Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans RECORD PREDICTION: Good Start to Season, Tough Middle & Divisional Finish is Key

Episode Date: May 16, 2024

The Tennessee Titans have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL on paper, but that doesn't mean they can't finish with a winning record. First, the Titans can get off to a good start with some winnable games early on. Second, although there are some tough games in the middle of the season, the Titans can stay afloat if they take care of business when they should. Finally, the season will still be up for grabs as we reach the final stretch due to a ton of divisional games that will test the Titans progress. 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 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotors.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply.FanDuelFanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. 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)

Now that we know the full schedule, what will the Tennessee Titans record be? I'll tell you why I have the Titans with a winning record on today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. 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 FanDuel. Make every moment more.

Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 with any winning $5 bet. Visit FanDuel.com slash locked on to get started. The schedule is out, and it is time for my first official record prediction. I have the Tennessee Titans with a winning record. Can't wait to dive into it with you guys and go week by week through the games. Before I do, I want to thank you again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day.

Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the number one Tennessee Titans podcast in the world. Shout out to my everydayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. Let me know who you are down below. Got a great week of content coming up for you guys next week.

I'm going to look at the biggest X-Factor games, the biggest must-wins, the biggest likely losses, who the Titans have better quarterback matchups than, the toughest stretch of the schedule, and the games that I'm going to go to. Then we're going to do a preview of OTAs, which full-team OTAs start next week. So can't wait to dive into that with you guys. So much coming up on the Locked on Titans podcast. Make sure, again, that you get subscribed, stay subscribed, throw a thumbs up on the video if you're watching as well. But with that being said, we got

to start with week one. And I said it last night when the schedule first came out and I'm sticking to it here. I think the Tennessee Titans win this game in week one against the Chicago Bears. You got a rookie quarterback in his first matchup. They have some good weapons. They have an underrated offensive line in Chicago and the defense definitely has some players. But I think the Tennessee Titans are well positioned to go in there and take advantage. Number one, great wide receiver group at Chicago with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Roma Dunze. But the Titans have a major strength with their cornerback group with LeJarius Sneed and Chito and Rodgers. So I fully think that the Titans can cancel out

some of the strengths of the Bears with their own strengths. And I'm betting on Will Levis to play better than Caleb Williams in his first game ever. But all eyes will be on the Titans there. I think the Titans win that game, though, on the road and get to 1-0 on the year. Then, week two, the Tennessee Titans play the New York Jets in Tennessee. And this is a tough one. Like I said on yesterday's schedule breakdown, my everydayers will remember

that's a tough draw for the Titans. I think you would rather play the Jets later in the year, but at home, I think the Titans still win that game. I think the Titans can win their home opener. I think watching Will Levis play against Aaron Rodgers will be incredibly game. I think the Titans can win their home opener. I think watching Will Levis play against Aaron Rodgers will be incredibly interesting. I think the, the not comparing Will Levis to Aaron Rodgers, of course, but the release quickness, how fast they throw the ball. I think those two may be at the top of the NFL in terms of how quickly they get the, they get the ball out of their hands, release quickness, top tier. And I've compared Will Levis' release quickness, not his entire game,

but his release quickness to Aaron Rodgers in the past. It's that fast. So I think the Titans come home, a little bit of home cooking, fresh off a win. The Jets have a lot of new pieces. And I think the Titans have better coaches than the Jets. I don't think the Jets are very well coached. I think when you have Nathaniel Hackett as the offensive coordinator, that's not a great coaching situation for the Jets. All the stuff we've heard this off season

would continue to point in that direction. I think the Tennessee Titans can knock off the New York Jets in a tight one. Spoiler, that's one of my X-Factor games. So we'll talk about X-Factor games at the beginning of next week and the first couple of shows of the week next week but I think the Titans find a way to win that game in a close one against the New York Jets. So I got the Titans starting out 2-0. It's a very good start for a team

with new pieces, new coaching staff. That's all you can hope for right there because I think the Titans could get off to a little bit of a slow start if things don't go their way and they don't gel quickly. So I think that's a because I think the Titans could get off to a little bit of a slow start if things don't go their way and they don't gel quickly. So I think that's a strong start for the Titans, 2-0. Then week three, at home, Green Bay Packers.

I think this is a loss. I think Matt LaFleur is an excellent coach. I think Jordan Love is a really good quarterback. And they have a lot of young players that most likely will be healthy that played together last year. There's a ton of continuity for the Green Bay Packers. The only area where the Titans might be able to exploit the Packers is on the defense.

The Packers got a new defensive coordinator in Jeff Halfley. He's going to be tight man coverage guy, ton of man coverage. All right. But if it takes some time for the defense to gel together, and I know that, you know, you could call this a bit hypocritical. The Titans are going to be taking some time to gel together. You know, there's more continuity with the Packers. But maybe if the defense is really struggling early on for the Packers

with the new defensive coordinator, then the Titans could find a way to kind of eat that out. But I just think Green Bay is the better team. I think at this time, Matt LaFleur is one of the best coaches in the NFL. And I do buy that Jordan Love is as good as he looked at the end of the year with all of the young players that they have. I'm not really worried about like injury issues as much with some of these older teams, you know, like the Jets, for instance. So I think the Titans lose that game to the Green Bay Packers at home in week three. So I have the Titans at two and one through three weeks.

Then they travel on the road against the Miami Dolphins in week four. Monday night football doubleheader, the only primetime game the Titans get all year. And again, when we talked about the schedule release last night, my instant reaction was I wish that game would have been later. When I did my, it's crazy, my perfect schedule for the Titans that I did earlier this week, it was basically the opposite. In the early games, the late games, all that. Again, I thought it was a brutal draw for the Titans,

the way the schedule is plotted out but in Miami week four it is going to be hot it is going to be and I saw some people saying hey it's a prime time game it's going to get played at night it's going to be a little cooler okay it's still September in southern Florida alright it may be at night but it is going to be hot okay and Florida. Alright? It may be at night, but it is going to be hot. Okay? And playing in Chicago, two games in Tennessee, and then going down to South Florida, I just think that

it could wear on the Titans. And the way that it works is Miami has their benches set up to where the sun is completely on the visitor bench. Well, this game is going to kick off at 7.30 Eastern time. The sun is still going to be out in September at that time. So I think it could be very hot early on. That could test the Titans. And I just think the Miami Dolphins are a much better team early in the year.

They get a hot start, that crazy creative offense, all their fast players. It's later in the season when the weather gets a little bit colder and Tua starts to struggle in the colder weather and some of their smaller, faster guys start to wear down a little bit. I think this game would have been better for the Titans at the end, so I have the Titans losing this game. And let's just say this. After the comeback win that the Titans had against

the Dolphins last year, the Dolphins are going to remember that and they're going to be extra, extra motivated for that game and that matchup. So I think the Titans lose there. So the first four weeks, I have a win against Chicago, a win against the Jets, a loss against the Packers, a loss against the Dolphins. The Titans head into the week five bye at 2-2. Disastrous week five bye. Absolutely hate that for the Titans. But then they come back home, and they play their first division game of the year

against the Indianapolis Colts. I'm going to tell you if I think the Titans can win that game or not. We're going to continue my record prediction with the Tennessee Titans at 4-4. Remember, play along down below with me. Let me know which games you think the Titans are going to win, which games you think they're going to lose, and what their overall record you think is going to be.

But 2-2 so far for the Titans heading into the bye and into their first divisional matchup. Before we continue, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. It's winner take all time in the NBA and the NHL and FanDuel is giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 that you can use on spreads, money lines, player props, and more. Look, I know the NBA and NHL are in the playoffs,

but the MLB season is going. The PGA Championship is this weekend. You can get some early lines on some of these Titans games. I saw that the Titans were plus four and a half underdogs on FanDuel for week one against Chicago. Hammer, hammer. My non-Titans friends who like to bet were like, I'm hammering that.

So you guys should consider that as well. But visit FanDuel.com slash locked on and make every playoff shot count FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook. Titans fans, let's continue today's first official record prediction. I'm going week by week through the schedule, telling you which games I think the Titans win, which games I think the Titans lose. We have the Tennessee Titans at 2-2 into the bye week,

coming out of the bye week with a home game against the Indianapolis Colts in week six. And I think the Tennessee Titans win that game. All right. Number one, coming out of the bye week, the Titans have to take advantage of that bye week. They have to win that game against Indianapolis. And ultimately, with the way the division games are set up for the Titans, it's just going to be critical for them to perform well in the division. Now, remember, I have the Titans with a winning record going through every single week. But two and two, play Indianapolis in week 6 at home. Get that win. I think that'll be critical.

The Titans move to 3-2. But then, two tough games. Back-to-back. These are going to be real tester games for the Titans. I mean, tough, tough games. Week 7 at Buffalo. Now, I would rather play Buffalo early than late. They have some new pieces. They're going to be replacing some pieces. You get that cold weather in Buffalo at the end of the year.

They're going to be used to that. Maybe the Titans aren't as used to that. So I would rather play Buffalo a little bit early, but it's still going to be a very, very tough game no matter how you want to slice it. I think the Titans have a chance to win that game. I don't think it's going to be a blowout like the most recent game that we saw against Buffalo, but I still have Buffalo winning that game.

So I have the Titans dropping to 3-3 after a week 7 loss on the road against the Buffalo Bills. But then the Titans have another very difficult game on the road against the Detroit Lions. Week 8 at Detroit. I just think Detroit is such a complete good football team with good coaching. They're playing at home.

I just think that's a very tough, tough task for the Tennessee Titans. Detroit has a very good offensive line. I think the Titans' defensive line could be an issue this year. So that's a loss for me as well. So I would have the Titans dropping to 3-4 through eight weeks of the season. Back-to-back losses against Buffalo and Detroit, both of those games on the road. But then the Titans get a nice bounce-back game.

Week 9, they come back home. They play the New England Patriots. All right, you got to win that game. With the stretch that the Titans are in, they got to win that game because their next week after that is traveling all the way to Los Angeles. A long travel, the longest trip

that the Titans will take all year. Okay? So, and then you got a home game against Minnesota, but then you got an away game against Houston. So in this tough stretch, this mid-season tough stretch, you look at a game against New England at week nine at home after being on the road for a division game against the Colts, which will be tough. At Buffalo, atts, which will be tough, at Buffalo, at Detroit, that's a tough stretch of games.

You have to win that week nine matchup against New England. And I think they do. I think they win that game. I think New England's going to be terrible. So, I think the Titans win that game. So, if you're keeping track, I have the Titans at four and four through nine weeks of the season. All right?

This is how it has to go for the Titans. They got to keep it close. They got to stay on the bubble. They got to be right there. They got to stay in fighting contention. And then the end of the season is really where they make their push. We'll get into that. But before we do, again, week 10, you're going to go to Los Angeles.

You're going to play the Chargers. The Chargers are most certainly going to be improved. Okay? Like, it was a tight game last year. The Titans won 27-24 in overtime, right? It was a tight game. I think this is going to be a tight game as well. But the Chargers have better coaching.

They're going to have a better offensive line this year. The Titans have great cornerbacks. The Chargers don't care about wide receiver. That's not even what they're looking to do. They're looking to be physical and to run the football. And again, I'm worried about the Tennessee Titans defensive line. I think Jeffrey Simmons will be good, but obviously I have my concerns about Tavondre Sweat,

Sebastian Joseph Day. Good, not great. Doesn't really move the needle for me. Just a solid league average starting guy. I don't like the depth on the defensive line for the Titans at all. I hate the depth on the defensive line with Keiondre Coburn. That's a practice squad player who the Titans have to keep on the roster to be a babysitter. I do not like TK McClendon. Marlon Davidson, no.

Titans have terrible depth on their defensive line. I think there's a good chance that the Chargers will just push them around, quite honestly. That's what I'm thinking will happen. So I have the Titans losing to the Los Angeles Chargers. Alright, losing that game. So 4-5, the Titans must bounce back and they come back home with a Week 11 home game against the Minnesota Vikings. I think the Titans win that game. The Titans have the requisite cornerbacks to deal with those wide

receivers, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison. I think that the Titans have a much better quarterback. I do not believe in J.J. McCarthy. Sam Darnold is not good. He's a little below average. I think Will Levis is better than both those guys. So if you could slow down the wide receivers and you have the better quarterback, I think the Titans have a great chance.

A great chance to win that game. And they probably need to win that game realistically. So I have the Titans at 5-5 through 11 weeks of the season. Obviously 5-5, 10 games, one bye week. Fighting, battling. You know, the Titans aren't good enough to, in my opinion, to crush a lot of these teams or have clear wins or really put themselves in a position where they're going to be

big-time favorites or anything like that. But I think they absolutely can survive this beginning of the season and get to the last six weeks of the year, seven weeks of the year, where they have all their division games, and that's where they can make that push to win the division, to get into the playoffs. Again, I got the Titans at 5-5 here, and I have them with a winning record. So we're going to go into this last stretch of games for the Titans where we see five of their

six divisional matchups. And that's where the bread will be buttered, folks. Again, let me know your record predictions down below. Let me know game by game where you think the Titans win and where you think the Titans lose. I'm going to get into the final home stretch of games for the Titans and how they fare against their division opponents now. Before I get into it, though, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by eBay Motors.

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Titans fans, let's cap off today's official record prediction for the Tennessee Titans. I'm going to make another record prediction as we get closer to the season, like the week before the season actually kicks off once we go through training camp and we get more information. The Titans still need to add a veteran edge. the Titans still need to add a veteran edge. The Titans still need to add a veteran safety. Injuries will happen.

Maybe not for the Titans, but for other teams that the Titans will play early in the year or whatever it may be. There's going to be a lot more information and additional factors that come in, but it's always fun to sit down with the initial schedule and kind of plot out what I think is going to happen right now. Again, I have the Tennessee Titans at 5-5 through 11 weeks with a very difficult end of the season with a ton of division games ahead of them. So we're going to dive into what I think happens there.

Let me know your record predictions down below. I do want to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round always for free. Week 12 starts the stretch. Alright, would have been great for the Titans to have a week 11

by, you know, to get ready for that stretch instead of week 5. God, that's awful. But week 12 at the Houston Texans. Going to be a big game. First game against Houston all year. Obviously, the fan bases have been at each other's throats all offseason long. We'll see what the Titans are made of there.

That is a tester game. That is a, hey, how good is this team now? I think Houston's offseason was a touch overrated. I think they added a lot of old dudes and gave a lot of big time money to guys that you probably shouldn't give big time money to at this stage in their career. But they did add good players.

There's no way around it. Just in a vacuum they added good players. If you've been listening to this show for any length of time, you know that I love C.J. Stroud. He was my number one quarterback by far last year. Was not even close. I like Stroud way better than everybody else. And he looks like the guy that I thought he would be in the NFL.

So no matter how you want to do this, Stroud's going to be tough to take out. And I have the Titans losing this game on the road against Houston. I just, on the road, all the vibes between the two teams, you know, I hope that it's a close and a good one and the Titans show themselves well, but I think they lose that game. That's a tough matchup there. Have the Titans at 5-6 right now. Then the Titans go on the road again to the Washington Commanders. And I wanted this game early. New coaches, young quarterback,

new pieces. I wanted to play this game early because I think it would have been a little more advantageous for the Titans. But I still think they win this game. I don't think the Commanders are going to be very good. I don't like the hire of Dan Quinn. I don't like Cliff Kingsbury as the OC. Jayden Daniels is ready to play right now because he's an older prospect. But I liked other quarterbacks better than Jayden Daniels.

He was my QB3 in the draft. I don't think that their offensive line is very good. And I think you could get pressure on Jaden Daniels. And their wide receivers are good, but Jahan Dotson, Terry McLaurin, they're not great. So I think the Titans can completely lock down that offense. And I think the Titans win that game. So I have the Titans at 6-6, 500 hovering all year.

And then they go into a week 14 game at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars I had the Titans winning that game I I just I talked about it earlier this week when I ranked the AFC South I don't think Jacksonville is very good I don't like their all season I think that Trevor Lawrence may be even a little bit better this year than he was last year but I I think their wide receivers are worse. I don't think they got much better on the offensive line. I don't think they got much better on the defensive line. I think their secondary got worse. I'm just not buying Jacksonville this year. I don't think they're a very good team. I think they'll be 7-10, 8-9, 6-11, somewhere in there. I don't think they're a very good team, and I think the Titans at home against Jacksonville win that game.

No doubt about it. Then Week 15 against Cincinnati. Another home game. This will all depend on health. If Cincinnati is healthy, I think they win the game. All right, there's going to be a lot involved into it. And the Titans whooped Cincinnati last time they played 27-3. Since he's going to remember that.

So you add in that revenge factor. You add in the Brian Callahan connection, which is going to have people fired up to prepare for this game. And you add in a healthy Joe Burrow, I think the Bengals win that game. I think that's going to be a really tough fought game. I think it'll be a really close game. I think it's a swing game for the Titans this season.

But right now, my initial prediction, I think the Titans lose that game. So now I have the Titans at 7-7. 7-7. 7-7. Then the Titans go on the road after the game against Cincinnati, Week 16, at the Indianapolis Colts. And, look, I just have a hard time believing that the Titans are going to sweep the Colts. It just hasn't happened a lot in my lifetime.

I think the Colts were a good team last year without Anthony Richardson. If Richardson is still playing at that time, I think the Colts win that game. I think it'll be a tight game. It'll be a close game, but I think the Colts win that game. So I have the Titans losing there and dropping to seven and eight, but they still have two more division games to finish out the season at Jacksonville. Again, I don't buy Jacksonville. I don't think Jacksonville is very good. I think the Titans go into Jacksonville in week 17 and win that game.

And that moves them to 8-8 on the year. And then the final game. Week 18 at home, Houston Texans. I painted the picture yesterday. Imagine it. Playoffs on the line. Week 18, at home, against the Texans, wearing the Oilers jerseys.

I don't think the Titans will do that this year because they lost at home wearing them last year. I think they'll just avoid the pettiness of that. But I want it, man. I want playing Houston, week 18, oiler blues on with a shot at the playoffs. I think Houston will already be in the playoffs. I think they win the division.

But the Titans at 8-8 with a chance to go to 9-8 and have a winning record and make the playoffs as one of the final wildcard teams, I think that's where the Titans are at. I have the Titans going 9-8 because I have them winning that game against Houston. So, 9-8 overall, a winning record for the Titans.

4-2 in the division, which will give them the tiebreaker over other teams. 6-2 at home, 3-6 on the road, 6-6 in the AFC Conference. Well, that's monotonous to say that, but you guys know what I'm saying. In the conference, 6-6. So 9-8 is my initial prediction for the Titans.

A winning record, some tough games, some tough stretches, some games that they really have to win to have that winning record. But I think the Titans can do it, and I think they can use this season as a stepping stone to 2025, add some more pieces, add more in the draft, become a true contender. But I could see the Titans going 9-8 here, sliding into the playoffs, one of those wildcard spots, and knocking off one of these top seeds on wildcard weekend. So that's my expectation right now, 9-8 for the Titans. Again, let me know your record predictions down below.

I always love the people, too, that are like, how do you pick against the Titans? Am I supposed to pick them to go undefeated? Is that the content that you guys want? You want me to get on here and tell you the Titans are going undefeated this year? Is that truly what you're looking for? I don't think so. So let me know your realistic predictions down below, of course.

But 9 and 8. All right. Next week, I'm going to be on vacation. But you're still going to have five days of Tennessee Titans content from the Locked on Titans podcast. We're going to continue breaking down the schedule. X-Factor games, must wins, likely losses, better quarterback matchups for the Titans where they have the better QB,

the toughest stretch of the season, the games that I'm personally going to. I can't wait to talk about that with you guys. We're going to answer some mailbag questions finally, and then a little preview of full team OTAs. So a lot coming your way next week. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed.

But with that being said, that is going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.