Previewing Toughest Matchups for Tennessee Titans in 2017

Some Games That Just Missed the Cut

Game: Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts on October 16th (Monday Night Football)

This matchup differs from the other matchups on this list in that the opponent is not formidable due to their status as a playoff contender, but rather, due to their past against the Titans. At the beginning of a bit of a rebuild, with Andrew Luck unable to participate in training camp due to shoulder surgery, the Colts likely won’t compete for a Super Bowl this season. However, they are an important matchup for the Titans mentally. As Colts fans love to point out, the Titans have lost 17 out of 18 games, with an 11-game losing streak, against the Colts since 2008. At this point, it’s clearly a mental hurdle that the Titans must clear in order to prove they are ready to compete for a title.

Game: Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins on October 8th

The Dolphins surprised many in 2016 by making the playoffs after an atrocious 2-4 start. The Dolphins won 9 of their last 10 en route to their wild card loss against the Steelers. Many discount the Dolphins on account of their sharing a division with the Patriots. Thus, the best they can ever hope for is a wild card spot. However, this is one team that I wouldn’t want to see in a wild card game. Their offense looks to be fantastic this season with third-year back Jay Ajayi, Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry, and a poised-to-break-out DeVante Parker. Tannehill had a quietly good second half of the season last year and looks to build on that. The Dolphins defense is thoroughly average at this point, but they should look to win a number of shootouts this season, including one with the Titans on October 8th.