| Randolph Charlotin. 30th October, 2008 - 12:05 pm
 It was hyped as a statement game. The Tennessee Titans were taking on the Indianapolis Colts, the team that has owned the AFC South for the last five years. A win would establish the undefeated Titans as heads and shoulders above anyone else in the division and make them the undisputed class of the AFC.
After defeating the Colts, Tennessee has a commanding lead in the AFC South and extended their flawless record to 7-0. But the Titans don’t deserve too much respect for being the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL.
While their 7-0 start is a franchise record, they’ve won against mostly losing teams. Baltimore is the only club Tennessee has defeated that currently has a winning record, and the Titans won by just a field goal over the Ravens, who were led by a rookie quarterback making just his fourth start. Big deal.
Tennessee’s other victims are all currently under .500:
-Jacksonville (3-4)
-Cincinnati (0-8)
-Houston (3-4)
-Minnesota (3-4)
-Kansas City (1-6)
-Indianapolis (3-4)
The seven teams that the Titans have beaten have a combined record of 17-33, which indicates that this Tennessee team isn’t as good as their record leads many to believe.
There is no question that their defense is very good. They rank first overall in points allowed, fourth in pass yards and total yards allowed, and give up just 90 yards per game on the ground, good enough for 10th in the league. They are also tied for second in interceptions and have forced eight fumbles.
But how good is their defense based on who they have played? Only two opponents they have faced are ranked in the top half of the league offensively. Neither Houston (eleventh) nor Minnesota (fifteenth) had earned league-wide respect, either. Both are one-trick ponies as the Texans pass well (5th) while the Vikings (8th) pound the rock on the ground with the best of them.
It’s a similar story for an offense ranked ninth in points scored. They have faced one top-five defense through their seven games. Against second overall Baltimore, Tennessee mustered just 13 points. Their three high point totals were posted against the mediocre defenses of Houston (16th), Indianapolis (15), and a Minnesota (8th) unit that can only stop the run. It’s no wonder quarterback Kerry Collins had his best passing game against the Vikings and their 20th ranked pass defense.
Tennessee is just playing their games. It’s not their fault the teams on their schedule have been bad thus far. That is understood, but to put it in perspective, this start doesn’t compare to the starts of other teams unblemished nearly halfway though the season.
Last year’s Patriots were dominant through eight weeks and notched a win over a then-undefeated Cowboys team in the process. New England averaged a 25.5-point margin of victory in those first eight wins.
The Titans aren’t even up to the standard set by the ‘06 Colts, who through eight games had beaten undefeated Jacksonville and a Denver team that was 5-1.
In short, the Titans don’t have any quality wins to speak of, yet. If they truly want to make a statement, they must beat a very good team. Looking at their schedule, only the Steelers have a record that is more than one game over the .500 mark. Three other intriguing opponents are 4-3 through Week Eight of the season.
One of those teams is this week’s opponent, the Packers. Green Bay will enter LP Field with their high-scoring offense and a ball-hawking secondary that leads the league in interceptions with thirteen. Five of those picks have been returned for touchdowns. Green Bay even recently beat Indianapolis more convincingly than the Titans did.
There are still three more possible “prove it” games left on the schedule, but a loss this weekend would prove that the Titans aren’t as good as their record indicates.
For more by Randolph Charlotin, check out his blog at http://www.newenglandpatriotsnews.com/randolphc/weblog/. He can be contacted at lordrc@netzero.net. |
