| The Tennessee Titans were a see-saw bunch in | | | | Week 1: Sunday, Sep. 12, Oakland, 1:00 PM |
| 2009 after coming off a 2008 season that saw | | | | Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 19, Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM |
| them with the best regular season record in the | | | | Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 26, at NY Giants, 1:00 PM |
| NFL. They then started 0-5 last season, which | | | | Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 3, Denver, 1:00 PM |
| was bad enough, but in Week 6 things reached | | | | Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 10, at Dallas, 4:15 PM |
| complete rock bottom. The Patriots won 59-0 in | | | | Week 6: Monday, Oct. 18, at Jacksonville, 8:30 PM |
| the snow at Foxborough in one of the most | | | | Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 24, Philadelphia, 1:00 PM |
| embarrassing moments in Titans/Oilers history. | | | | Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 31, at San Diego, 4:05 PM |
| New England's Tom Brady threw five touchdowns | | | | Week 9: BYE |
| passes in one quarter and the Pats built the | | | | Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 14, at Miami, 1:00 PM |
| biggest halftime lead in league history, 45-0. The | | | | Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 21, Washington, 1:00 PM |
| 59-point margin matched the largest since the | | | | Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 28, at Houston, 1:00 PM |
| NFL-AFL merger in 1970. It was the largest | | | | Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 5, Jacksonville, 1:00 PM |
| shutout in the NFL since 1976. And it was the | | | | Week 14: Thursday, Dec. 9, Indianapolis, 8:20 PM |
| Titans franchise's worst loss since it began play in | | | | Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 19, Houston, 1:00 PM |
| 1960 as the Houston Oilers, eclipsing the 61-7 | | | | Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 26, at Kansas City, 1:00 |
| blowout to Cincinnati in 1989. | | | | PM |
| Obviously, people began to wonder if Jeff Fisher, | | | | Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 2, at Indianapolis, 1:00 PM |
| the NFL's longest-tenured coach, would be fired. | | | | If you believe in schedule strength, it's not good |
| But one good thing did happen in that Pats loss: | | | | news for folks with Tennessee football picks: this |
| Tennessee starting QB Kerry Collins was 2-for-12 | | | | is tied as the toughest schedule in the league with |
| for minus-7 yards, and that effectively ended his | | | | an opponents' 2009 winning percentage of.547 |
| tenure as the team's starter and basically forced | | | | (140-116). Yet despite that, there are only five |
| Fisher - with a little public prodding from owner | | | | games against playoffs teams so that's |
| Bud Adams - to turn back to former Rookie of | | | | somewhat misleading. |
| the Year Vince Young. | | | | Frankly, there's no reason this team should start |
| And shockingly, the Titans turned back into a | | | | any worse than 3-1. The Titans are 6.5-point |
| playoff-caliber team. They would win the next | | | | favorites in Week 1 against Oakland and also will |
| five games, with Young not putting up great stats | | | | be favored in home games against the Steelers |
| (other than a dramatic comeback win against the | | | | (remember, no Ben Roethlisberger) and the |
| Cardinals) but basically handing the ball to Chris | | | | Broncos. Last season the team opened with four |
| Johnson, who finished the season with 11 | | | | of six on the road, so things look much better for |
| consecutive 100-yard rushing games on the way | | | | a different start in 2010. |
| to being the sixth member of the | | | | Then things get emphatically tougher with four of |
| 2,000-yards-in-a-season club. Tennessee actually | | | | the next five on the road. And the lone home |
| had playoff hopes before getting walloped by San | | | | game has Tennessee on a short week against |
| Diego in Week 16, but an 8-2 record after that | | | | the Eagles. Oddly, the Titans have a nine-game |
| start brought a ray of hope for 2010. | | | | winning streak against the NFC heading into the |
| Clearly, Johnson will be the focal point of the | | | | 2010 season, but I assure you that ends at some |
| offense again, with CJ saying he wants to hit | | | | point this year. The Chargers made Young look |
| 2,500 yards rushing. Again Young will be asked to | | | | really bad last year, as VY threw two |
| simply manage the game and not make mistakes, | | | | interceptions and lost a fumble on his way to an |
| but he'll have to stretch the field once in a while. | | | | 11.9 passer rating. |
| Kenny Britt was one of two rookie wide | | | | Then after a very winnable home game against |
| receivers to lead his team in receiving yardage in | | | | the Redskins, the Titans' play five of their final six |
| 2009 (with 701 yards on 42 catches) and should | | | | against AFC South foes. That's pretty unusual to |
| emerge as the No. 1 guy this year. | | | | have them all bunched like that in the NFL Power |
| The defense was absolutely horrible against the | | | | Rankings. Tennessee finishes at Indy for the third |
| pass last year and the Titans let end Kyle Vanden | | | | time in four years but that game hasn't tended to |
| Bosch and linebacker Keith Bulluck go as free | | | | matter because playoff positions had been locked |
| agents. They are hoping first-round pick Derrick | | | | up. |
| Morgan can replace Vanden Bosch's pass-rush | | | | If the Titans do start 3-1 I believe they can |
| skills. But there are many questions on this side of | | | | squeak by the 8.5 wins and finish 9-7. But the |
| the ball and it could be the team's downfall. | | | | defense has too many questions and Young is still |
| The Titans' 'over/under' for season NFL betting | | | | too erratic. Look for probably another 8-8 or |
| lines is 8.5. Let's break down the 2010 Tennessee | | | | maybe 7-9 so take the 'under'. |
| Titans schedule (all times Eastern): | | | | |
