Before the 2017 season began, if soone had predicted that the Tennessee Titans could secure a spot in the playoffs, they would likely have been t with a lot of eye-rolling and called a fool.
Since the 2008 season, the Tennessee Titans had not made it to the playoffs; since the 2003 season, they had not won a single playoff ga.
The Tennessee Titans originated as the Houston Oilers, established in 1960, and were one of the founding teams of the Arican Football League. They won the AFL championship in 1960 and 1961, marking them as a team rich in history and tradition; they were no exception during the Super Bowl era.
Unfortunately, after entering the new millennium, the Titans were unable to find their rhythm amid the intense competitive upgrades throughout the League.
In 2015, the Tennessee Titans used their top pick to select quarterback Marcus Mariota, hoping the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner would be the cornerstone who would lead them out of their slump.
After a disappointing rookie season, Mariota finally brought so surprises in the 2016 season. The team achieved a record of nine wins and seven losses, and very narrowly, very disappointingly missed the playoffs.
Head coach Mike Mularkey beca the target of bla. Senior managent generally believed that Mularkey had failed to harness the team's talents. They possessed a team with excellent paper strength, yet they could not transform into a real powerhouse, a sentint widely agreed upon by professionals.
In this team, both the offensive and defensive groups had a plethora of excellent players—
In the offensive group, apart from quarterback Mariota, the running backs had DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry while the wide receivers included Eric Decker, Harry Douglas, and Eric Weems—all Pro Bowl-level players.
In the defensive group, the front line had Jurrell Casey, Sylvester Williams, and Brian Orakpo among others, all being Pro Bowl and All-Arica First Team-level outstanding players.
Perhaps the only relatively weaker aspect was the secondary defense, which is why the team's managent had been trying to strengthen the roster through the draft and the free market over the past two years.
Everything seed on the right track, but why were the results still not as expected?
At the end of the 2016 season, professionals still believed that Tennessee's slump and growing pains might continue; the team had yet to find a solution.
However, Mularkey had hurriedly taken over the reins midway through the 2015 season, and the 2017 season was only his second full season. Most people believed he deserved so ti to shape the team according to his vision.
Under such pressure, the Tennessee Titans entered a brand-new season.
Nine wins, seven losses.
For the second consecutive season, the Tennessee Titans delivered the sa results, but this ti they squeezed into the playoffs at the last minute.
A surprise, an absolute surprise!
Indeed, looking at the data calmly, the Titans still perford agonizingly, with their offense ranked nineteenth and their defense thirteenth in the League—both below average. By all rights, they still shouldn't have made the playoffs. So what exactly happened?
Key battles.
Looking back over the entire season, the Tennessee Titans lost a series of matches they shouldn't have; however, they perford at the top level in face-to-face clashes with playoff rivals—
Facing direct competitors for playoff spots like the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals, the Tennessee Titans won all of those gas.
More importantly, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were erging prominently and showing a different dynamic from within the sa division, the Tennessee Titans won both ho and away gas. Of the five losses the Jacksonville Jaguars had all season, two were at the hands of the Titans.
Especially in the last regular-season life-or-death ga, the Tennessee Titans clenched their teeth and triumphed over the Jacksonville Jaguars, securing their playoff spot through direct competition outright.
Unexpected, no doubt about it!
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That's why, even though the season record for the Tennessee Titans was just nine wins and seven losses, they were still widely considered a tough team.
In Bart's view—
"The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans were only separated by one win, and the gap in their regular-season performance wasn't that obvious," said Bart.
"The Kansas City Chiefs tend to falter at crucial monts and have choked multiple tis this season while leading; the Tennessee Titans, on the other hand, always seem to toughen up at critical tis."
"A give and take."
"In the single-elimination scenario of the playoffs, the Tennessee Titans seem slightly more promising."
This ti, Bart didn't want to be proven wrong, he really didn't, every cell in his body was rejecting it.
It was for this reason that Bart had co to his conclusion after much deliberation—
Of course, he hadn't forgotten a key figure, soone who had erged this season and repeatedly left him on the losing end.
"In my opinion, there should be two key matchups in this ga."
"First, 'Smith vs. Mariota'."
"Both quarterbacks have had their career-best season this year, and their performances will inevitably sway the course of the ga, making the quarterback offensive and defensive matchups particularly interesting."
"Second, 'Ground vs. Ground'."
"Kansas boasts Li Wei and Hunter, while Tennessee has Murray and Henry. Both have a duo of running backs, with the Chiefs focusing on agility and speed and the Titans on power and confrontation. These distinctly different ground offensive styles will play a crucial role in the ga."
"It's worth ntioning that this is the first eting between Li Wei and Henry."
"Hence, the performance in these two matchups will dictate the direction of the victory."
This ti, Bart's analysis and judgnt were affird 'within the League,' and on paper, this was indeed the case; however, the ultimate direction in the show was slightly different.
"6:4".
The mbers of 'within the League'—ten professionals in total—six chose the Kansas City Chiefs and four chose the Tennessee Titans, opinions very, very close, indeed neck and neck.
Those who believed in the Tennessee Titans, like Bart, thought that their tough deanor and montum shown in key battles this season could be the key to breaking the balance.
Those who believed in the Kansas City Chiefs, represented by Lawson, stood behind Li Wei.
"After a slump of six consecutive losses, the Chiefs, upon their return, are still the sa team but have forged a different kind of ga tenacity."
"Especially with Li Wei at the core of the ground offensive, bringing out an unbelievable form, the current Kansas City Chiefs are different from what we've perceived."
"In the playoff stage, the ground offensive will beco the backbone of the Kansas City Chiefs, allowing Smith to attempt more in the passing ga; therefore, we have reason to believe that the Chiefs can turn around their customary weakness in the playoffs."
Lawson stated this.
"More importantly, Li Wei, a player who excels against strong opponents, I personally think that his competition with Henry on the sa field might beco a positive motivation."
"We shall see."
Lawson kept his objectivity, but the confidence and excitent evident in his words were noticeable, as within just one season, Li Wei had already gained a different aura in his eyes—
"Li Wei vs. Henry"!
This eagerly awaited matchup is finally about to take the spotlight; and on the playoff stage no less!
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