critical end of the season

where maybe the Titans are fighting for something down the stretch. just put Houston in the middle. I beg you. The Bengals, put them in the middle. I don't see a lean. Cincinnati, I'm high on Cincinnati this year. I think they're going to win the AFC North. I think that's going to be a very tough game.

Like, Cincinnati's going to be a tough one. So don't want to play them early when they have continuity. I'd rather the Titans gain some continuity and then get to play the Bengals later in the season after they're more comfortable. Cowboys, Eagles, commanders, same, I'd rather play all them later in the year because they have continuity. Now, David Blow is the new offensive coordinator for the commanders.

Maybe you could make the argument because of that. You'd rather play them early before, but I'm not worried about David Blow. I feel differently about the commanders. I'm not worried about their coaching staff. I don't think Dan Quinn's that good. I don't think David Blow is that good. I don't like the offense. Why would you put Jaden Daniels?

in a Jared Gough offensive system. Why does that make sense? So I think they downgraded massively offensive coordinator. So I'm not worried about the commanders figuring it out and being a lot better at the end of the year than the beginning of the year. I don't buy the commanders, period, anyways.

They had a flash in the pan, one good rookie season for Jaden Daniels, and it's going to be worse now. So we can play them later in the year. Not too worried about that. But again, curious to hear your guys' thoughts on your wish list. What prime time games do you want? Who do you want to start with, finish with, early, late, all of that.

Tomorrow, I'm going to put together my ideal, my ideal Titan schedule from start to finish. And then Thursday night, I'll be here live to break down the entire schedule once it's out. Head on a swivel, folks. You're going to hear a bunch of leaks and nonsense and stuff. You don't know what's real, you can't know. So we're all truly going to find out together on Thursday night. But that's going to do it for me today, folks.

As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was locked on Titans.