The Tennessee Titans finished last season with a 9-7 record and ended up second in the AFC South Division. While one of their more successful seasons recently, their efforts weren’t enough to qualify them for the playoffs. Their playoff hopes ended with a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 16, where they also lost starting quarterback Marcus Mariota to a broken right fibula.
Mariota was a star player in college for Oregon, and was enjoying a nice sophomore season before breaking his leg. Mariota had a 95.6% overall passer rating with 276 total completions for over 3,400 yards. At 61.2% accuracy, Mariota was performing better than some veteran quarterbacks in the league. Mariota was replaced by backup quarterback Matt Cassel for the remainder of the season, but it wouldn’t matter at that point regarding the Titans’ season. Mariota’s recovery has been on the right track, though coaches are remaining cautious with his situation. Thankfully, Mariota has the entire offseason to continue his recovery and should be back for the start of the season.
Running back DeMarco Murray had a noteworthy season with over 1,200 rushing yards, though at just shy of 300 attempts, Murray was contained to short bursts and only afforded a few opportunities to run the stretch of the field. Murray has been a dominant running force in the league for some time now, and he’s continued hitting his stride in Tennessee. However, you can’t discuss Tennessee’s run game without bringing up their backup running back—Derrick Henry. Henry was the Titans’ second-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft. Before that, he was commanding the field against SEC defenses for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Henry was one of the strongest running backs in the NCAA at the time. As far as his production goes in the NFL, it’s safe to say it has been a little stifled by veteran Murray’s presence. Henry still rushed for just under 500 yards and put up 5 touchdowns for the Titans in his rookie season. When asked about Henry’s offensive involvement in the 2017-2018 season, head coach Mike Mularkey spoke of his confidence in the young running back. He firmly established that Murray was their first choice offensively, but hinted that Henry’s involvement would depend on how they wanted to play their opponents. He described the pair as a “one-two punch” and expects Henry to have a successful career with the Titans.
For the future, the Titans will look to make some moves in the NFL Draft and the free agent market. With eight total picks, including two first-round picks, the Titans have some options. They have a cornerback situation that needs to be addressed after cutting starting cornerback Perrish Cox. They have some young players who can fill the void, but the Titans aren’t looking to rely on young players for such an important position. They should also explore some wide receiver options to compliment receivers Rishard Matthews and Delaine Walker. While they both had good seasons, another receiving option never hurt any team.
From a betting perspective, the Titans are an interesting team. Tennessee sports gambling uses offshore sportsbooks, where bettors can bet on teams to win on the spread or a moneyline, can place future bets on who will win the Super Bowl and even specific prop bets for every NFL game. These sportsbooks are legally sanctioned and allow Tennessee residents to get in on the sports betting action. If the Titans can address their offseason needs and get Mariota back healthy, they may even make the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.