Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans PLAYOFF YAHTZEE Requires Cam Ward BREAKOUT & Defensive Line DOMINATION

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Tennessee Titans can make the playoffs this year, but they need about seven things to go right. I'll tell you what they are and whether I think they can happen 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. Today's edition of the Locked-on Titans podcast is brought to you by Fandall. Get $350 in bonus bets. Guaranteed when you bet $5 every day for seven days.

Starting point is 00:00:45 Join all the action at fandle.com. On today's show, we're going to talk about the Tennessee Titans play off YATZ. And if you've never played Yotsie before, basically a Yotsie is when you roll all five dice and they all land on the exact same number. It is very difficult to do. but I think there are seven things

Starting point is 00:01:04 that if the Titans can roll all of those dice and they land on the same number and get them all right, then they have what it takes to get to the playoffs. We're going to finish today's show talking about what's most likely to happen among all of these different items. We'll talk about the defensive side of the ball,

Starting point is 00:01:21 but we start on offense. And it's probably no surprise to you that out of the four things that I want to focus on, three and a half, we'll call it, on each side of the ball, on offense, the number one thing that must happen for the Tennessee Titans to hit a playoff, Yotsie, pull off a miracle and make the postseason is for Cam Ward to take a step forward.

Starting point is 00:01:44 Now, I don't even think that Cam Ward has to break out this season. I don't think that Cam Ward has to be an all-pro quarterback or look like, oh, we have an elite quarterback now, a massive breakout like Drake May style second in the MVP voting. I don't think all of that has to happen for the Titans to go 10 and 7, 11 and 6, and make the playoffs. But Cam has to take a significant step forward. He has to clean up the ball handling concerns.

Starting point is 00:02:19 He has to be more consistent with his accuracy while continuing to make those big time splashy home run plays that we've seen him make with his playmaking in his arm talent. He has to keep making some of the best throws that we will see during the NFL season, but also clean up the problems. I've said it multiple times this all season. Cam

Starting point is 00:02:40 Ward has proven that he can put on the cape and be Superman. We need him to be a better Clark Kent. He needs to be better at the daily planet, not saving the planet this year. And if he's better at the Clark Kent activities of playing quarterback,

Starting point is 00:02:56 with the Superman capabilities we already know he has, that's a quarterback that you can win a Super Bowl with. But in the meantime, within this discussion, again, Cam Ward, maybe not breaking out to all pro-MvP levels, but taking a step forward, proving that he is a certified franchise quarterback that you can build around, that would be required for the Tennessee Titans to make it to the playoffs this year,

Starting point is 00:03:24 which again, I predicted them to win six games on yesterday's show. I do not think that the Tennessee Titans are making the playoffs. But if they're going to do it, if they're going to Yotzy it, Cam Ward is one of those dice that has to land on the right number. I would say another thing that has to happen, and it's going to impact Cam Ward, is the Titans' offensive line. And I will say overall, the offensive line needs to improve this year. Again, I don't think the O line has to go to top 10, top five,

Starting point is 00:03:55 in the NFL for the Titans to be good enough. to make the playoffs. But they do have to take a big step forward and no longer be one of the bottom 10 offensive line groups. And I think one player, one player can determine them. Whether the Titans are the 25th, 24th,

Starting point is 00:04:14 23rd best offensive line in the league or whether they're 13, 14, 15. One man decides that fate. Say it with me. One, two, three. J.C. Latham. If J.C. Latham, and we're talking about the Yotsie dice, if J.C. Latham turns into a really good player.

Starting point is 00:04:38 Top 20 offensive tackle in the NFL. Really good player. And that's on both sides. Not just top 20 right tackle. I mean, like he's a top 10 right tackle, top 20 starting offensive tackle in the NFL. If Latham can get to that level, we know that Peter Skoronsky is an elite guard.

Starting point is 00:04:58 we know what Dan Moore is. Dan Moore, it doesn't matter how much better everything out. Dan Moore is average to below average. If he has a bad matchup for him, he's below average. If he has a good matchup or a fair matchup, he's average. Nothing is changing with Dan Moore. Nothing will change.

Starting point is 00:05:18 We know what level of player he is. Carmona is a rookie who will have ups and downs. I'm excited about Fernando Carmona, but he's a fifth round rookie. he's going to have ups and downs. Shlopeman is a career backup. I don't think that he's a really good player, and I don't know if he's going to be able to be good for a full season.

Starting point is 00:05:40 But with Schloteman and Carmona, with a great Latham, great Skoronsky, average Dan Moore, that can be good enough to be 13, 14, 15th best offensive line. And if you do that, you help Cam Ward, you run the ball better, which helps everybody and helps the offense overall, that is a requirement. The offensive line must improve.

Starting point is 00:06:04 And then we have to see impactful play from the Titans 2 young weapons, Elyle Manor and Cornell Tate. I have no doubt that Wondale Robinson will do what Wondell Robinson does. I don't see Wondell Robinson, Dan Moore, the running backs, Carmona, Shlopman. I don't see them as,

Starting point is 00:06:27 X-factor players for the Titans who are going to decide the season or, you know, or things that are impossible to overcome or what, like, they're just going to be what they are. They're steady. I don't think that they're going to fall way short or go way above my expectations. But Tate and Iommanner, the outside weapons for the Titans, being able to win one-on-one matchups in contested situations, red zone, third-down. Those little fade back shoulder balls that Cam Ward threw to Elyle Manor all year last year, what he's already had success with throwing those kind of passes to Carnell Tate.

Starting point is 00:07:09 That is Cam Ward's get out of jail free card. When he feels like he has nothing available to him, he wants to throw a back shoulder fade to an outside wide receiver. So if Elykeye O Manor and Carnell Tate, the young outside weapons, If they don't take a step forward right away, Tate being the guy, I-O-Manor step forward from last year, if the outside weapons for the Titans

Starting point is 00:07:34 aren't good enough, they cannot make the playoffs. Because that is the get-out-of-jail-free card for the offense. And then, again, I said three and a half because I'm going to have one on offense and one on defense that's coaching-related. But overall, coaching should be together and its own thing.

Starting point is 00:07:54 So half to the offense, half to the defense, obviously. But Cam Ward stepping forward, maybe not a breakout, but stepping forward, the O-line improving,

Starting point is 00:08:06 mostly J.C. Latham being a much better player. The outside young weapons in Carnotate and Elykeyeom, Manner being who they look like, they will be. And then Brian Daibble being an advantage for the Titans

Starting point is 00:08:19 against the defensive coach each week. is he going to use RPO, a varied run scheme, play action, movement in the backfield to give Cam Ward, the offensive line, the weapons, the environment they need to succeed. That will be a question. Will that be the case? So if Cam could take a step forward, the O line can be middle of the road in the NFL,

Starting point is 00:08:47 and the outside weapons can win one-on-one matchups, Brian Dable is going to win matchups each week with his mind. The Titans offensively have given themselves a chance to make the playoffs. Now, what's actually going to happen? What do I think is most likely to happen among those four items right there, three and a half items right there? What do I think actually does take place? I'll talk about that at the end of the show.

Starting point is 00:09:14 But now, what are the Yatzi dice that the Titans have to get right on defense. Let me know what you guys think down below in the comments or hit me up on social media. The season is here. I have so much content playing for you guys. But again, defensive yatsy dice for the Titans right now. Do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by Home Chef. With schedules getting busier, everyone's getting back into their normal routines, figuring out what's for dinner every night can quickly become a daily headache. Home Chef makes cooking simple with fresh food delivered right to your door, easy, recipes to follow in meals that actually taste great. You get weekly deliveries which help

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Starting point is 00:11:42 Always say hello with Quo. Try Quo for free. Plus get 20% off your first six months when you try Quo. It's at quo.com slash locked on NFL. Again, that's QUO.com slash locked on NFL. Fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Playing a little playoff yatsy for the Titans. What are the dice, the die, I guess,

Starting point is 00:12:27 that the Titans need to roll and have break their way for them to make the playoffs. Again, I talked yesterday. I think the Titans are going to win six games this year. I think their ceiling is seven, maybe eight wins at best, because it's nearly impossible for all of this to happen. I'm going to talk about what I think is most likely to happen on both sides of the ball, what will happen, in my opinion, on both sides of the ball.

Starting point is 00:12:51 But that's at the end of the show. For right now, what are the die on defense? Number one, I think this is obvious. What's the most obvious thing that has to go right on defense for the Titans to win? Three, two, one, defensive line. The defensive line must be dominant. Jeffrey Simmons, John Franklin Myers.

Starting point is 00:13:13 Now, we're expecting that. The key player to me in the defensive line's dominance is Jermaine Johnson. The D-line has to be dominant, week in and week out. That is the dice that has to roll and land good. But the big thing that's going to make that happen is Jermaine Johnson, and I would even add in Caldric Falk in that Congress. If Falk and Jermaine Johnson are better than I expect them to be this year,

Starting point is 00:13:42 then this defensive line is truly going to be one of the top five units in the entire NFL. Like, it's going to be awesome. If Jermaine Johnson is a 10 to 12 sack player, Keldrick Falk is a 7 to 10 sack player himself, 6 to 8, 7 to 9, somewhere in there even, to go with John Franklin Myers, to go with Jeffrey Simmons, to go with Jacob Martin as a speed rush role player,

Starting point is 00:14:12 to go with Femey's effort rushing, which I think we'll get him two to three sacks and help out there. Again, I don't have as much faith in Jermaine Johnson and Keldrick Falk being ready to make this happen, but I could be wrong. And if I am wrong, and Jermaine Johnson and Keldrick Fulk are ready to be super impactful right away, this D-line is going to be utterly dominant.

Starting point is 00:14:37 It's going to make everything else easier. For the rest of the defense, it's going to be the domino effect that we've all been talking about and all hoping for. So there is no version of a Titans playoff run this year that doesn't include the defensive line being the most dominant group on the team. It can't just be good.

Starting point is 00:14:57 It has to be dominant if the Titans are going to make the playoffs. I would say another thing, as we continue to go through the defense, That has to happen is there has to be an explosion at the linebacker position, aka Anthony Hill has to not only get in the lineup early, but he has to be really good. Can't just get Anthony.

Starting point is 00:15:21 See, the conversation at linebacker right now is, and I see everybody saying it, I said it last week. It's a logical position. I know that Cody Barton is going to be more technically sound. I know that Cody Barton is going to make less mental mistakes. He's going to communicate better to the defense. I would rather deal with Anthony Hill making some mistakes, but playing with his aggressiveness and athleticism as a young player

Starting point is 00:15:47 while also improving and getting experience, which is better for the Titans long term, then deal with Cody Barton, who's a fish out of water, dead end option for this franchise going forward in our future, and have him be technically sound while being slow and unathlething. Now, Cody Barton is a million times better athlete than I will ever be, but you guys know what I'm saying.

Starting point is 00:16:11 So for me, if Anthony Hill can get on the field, that's great. We love to see that. But that's not enough. He needs to be really good. Him and Cedric Gray and James Williams. Playing together and being good, explosive young linebackers driving downhill, making plays in past coverage, being that perfect Robert Salah linebacker trio.

Starting point is 00:16:39 If they could do that, the Titans are well on their way to making the playoffs. Because a dominant defensive line with explosive linebackers shooting gaps, darting into coverage windows, that's going to create a lot of turnovers, and it's going to help the Titans swing a lot of games. And then the Titans need two players.

Starting point is 00:16:58 I'm not even going to be like, oh, the secondary should be good. No, no, they need two. players, and it's not any two players. It's Alante Taylor and Kevin Winston. If Alante Taylor and Kevin Winston can be solid on defense, good on defense, that's

Starting point is 00:17:20 one of the dice. Those are the three dice. The D-line must be dominant. The young linebackers must be explosive and impactful. And Kevin Winston, in the back end, needs to turn into a really good player, and Alante Taylor needs to be a good number one corner. If it just Cordell

Starting point is 00:17:38 Flot struggling as the field corner, if it's a Monty Hooker and Tony Adams in the back end having issues here and there, I think the Titans can survive that and still make the playoffs with that being the case. But if Alante Taylor isn't a good number one corner, and Kevin

Starting point is 00:17:56 Winston doesn't turn into a starter, or he's going to start, but I'm saying if he isn't worthy of a starting spot. He doesn't take that step forward we're all hoping for. The Titans cannot go to the playoffs. They're going to be too susceptible in the back end. Even if the defensive line is dominant, the linebackers are explosive. It's not going to be enough because the secondary is going to get taken advantage of.

Starting point is 00:18:21 So all three of those things have to happen. And again, there was a little havesy in there. The coaching staff have to be an advantage week to week. Robert Salah's defense because of his knowledge of scheme has to literally win the Titans some games. No matter what, even with the offense going Yatzi. Cam step forward. O-line improved. Weapons do their job on the outside.

Starting point is 00:18:49 Daible very good schematically. Even with all that going right this year, there will be games that the Titans have to win with their defense. Where Robert Salas' defense is so suffocating that it wins the Titans a game, 13, 10, 16, 15, 17, 17, 14. Now, 19 to 17, where the Titans defense is so good that it just wins them a game or two, because Robert Salah is a defensive mastermind. That has to be one of the die that gets rolled correctly for the Titans.

Starting point is 00:19:26 So, defensive line domination, linebacker explosion, Taylor and Winston being solid in the secondary, and overall Robert Sala, having a schematic advantage on some of the offensive coaches that the Titans go against this year and winning that battle. I think if you take what we talked about on offense, we talked about on defense, they all roll right for the Titans,

Starting point is 00:19:51 they're going to make the playoffs. Now, how likely is it? What do I think actually happens? Well, that's what we got to talk about now. Do you want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by Indeed. When workplace chaos hits and you need the right hire,

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Starting point is 00:22:50 and defense, some specific players that are intimately involved in whether or not that happens. So now we need to talk about what will actually happen, what is most likely to happen, how many the Titans get, and trust me, the math all lines up on this before we do. Do want to thank you for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. Speaking of every day, you guys got to check out the Locked on Titans every day or club. You're going to get commercial free versions of the Locked on Titans podcast. in your favorite podcast app feed. You're going to get added to a Locked on Titans every day

Starting point is 00:23:26 or group chat with me and a bunch of other Locked on Titans Every dayers. I'm also going to be doing some early access content where you guys get links to YouTube videos and stuff early before they drop. I'm going to be doing some live stream group chat style film breakdowns where you guys can ask me direct questions while we watch film together. It's $7.99 a month.

Starting point is 00:23:49 I think it's absolutely worth it for the commercials alone. Make sure that you guys hit the link down below in the description and join the Locked on Titans every day or club now before the season starts. With that being said, though, on offense, you have Cam Ward taking a step forward, you have the O-line improving, you have the outside weapons making a jump, and you have Brian Daible crushing it. What is most likely to happen, what will actually happen?

Starting point is 00:24:16 I think the most likely thing is that the offensive line improves. I think with Carmen Brissillo, Brian Dable calling the offense, J.C. Latham taking a step forward this year, stability on the O line. I think that the Titans O line does improve. Do I think that, again, they turn into a top 12,

Starting point is 00:24:38 top 10 group? No, I do not. But I do think that the Titans' offensive line improves, and that's the number one thing that I think is most likely to happen. out of all the four things on offense. Number two for me is that Daible crushes it schematically. Those quick RPO's, getting the ball to Wondell Robinson on those little choice routes,

Starting point is 00:24:57 option routes. I think the varied run game is something that will happen. That's my number two most likely thing. And I do think that Brian Daible wins the Titan some games just with his mind on offense, even when the offense doesn't necessarily perform. Absolutely fantastic. Now, that means that the outside weapons and Cam Ward taking a step forward are the two things that I have not mentioned yet.

Starting point is 00:25:21 And I think for me, number three is Cam Ward taking a step forward. I think Cam Ward could take a step forward, but it's not as likely as the O-line improving and Brian Daible being an excellent head coach. At the end of the day, the O-line improving, I think the Titans have some big talent there with Latham and Skoranski. I also think Carmen Bracillo is an excellent coach, and Brian Daible has been proven to really help an offensive line and get the best out of them.

Starting point is 00:25:48 So I just believe in the offensive line and the coaching-related things a little bit more than I believe in Cam Ward and the outside weapons. So I'm going to have the O-line improving number one most likely. Brian Dable crushing it, number two most likely. Cam Ward taking a step forward, number three most likely. And then the outside weapons, Tate and I.O. being real game changers, I'm going to have that as fourth most likely. I don't know that I trust Elicio Manor's big time breakout when he was going against

Starting point is 00:26:15 the Titans cornerback room all all season. I already have told you guys, I don't think that Carnell Tate is a true number one wide receiver in the NFL. So I obviously don't think he's going to prove me wrong on that, starting out at the beginning of his career. I don't think that Cam takes a major step forward this year. I don't think that the outside weapons are quite ready to help him do that. I think if the Titans offense does well this year,

Starting point is 00:26:42 it'll be based on Brian Dable's scheme, getting things open, making it easy, and it will be based on a run game. I think the Titans will be a very heavy run team this season. So what's most likely to happen to me, it's the O-line, it's Brian Dable, then Cam, then the weapons. What I think actually happens, the O-line improves. Brian Dable's scheme is good, led by the run game and the passing game, leaves some to be desired.

Starting point is 00:27:07 On the off, or on the defensive side of the ball, remember it was defensive line dominance, linebacker explosion, secondary step up with Taylor and Winston, and then Robert Salah dominating with scheme. I think the number one most likely thing on that list is the D-line being dominant. The most talent is there. I don't think that's a hot take.

Starting point is 00:27:28 I think number two, though, maybe a hot take. I think it's more likely that Alante Taylor and Kevin Winston are very good this year than it is that the linebackers explode. Because again, I said Anthony Hill had to get in the lineup and also be very good. And I think Anthony Hill may struggle early on with the complexities of NFL offenses, with the communication aspects of being the Mike linebacker in the defense.

Starting point is 00:27:53 I'm thinking maybe a little slow start for Anthony Hill. But again, I'd rather live through a slow start for Anthony Hill than waste time with Cody Barton out on the field. So I'm still okay with that. But I think Alante Taylor, who's a veteran, Kevin Winston, who has an extra year, and I think it's going to be used in a way that takes advantage of his range and physical.

Starting point is 00:28:12 this year. I think the second most likely thing that happens is the secondary is really good. And then that would make linebacker explosion number three. But four is Sala scheme dominating people. And I know that we should expect that with Robert Sala being the head coach and being a defensive mastermind, but I think it's just going to take some time. I said this last week, or yeah, I said this last week

Starting point is 00:28:37 when I talked about certain things, or I talked about it with the Titans floor and ceiling on the Titans hit. But Robert Salah's defense was awful. Year one with the Jets. 30 second in yards, 30 second in points. Because he just didn't quite have the players for his scheme. And his scheme is kind of hard to learn. There's a lot of rules in the secondary.

Starting point is 00:29:00 The linebackers have a lot of responsibilities and it's tougher on them in coverage. I just think Salas scheme can be difficult and it's not going to pay full dividends for the Titans in the form of an elite defense until later in the season or maybe even next year. So I'm going to say the D-line is dominant this year. The D-line is awesome.

Starting point is 00:29:24 That happens. Jermaine Johnson ends up being better. Folk is ready more quickly than I expect. The D-line is absolutely fantastic this year. It's the most likely dice roll on defense, and I think it does happen. That's the only thing on defense, though, that I think happens for sure.

Starting point is 00:29:42 I don't think that the secondary will be good enough. The linebackers will explode in the way that we're talking about and that Salas scheme will absolutely murder people throughout the year enough. I don't think all of that happens. I only think the D-line is really, really good. That's the only thing of those that happens. And again, the math lines up on that.

Starting point is 00:30:03 That's three out of eight things that I think will actually happen for the Titans. I think the special teams is going to be great. That's already locked in for me. But if three out of eight things happen, that's 37.5%. 37 and a half percent of the things the Titans need to happen to make the playoffs, I think will happen.

Starting point is 00:30:26 Well, what's 37 and a half percent times 17 games? It's 6.3. And how many wins did I tell you I think the Titans are going to get? Six wins. I think three out of eight dice rolls hit for the Titans, 37% winning percentage, six wins for the Titans this year.

Starting point is 00:30:52 So all my thoughts line up, but hey, if the Titans can Yotsie it, they could make the playoffs. Let me know what you think is going to happen. Let me know what you think is most likely. And I really challenge you guys to stay within the structure of the seven items that we talked about or the eight items, however you want to break it up. Cam taking a step, the O-line improving,

Starting point is 00:31:15 the outside weapons being match-up nightmares, d-bull crushing it, the D-line being dominant, the secondary being good enough with Winston and Taylor, linebacker explosion, solid scheme smothering people. Out of those eight things, what do you think actually happens? How many of those actually hit? That's the question.

Starting point is 00:31:36 So play along. Excited to see what you guys have to say. That's going to do it for me today, though. Folks, as always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans PLAYOFF YAHTZEE Requires Cam Ward BREAKOUT & Defensive Line DOMINATION

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