Optimism: Ryan Tannehill
The Titans have a new man behind center for the second half of the season in quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Through his first two starts, Tannehill has been solid, leading the Titans to a 2-0 mark since he took over in the third quarter of the Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Tannehill has completed 44-of-62 passes (71 percent) for 505 yards and five touchdowns to just one pick in those starts.
Furthermore, Tannehill has looked like the superior passer to the Titans’ former starter, Marcus Mariota. He’s fitting balls into tight windows and giving his receivers a chance to battle for catches, all the while displaying better pocket presence and utilizing all the weapons at his disposal.
Even though his Week 8 performance wasn’t great, Tannehill still battled through it and made the most of the opportunities given to him by his defense off of Jameis Winston turnovers. The former No. 8 overall pick answered the bell late in the game also, driving his team 90 yards that ultimately led to the game-winning score on a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown.
If the Titans’ offensive line can keep him upright, Tannehill will continue to be a major upgrade at quarterback for Tennessee. If he can at least competently run this offense, Tennessee has the kind of defense that doesn’t make it necessary to light the scoreboard up to win games.