Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans PLAYOFF PATHS, Predicting Titans Final Record & The Tank Is Officially DEAD..& That's OK

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wait, are the Tennessee Titans going to make the playoffs? The playoffs? I don't think so, but I'll tell you how they can do it on today's 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 Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans Podcast.

Starting point is 00:00:43 I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 Moneyline bet. That's $150. If your team wins, visit FanDuel.com to get started. We got to talk about the playoffs, ladies and gentlemen, because the Titans' pulse, it was flatlined, but an upset comeback

Starting point is 00:01:16 victory led by an incredible performance from Will Levis. A record-breaking performance from Will Levis has the Titans feeling hope once again, and I saw that hope on social media on Tuesday. So we're going to talk about how the Titans can make the playoffs from here. Also, how many more games will the Titans win the rest of the year? And I got news for my tankers out there, the tank is done. I'll talk about that and much more on today's

Starting point is 00:01:46 show. Before we get into it, thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round on all apps, always for free. Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the Locked

Starting point is 00:02:01 on Titans podcast. Shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday, crossover Thursday, tomorrow with Locked on Titans podcast. Shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Crossover Thursday tomorrow with Locked on Texans. Game plan Friday. There's a big game for the Titans and they have a great chance to win. But with that in mind, let's talk about their great chance to win because up next for the Titans is a home game wearing the throwbacks. Mike Braybill joked he might have to wear an old school cowboy hat.

Starting point is 00:02:26 Shout out to Bum Phillips. But a game against Houston at home. Then a game against Seattle at home. Then another game against Houston at Houston. And then finally Jacksonville at home. Let's be honest with ourselves. If the Titans play good football like they played on Monday night for the most part, I mean, the defense played well. The offense had their moments. The offense scored 28 points. I'm not going to pretend like it was a bad offensive day. There were mistakes out there. But if the Titans

Starting point is 00:02:59 play the football they're capable of, they get Jeffrey Simmons back. That would be very helpful as well. They absolutely could win all four of those games. None of those games do I see and feel like how I felt about the Miami game. And the Miami game should be a lesson that we never know. The Titans can win at any moment. With Will Levis at quarterback, the Titans can win at any moment. They have enough talent to do so. They just don't always put it together, as we know.

Starting point is 00:03:25 But those four games. C.J. Stroud is probably going to be out of this game. He got a concussion. Tank Dell. Nico Collins banged up. I mean Houston is super banged up right now. They have a ton of injuries. But with C.J. Stroud most likely missing this game.

Starting point is 00:03:40 Even if Stroud ends up playing in this game. With the Titans at home. I think there's a chance that they win that one. And if Stroud doesn't play in this game with the Titans at home, I think there's a chance that they win that one. And if Stroud doesn't play, I absolutely think the Titans win. And I think on FanDuel Sportsbook right now, the early line, the Titans are like minus two and a half, something like that. I love that if C.J. Stroud doesn't play. Now, I'm not acting like the Titans can't lose to Davis Mills.

Starting point is 00:03:58 They absolutely can, but I'm just saying, that is a very winnable game at home in the throwbacks against probably the Davis Mills-led Houston Texans. The Seahawks are beat up right now. Geno Smith, Devon Witherspoon are both hurt. I mean, it's possible. But even if they win out all of their games, it's still going to be tough to make the playoffs

Starting point is 00:04:23 because they're going to need help from other people. So let's say that the Titans win out and go 9-8. Okay? The Colts would need to go 1-3 the rest of the way. They have a game against Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Houston. They would have to go 1-3. Houston would have to go 2-2 at minimum the rest of the season. They have two games against the Titans, which the Titans have to win those to have any chance. And then

Starting point is 00:04:51 Houston could even win against Cleveland and Indianapolis. We need Houston to beat Indianapolis, honestly, at the end of the year. And then Jacksonville would have to go 0-4 the rest of the way, or 1-3 the rest of the way, actually. And they play the Ravens, the Buccaneers, the Panthers. And then, of course, finish with the Titans. So do I think that the Titans run the table here and make the playoffs?

Starting point is 00:05:17 No. They just need too much help. They would need too much to break right. But at the end of the day, they have two paths. They are a lot. They could maybe get in the wild card race, but I don't think that's realistic. What's most realistic is winning the division, is stealing back the AFC South. And again, it is possible. The Titans can win out and then do what I just said. Colts go one and three. Texans go two and two. Jags go 0-4. And the Titans would win

Starting point is 00:05:47 the division outright at 9-8. Or, even if Jacksonville goes 1-3, and the Titans beat the Texans twice and win out, if the Texans and Jaguars and Titans all tied at 9-8, the Titans would still win. The Titans would win the division. Because in games with those three teams, so the two games, the Houston against Jags,

Starting point is 00:06:14 two games Jags against Titans, two games Houston against Titans, the six games between those three teams, the Titans would be 3-1 in their four games. Jacksonville would be 2-1 in their four games. Jacksonville would be 2-2 in their four games. And then Houston would end up being 1-3 in their three games. So if the Titans win the division outright 9-8, then they're in. But if the Titans tie the Texans and the Jags at 9-8 at the end of the year,

Starting point is 00:06:44 and they beat the Texans twice and then beat Jacksonville at the end of the year, the Titans would have the tiebreaker because of the three-way matchup between those three teams. So, do I think the Titans run the table and make the playoffs? No. But is it possible? It is absolutely possible. And New York Times gives the Titans a 1% chance of making the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:07:07 1%. Again, not very likely. But, you're telling me there's a chance? You're telling me there's a chance. That's all the Titans need to get up on. That's all the Titans need to motivate them going forward. There is a chance. It is still mathematically possible. And, you look at this, the Titans need the Colts to motivate them going forward. There is a chance. It is still mathematically possible.

Starting point is 00:07:26 And you look at this. The Titans need the Colts to go 1-3. Pittsburgh. Atlanta. Vegas. Houston. Houston, Atlanta, Vegas. Houston, Atlanta, Vegas.

Starting point is 00:07:39 Let's go. But I'm just saying, the Colts could win those games, but they're losable games as well. The Colts just got drubbed by the Bengals and Jake Browning. Texans, two games against the Titans. The Titans have to win those. A game against Cleveland with a good defense. I mean, if the Texans are still beat up, and Jacksonville is the Ravens, I think the Ravens win that.

Starting point is 00:08:01 At Tampa Bay, that's a tough game against the Buccaneers. Versus the Panthers, Jags are probably going to win that one. And then the Titans. So if the Buccaneers can just beat the Jags, the Titans have a great chance. The Titans have a great chance. So do I think they do it? No, I don't.

Starting point is 00:08:16 Is it possible, though? There are multiple paths that make it possible. So let me know down below. Do you think the Titans make the playoffs? Let me know down below. But with that being said, how many games do I think the Titans are going to win then? If I don't think they're going to make the playoffs, how many more wins do the Titans get? We're going to talk about the opponents, break down some of these matchups going forward. Before we get into that though, do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you

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Starting point is 00:09:35 Make sure that you visit FanDuel dot com slash locked on. That's L-O-C-K E-D-O-N FanDuel dot com slash locked on and get in on the action LockedOn, that's L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N, Fandle.com slash LockedOn, and get in on the action this NFL season. It's Fandle, official partner of the NFL. Titans fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We're talking about the playoff chances for the Titans.

Starting point is 00:10:17 I cannot believe that we are here after an incredible upset against the Miami Dolphins. I still think it's a little far-fetched here, but hey, again, as we just outlined, it is entirely possible, and there is a realistic path for the Titans to make the playoffs. But how many more wins are they going to get? We know that they need all four. They have to win out to really have a shot

Starting point is 00:10:39 to make the playoffs. I don't think they do that, but how many more wins do they get? Before I get into that, thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Tomorrow, crossover Thursday. Friday, game plan Friday. I'll be live after the game on Sunday. Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the Locked on Titans

Starting point is 00:11:00 podcast. But first, let me know down below how many wins you think the Titans get. So here is the schedule again. Home against Houston this weekend. Then they have a primetime game against, or I don't know, standalone is what you want to call it, but they have a highlighted game, I believe it's on Christmas Eve, against the Seattle Seahawks at home. Two home games, back-to-back, coming off this win against the Dolphins. Oh, buddy. And then the Titans go to Houston.

Starting point is 00:11:42 At Houston, Week 17, Week 18, home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. So, you look at Houston like I talked about. They're banged up. C.J. Stroud probably has a concussion. They're already talking about how they're more concerned with the long-term aspects here. So, I doubt we see C.J. Stroud this weekend. I doubt it. With that, at home, great chance for the Titans to win.

Starting point is 00:12:08 And I think the Titans win that game. I'm going to be picking the Titans to win that game against the Texans. Then again, you have the home game against Seattle. Like I mentioned in the first segment, Geno Smith banged up. Could be Drew Locke. Now, I don't think Drew Locke is as bad as some other backups in the NFL, but you're just not getting the best version of the Seahawks. And more importantly, rookie standout cornerback Devon Witherspoon, probably not going to play. He's got a severe hip

Starting point is 00:12:35 pointer. So there's a good chance he doesn't play in two weeks either. So with a banged up Seattle team coming all the way across the country to Nashville to play on Christmas Eve when they probably want to be with their families, great opportunity for the Titans to get the win. Great opportunity. All right? And then after that, I think is where it's going to get tough because now we're talking three weeks removed from the concussion.

Starting point is 00:13:02 I think CJ Stroud probably plays in week 17 in Houston. I think the Titans win in week 15 at home. Houston will be looking for revenge. And look, I think Houston's got a pretty good roster. I think Houston hired some good coaches. That is going to be a tough, tough game if they have C.J. Stroud back. All right? If a guy like Nico Collins is back, blah, blah, blah.

Starting point is 00:13:22 If they get any of their guys back, who knows at this time. We're talking about three weeks from now. But if they get any of their guys back looking to get revenge at home in Houston, we know about the Titans' road struggles. I know they just beat Miami, but that doesn't erase a season long of road losses. So I think the Titans lose that game. I don't think that the Titans are better than Houston. I think the teams are pretty similar.

Starting point is 00:13:47 And with that in mind, I think there should be a split there. So I think the Titans lose that game against the Houston Texans in Week 17. And then Week 18 with Jacksonville is the interesting one here because Jacksonville could have their seed wrapped up and they could rest players. Trevor Lawrence dealing with the high ankle. Christian Kirk obviously banged up. There are going to be injury issues for Jacksonville

Starting point is 00:14:09 that if they don't stand to gain anything from beating the Titans in Tennessee on the road, then they probably won't play some guys. And if they do that, that could set the Titans up. But again, if they lose the next two games against the Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they will not be in that position. They will have to be playing the Titans for something. If the Titans can win their next three games and go to eight and eight and Jacksonville were to go

Starting point is 00:14:35 one and three in their next, in their next, uh, or not one and three, but one and two in their next three games, Jacksonville is going to have no choice but to play for something. I mean, the Titans are going to be knocking on the doorstep then. So it's there. It's in the realm of possibility. But winning five games in a row to finish the season just doesn't seem like something this Titans team is going to do. And look, last night the Titans were down by two scores

Starting point is 00:15:04 with three minutes left and made a miraculous comeback. I'm not going to allow that to trick me into thinking that the Titans are a good team now, and they figured things out, and that there were a lot of little things that went the Titans' way in that game to allow them to come back. I'm not trying to sully the win. I'm just telling you,

Starting point is 00:15:31 don't get so high off your own supply that you're like, oh, the Titans are now better than Houston. The Titans are better than the Jags. They're going to beat them. Let's just, the wide receiver issues, the offensive line issues, the secondary issues all still persist. When are they getting Jeff Simmons back? They weren't able to run the ball yesterday. They had bad turnovers. A lot of things happened to get the Titans back in that game and make that possible. It was a miraculous comeback. So, I'm just not banking on...

Starting point is 00:15:56 I guess, here's my point. If we see the version of the Titans that we saw against the Dolphins, they probably lose most of these games because they've made too many mistakes and they're going to get some of the lucky, not lucky, but some of the just miraculous happenings that happened on Monday Night Football. So to me, you ask how many more wins the Titans are actually going to have this season? For me, it's two.

Starting point is 00:16:19 I think the Titans win two more games. And here we are again at 7-10. The Titans win two more games. And here we are again at 7-10. The Titans get a draft pick between 11-14, 11-15, somewhere in there. Not in the top five like we were thinking. Blah, blah, blah. All that. That's what I'm expecting here from the Titans.

Starting point is 00:16:38 Two more wins. They get the two home wins. They go on the road to Houston, and they lose. And we're like, oh, okay. We saw Will Levis win games. Buh, buh, buh, buh, buh. They're actually out of it now. Let's settle in.

Starting point is 00:16:55 That's where I think the Titans are at. And with that being said, the tank is done. The Titans have five wins. I think they win one or two more games. Marvin Harrison Jr., Joe Olifashanu, that dream is almost dead. It is almost dead, and if the Titans win this weekend and get to six wins,

Starting point is 00:17:18 I'm sorry. I think the dream is gone for good. Which, hey, winning and seeing Will Levis make these moments may be more important long-term, but it's definitely a debate worth having. So we're going to talk about the tank and the health of the tank here in just a moment. Before we do, though,

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Starting point is 00:19:00 Daily fantasy sports Made easy. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We're talking about the playoffs, baby. The playoff push for the Titans, no. I don't think the Titans are getting into the playoffs, but there are some realistic paths available, which I charted out. How many wins do I think the Titans are going to get? For me, it's two more.

Starting point is 00:19:39 I don't think they're going to run the table, but the circumstances laid out certainly make it possible. Let me know how many more wins you think the Titans are going to get. But with more wins comes the death of the hope of the tank. Some of you guys are laughing right now because you never wanted a tank anyway. You didn't care. You'd rather win the games. Some of you are happy about what Will Levis has done, but do realize the reality that this is getting much closer to keeping us

Starting point is 00:20:06 out of the Joe Olt and Ola Fashanu sweepstakes. I think Marvin Harrison Jr. was probably always a little bit of a pipe dream, but a top five pick definitely got further away last night in the biggest upset the Titans are going to have all year.

Starting point is 00:20:22 And again, I think the Titans are going to win two more games and go to 7-10 on the season. They are certainly not going to be in the top 10 or firmly in the top 10. They could maybe be 10, maybe 9, something like that. But they're not going to be in a position to get Marvin Harrison Jr., Joe Olafashanu, the guys that we've all been fawning over

Starting point is 00:20:42 for the last two months. They're simply not. And look, I don't know that I agree. I don't know that I agree. But I will at least represent the opposing opinion. As I said last night, Will Levis having this experience, Will Levis winning these games, the guys in the locker room believing in Will Levis.

Starting point is 00:21:07 Knowing he can lead them to victories. Knowing no matter how improbable. Again, 767 instances where a team was down by two scores with under three minutes. None of them were able to come back and win in regulation. None of them. And the Titans did. Will Levis is the first rookie quarterback to throw for 300 yards on Monday Night Football.

Starting point is 00:21:34 All of that stuff is important. You want to talk about what's more important, getting one of those big three guys in college draft that I just talked about, old Fashanu Harrison Jr., or some of these defining moments for Will Levis as a rookie to really set up his career path. What's more important there?

Starting point is 00:21:50 You guys let me know what you think is more important, but all I will say is I will represent the opposing view and just say there is something to be said that these wins, these moments, all of that do matter. They are more important than draft pick positioning, all that. There is an argument to be made about that. I recognize that. So with that being said,

Starting point is 00:22:10 with that being said, and if the Titans do beat the Texans this week, which is what I'm expecting to see, that means, like I said, that Joe Olaficianu, Marvin Harrison Jr., that dream is over. But then we move on. And there are some really good players that will be in the Titans range

Starting point is 00:22:30 no matter what happens here. All right? Think about wide receivers. Malik Nabors. Freak. Freak. LSU wide receiver Malik Nabors. What about Roma Dunze?

Starting point is 00:22:43 The wide receiver from Washington. I love me some Roma Dunze. I do. I do. He would be in that range for the Titans. Brock Bowers in this Titans offense that uses two tight ends that wants to have a balanced attack with the run game. A top flight tight end. A top tier tight end could be just as valuable as that wide receiver too. Brock Bowers could be just as valuable, maybe even more valuable

Starting point is 00:23:09 in the Titan system than a Malik Nabors or a Roma Dunzak. I mean, it's at least a logical possibility. If you still want to go offensive line, Mims, Latham, Fuaga, I mean, there are going to be other really good players. This is a more talented draft than last year. When I talk about Peter Skowronski as a draft pick for the Titans, and I always go,

Starting point is 00:23:35 they drafted a guard at pick 11. I have said that saying that is stupid because you have to evaluate the draft class. In this draft class, were there other premium position players who were better than Peter Skowronski? My argument is no. And again, I said when we talked about this a couple weeks ago, maybe you want to say Broderick Jones.

Starting point is 00:23:56 You should have gone with Broderick Jones, played him at left tackle rather than taking Skowronski and putting him at left guard. Okay, you can make that debate. I would still take Peter Skowronski. And I think once you get a real left tackle next to Skowronski, it is going to show just how valuable he is. But, this draft class

Starting point is 00:24:17 is better than last year's. This draft class has way more talent than last year's at the top. So, even if the Titans pick a couple spots lower or in the same spot as last year, they are going to get a better player than what they would have got in that spot last year because of the talent in this draft. That's why Skowronski was the right pick, because the talent of the draft class overall wasn't very good and that's why this year maybe dropping back a few spots isn't as bad as it appears

Starting point is 00:24:53 you may lose out on Ola you may lose out on Joe Ault you may lose out on Marvin Harrison Jr. but Malik Nabors Brock Bowers whichever tackle you think is offensive tackle three, probably better than the players who went

Starting point is 00:25:10 higher than those picks last year. Think like Tyree Wilson, you know what I mean? Good example there. So just keep that in mind as we move forward. If you're somebody who's disappointed about the draft pick situation, I get it. But the positive benefits of Will Levis winning games, along with the quality of the draft pick that the Titans will still likely have

Starting point is 00:25:35 and the quality of player the Titans will still likely be able to get, it could be worse. It could be worse. So, me as someone who has been a tank commander all season for this team, I'm just here to tell you, don't be too worried about it. It's going to be okay. And try to make sure that you enjoy these rookie moments for Will Levis,

Starting point is 00:25:59 even if it means the draft position gets worse. So let me know what do you think down below. Are the wins and the experience more important? Is the draft pick positioning more important? Are you okay with dropping back into that next tier of players? All the stuff that we're going to be talking about throughout the next four weeks, but man, what a fun game.

Starting point is 00:26:20 What a fun thing to recap. Can't wait. I mean, with it being a Monday night game, the season or this week is going to move so quickly. Like so quickly. I barely get a chance to watch the film in weeks like this. Tomorrow is going to be crossover Thursday. I mean, it's already crossover Thursday tomorrow.

Starting point is 00:26:35 So we'll be talking with the guys from Locked on Texans. It'll be Cody. It'll be John. One or the other. Both. Who knows yet? But I'll make sure to have that out to you guys tomorrow. And then Game Plan Friday will be directly after.

Starting point is 00:26:46 So make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. Do want to remind you guys, Locked On has launched the first ever National Sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube. Locked On Sports Today is here for you 24-7 covering the top sports stories of the day with local experts from Locked On plus national shows covering every league.

Starting point is 00:27:06 Go to Locked On Sports today on YouTube. Subscribe to the first ever National Sports 24 7 streaming channel. Be a part of history. But again, I'll be back with you guys for crossover Thursday tomorrow. That is going to do it for me today, folks. As always,

Starting point is 00:27:22 I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans PLAYOFF PATHS, Predicting Titans Final Record & The Tank Is Officially DEAD..& That's OK

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