Concern: The schedule
Tennessee has one of the tougher schedules in the second half of the 2019 season. Let’s take a look at all of the Titans’ remaining opponents, including their Week 9 game against the Panthers.
Week 9 (away): Panthers (4-3)
Week 10 (home): Chiefs (5-3)
Week 11: BYE
Week 12 (home): Jaguars (4-4)
Week 13 (away): Colts (5-2)
Week 14 (away): Raiders (3-4)
Week 15 (home): Texans (5-3)
Week 16 (home): Saints (7-1)
Week 17 (away): Texans (5-3)
The combined record of the teams left on the Titans’ schedule is 38-23. The second half of the season will be no easy task to navigate.
Of the Titans’ eight remaining games, seven of them come against teams with a record of .500 or better. The one team on this schedule that is below .500, the Raiders, have played their opponents pretty tough this season. That game is by no means a gimme.
Tennessee will have a great opportunity to get back into the divisional race in this stretch, but having already lost to the likes of the Colts and Jaguars is concerning. Tennessee also closes out its season with two of its last three games coming against Houston.
There are also two truly elite squads in this slate. The Titans have a home game against the Chiefs, who should have Patrick Mahomes back, and another home game against the Saints, who have already gotten Drew Brees back and were 5-0 without him.
Bottom line: this schedule is rough the rest of the way and if the Titans are going to make the playoffs, they’re going to have to earn it every step of the way.