Does Julio Jones make the Titans an AFC favorite?

Watch out Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay. While we witnessed what I would consider a godl-like team, there is another team trying to prove they are better than the gods, rather that they are titans.

Coming off a season going 11-5, the Tennessee Titans continue to show they have the gusto and heart to win games. Under center we have Cronus, the leader of the Titans, in the form of Ryan Tannehill. With a completion rate of 65.7% for 3,984 total passing yards, Tannehill is coming off another decent season with the Titans. Since coming to the Titans over the last two years, he has shown an improvement in performance compared to his tenure with the Miami Dolphins. He is surely the underdog in most stories but should not be this year, as Tannehill has the arm and accuracy to lead his team to another playoff appearance.

However, it is not Tannehill that gets the spotlight but rather Atlas, or Derrick Henry, who managed to carry his team by putting up 2,027 rushing yards. While Henry is certainly a worthy threat to plan for, heading into the 2021 season it will be interesting if they rely on him as much as they did in 2020 due to the acquisition of Julio Jones. Adding Jones to the arsenal gives Tannehill three very reliable receivers as they will not need to rely simply on AJ Brown and Josh Reynolds in the passing game. I am hoping to see Henry’s utilization become more strategic over the years rather than forcing him to be the only contributor on offense.

The introduction of Jones to the Titans makes them more of an offensive powerhouse than they were already. It will be interesting to see how defenses acclimate to these changes. Will they double team Jones, allowing Brown and Reynolds to rack up the yardage, or will they continue to focus on Henry and his running capabilities?

Despite their offensive power, their defense could use some “beefing” up, allowing 439 points against while giving up 6,372 yards in 2020. One of their biggest vulnerabilities was the amount of third downs converted against them, preventing their offense from taking the field. However, If the Titans are able to overcome another team’s defense, they can certainly continue their hot streak and show they are a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully they can pick up a few new free agents before the season begins, or even develop a new plan of attack that prevents the deep ball and open targets in their secondary.

It will be fun to watch the Titans play this season and see how the addition of Julio Jones will play out for them. Is it possible that if another receiver can take some pressure off Henry, it will allow their strong offense to simply outscore a defense? Or is it possible that the splash-worthy signing of Jones will prevent them from building their defense, making the offensive showstopper null and void in the long run? I am optimistic to see the Titans under head coach Mike Vrabel take home a ring. Only time will tell if the changes made this offseason make them contender or a pretender.