Zach Lyons is a NFL Senior Contributor for Broadway Sports. He is also Co-Host of the wildly popular, award winning, and world renowned podcast, “A Football & Other F Words”, new episodes released every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts.. He’s also a co-host for Nashville’s first ever football only show with a global reach, “A Football Show”. “A Football Show” airs LIVE every Monday and Thursday at 1p CST. Subscribe and turn on notifications here.
Instant reactions right after the game are great, when they are from your more objective observers. I have found that while its okay to react in the moment, that it’s better to take a beat and reflect on the game the morning after.
The Team You Saw Yesterday is Who They’ve Always Been
The current state of the NFL is a train wreck. Especially after Week 13 where you saw numerous high profile players go out with injury, and on top of that just blowouts everywhere. However, while the Titans loss to the Eagles sucks, you should’t be surprised. You also shouldn’t assume they can’t win a bunch of games down the stretch.
Since the team traded AJ Brown, this was always going to be a weird transitional year for the Titans. Then you add in Jon Robinson’s unsuccessful moves around the OL the last few years, including this one, it was just a recipe for disaster.
The last two weeks the Titans lost to four by a team they should’ve beaten, and then blown out by a high-powered offensive and defensive attack. Sound familiar? This same exact thing happened in weeks one and two versus the Giants and Bills.
After starting 0-2, I said on numerous shows, this team (read: offensive play calling and line) STINKS, and don’t believe in this team, and this season is going nowhere, because this team will go one and done in the playoffs. They went on a 5 game win streak they sucked everyone in before barely losing to the Chiefs.
The defense went insane during that stretch, and during the Chiefs game looked dominant. That combo of defense, and the state of the AFC, provided me hope that they’d maaaaaybe go two and done. However, unless they draw a bottom of the barrel AFC playoff team, that’s not going to happen.
I think yesterday’s loss to the Eagles should enlighten fans on three things:
- This team can beat any mediocre/crappy team in the NFL, but not beat the big elites.
- The Offense cannot function with the Offensive Line at a NFL average level consistently.
- The Defense is Elite, if the match up on offense is just right.
I think the fan base lost some perspective yesterday after the game, which is fine getting in your emotions, and boo-hoo’ing about a loss is your prerogative, but now there is a majority of this fan base worried about the Jaguars, who lost 40-14 versus the Lions yesterday.
The Titans are better than the Jaguars and Texans, and they make up three of the last five games. Doesn’t mean they’re good or great, they’re just absolutely better. Yesterday’s loss doesn’t change that. Treylon Burks and/or Kristian Fulton potentially missing time also doesn’t change that.
Mike Vrabel told the team they’re at a crossroads and they get to come home, while the Jaguars will be competing in their second consecutive road game. This may not be a blowout, or an exciting game. However, the Titans are going to win.
They’re going to lose to the Cowboys because they’re a match up nightmare for this offense, and until Brandon Staley is fired, the Chargers are mediocre, and what do the Titans do to mediocre teams? they beat them.
Put your funeral blacks in the closet, and just come to the apathetic realization that this team will more than likely go 4-1 down the stretch, go one and done in the playoffs, and they only have themselves to blame.
When they go 4-1 down the stretch, do not get sucked in and give this team any unwarranted hope. They need to prove it to the fans they’re actually good. Don’t let the Titans trick you the rest of the way. Don’t get mad at them because you set your expectations too high despite everything flashing in neon from offseason to week two.
