Week 2 Results and Their Effect on the AFC South Playoff Race
By Max Dambach
Tennessee Titans
Week 2 Results: Beat Jacksonville 37-16
What it Means: The Titans rediscovered their identity in Week 2 and knocked the Jaguars back down a peg. After a lackluster rushing total in Week 1, the Titans and Derrick Henry ran over the Jaguars for 179 yards. Mariota only had one touchdown, but he was efficient in keeping drives going and limiting turnovers. The offensive line held up well to a defensive front that got 10 sacks in Week 1, and the Titans defense controlled the game and forced turnovers until the Titans offense began to pull away in the second half.
Last season, the Titans missed out on the 2016 playoffs due to their poor divisional record, but they are off to a good start this season by defeating Jacksonville. The Titans played to their competition last season with wins against quality opponents like Green Bay and Kansas City while losing to lowly teams like Indianapolis and Jacksonville. To take the next step towards being a serious playoff contender, the Titans must learn to win games like they did in Week 2.
What’s Next: The Titans take on the 1-1 Seattle Seahawks. This should be a close game between a playoff team on the cusp of a rebuild and a young team just entering its prime. The Seahawks struggled to beat a weak San Francisco 49ers team due to an offensive line that cripples the entire offense. Not even Russell Wilson could thrive with a line this awful. The underrated Titans defense should get to the quarterback multiple times this Sunday and the strong running game of the Titans should make the difference in what is bound to be a defensive slugfest.