The Tennessee Titans entered their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers with a 2-11 record, but were coming off a win against the Cleveland Browns. The victory over the Browns snapped a seven-game losing streak and even gave them a winning record against teams under .500 at 2-1.
A short three-hour drive from Nashville to the west side of the state is Tennessee's pro basketball team, the Memphis Grizzlies. Heading into their matchup against the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers on December 15th, they were 11-14 and winners of seven of their previous 10 games. Both teams and cities have many differences, but they share a commonality in their pro seasons this year.
Tough schedules have defined the 2025 regular season for the Titans and the early stretch of the regular season for the Grizzlies. The Titans have played 11 of their 14 games against teams with winning records, and that number will likely total 14 of their 17-game schedule when the season ends.
The Titans and Grizzlies succeed against lesser competition
The Titans' record against teams with winning records is 0-11, which makes sense for a rebuilding team dealing with various injuries to starting players. The Grizzlies have similar issues with injuries and a tough early-season schedule that saw them play 12 of their first 15 games against teams with a .500 or better record in the NBA.
Currently, the Grizzlies have an abysmal 1-13 record against teams with a .500 or better record, which is very close to the Titans' record in such games. On the flip side, the Grizzlies had a 10-1 record against teams under .500 before their game against the Clippers, which compares to the Titans' success against lesser competition.
Two of the Titans' final three games are against a team under .500, and based on how their season has unfolded, that marks their final opportunities to win another game this season. With another head coaching search, a high draft pick, and a plethora of salary cap space on the horizon, they will look to reverse their misfortunes against the better teams in the NFL next season.