Playoff berth won’t doom the Tennessee Titans future

Tennessee Titans fans shouldn’t be afraid of success right now.

If I were to ask a handful of Tennessee Titans fans right now what their worst case scenario for the next few weeks is, there would be an interesting range of answers.

One that I think I would hear the most given the recent mishandling of the team, is that the worst case scenario would be for the Titans to win one of the next two games in an ugly fashion, make the playoffs and keep Mike Mularkey.

I don’t know that I see it that way. I never want the Titans to lose if they are in position to make the playoffs, I have been through way too much heartache over this team for that.

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No, I still want the Titans to win and make the playoffs. Part of that is because I have faith in Jon Robinson if he has been given more authority since his promotion.

Tennessee GM Jon Robinson has done everything he can to earn fan’s trust in a short amount of time and I have a hard time faulting him for much in his impressive tenure.

Coaching

It is that “trust” that gives me hope that even if the Titans makes the playoffs, Jon Robinson will not be satisfied by how this season has gone. A season full of regression across the board shouldn’t force Robinson to keep coaches that he might no longer believe in.

This theory of a potential coaching change makes the most sense, and it gives the Titans a sort of happy medium:

I think I am alright with trying just about all of that. Would I rather have Hue Jackson or John DeFilippo as the OC? Probably. However, as an OC here is where Koetter has ranked in points scored:

2007: 6th

2008: 24th

2009: 24th

2010: 18th

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2011: 28th

2012: 7th

2013: 20th

2014: 12th

2015: 20th

So that is a pretty weird history. As many top-10 finishes as bottom-10 and when it isn’t in those extremes it is closer to less than average.

I don’t know what the move needs to be, but as far as an offensive coordinator fans should be expecting a change no matter what happens at this point.

Pass rusher

I still maintain that no matter who the DC (or HC) is next year, the biggest need is a young, talented pass rusher. Someone has to be the heir apparent for Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan who will both be over 30 at the end of next season.

Luckily for the Titans, this past draft should give them the confidence that they don’t need a top-10 pick to land a good pass rusher.

Inspired by this tweet from Mike Jurecki, I found that this is where the best rookie pass rushers were drafted last year in terms of overall pick:

1. Carl Lawson 7.5 sacks (picked 116th)

2. Takk McKinley 6 (26th)

3. T.J. Watt 6 (30th)

4. Derek Barnett 5 (14th)

5. Myles Garrett 5 (1st)

6. Deatrich Wise 3.5 (131st)

7. Tyus Bowser 3 (47th)

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So that is two players that playoff teams couldn’t land (Garrett & Barnett), two that playoff teams got in the first round (Takk McKinley & T.J. Watt), then Bowser went second round, and the other two went in the 4th.

Playoff teams should find comfort in the fact that good scouting could not only land them a good rookie pass rusher, but a great pass rusher at a bargain if they really get it right.

The Titans biggest non-coaching need can still be filled if they make the playoffs, so don’t condemn them for that reason either.