2010 NFL Preview: Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have been on a roller coaster ride in the past couple of seasons. After a 13-3 season in 2008 and a AFC South championship, the team got off to a shocking 0-6 start in 2009, only to win eight of their final 10 games to finish at 8-8. The finish coincided with the re-emergence of Vince Young at quarterback over Kerry Collins. It also left Titans fans wondering why the move wasn't mad earlier.
Now Young is entering training camp as a starter, and Jeff Fisher and co. are looking to return to the playoffs and get back among the elite. They did lose quite a bit of players to free agency, but they still look pretty competitive. With that said, Technorati is going inside the Titans.
Recap:
- 2009 Record: 8-8 (3rd, AFC South, missed playoffs)
- Key Additions: QB Chris Simms (Denver Broncos), LB Will Witherspoon (St. Louis Rams), CB Tye Hill (Atlanta Falcons)
- Key Departures: RB LenDale White (Seattle Seahawks, then Denver Broncos), TE Alge Crumpler (New England Patriots), C Kevin Mawae (free agency), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (Detroit Lions), DE Jevon Kearse, (free agency), DT Kevin Vickerson (Seattle Seahawks), LB Keith Bulluck (New York Giants), CB Nick Harper (free agency), P Craig Hentrich (retirement)
Overview:
Offense The Titans are going with Vince Young this season. After it took a 59-0 loss to the New England Patriots that dropped the team to 0-6, Young put the team back in contention with his leadership, mobility and arm. However he will need to keep the off-field distractions to a minimum as his off-season altercation in Dallas left him very fortunate that he was not suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. If Young can stay healthy, and make his receivers better in the passing game, it will take the pressure off of Chris Johnson. Kerry Collins is going to remain the backup, and Chris Simms should be the third-string guy on the team going into the preseason.
Since we mentioned Chris Johnson, it is known that he is the focal point in this team's offense. He led the NFL in carries, yards, and was the sixth back in NFL history to run for 2000+ yards in a season (2,006). But can he remain durable and healthy for the 2010 season. Larry Johnson had led the NFL in carries and experienced a sharp decline. If Johnson remains healthy, and can repeat his dominance from 2009 in 2010, he could possibly break Eric Dickerson's all-time single season rushing mark. There is no LenDale White and no more Smash N' Dash in Nashville, so Johnson's backups are Javon Ringer, Alvin Pearman, and LeGarrette Blount.
Continued on the next page
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