It’s only Week 2 of the NFL season, but for fans of the Tennessee Titans, things could have a whole different feel less than a week from now.
Not only do the Titans have two games in five days, but they also have two divisional games in five days, starting with Sunday’s home opener at Nissan Stadium against the Colts and then a road game in Jacksonville against the Jaguars on Thursday night to start off Week 3.
Andrew Luck is no longer the sheriff of the Colts offense. Luck in his career never lost to the Titans. Jacoby Brissett is now the man under center. If the Titans’ defense plays with the same disciplined aggression they did in Cleveland in Week 1, Brissett and the Colts’ offense will have a long day. I wouldn’t be surprised if the defense plays even better.
Nissan Stadium will definitely be rocking all game, even more so after halftime, during which the Titans will retire the jersey number of two of the franchise greats: No. 9 for the late Titans quarterback, Steve McNair, and No. 27 for his teammate and former Titans running back, Eddie George. Many of their former teammates will also be in attendance, which makes for an even tougher atmosphere for the Colts on Sunday. I can already hear the chant of, “Eddie! Eddie!”
Derrick Henry will have a monster game with George in the building. It was a meeting with George that lit a fire under Henry last season. Prior to that meeting, he was having a mediocre season — and that’s being generous. Since that conversation took place, Henry has been a different runner, running through tacklers almost at will no matter what jersey the opponent is wearing.
Marcus Mariota will have also have another solid performance. While I don’t think it will be another 30-point blowout, I definitely see it being a two-score difference at the minimum, for the Titans and their home fans.
Thursday in Jacksonville will be the first time the Jaguars are seeing Derrick Henry since that Thursday night towards the end of last season when Henry had the 99-yard touchdown run that included a few stiff arms along the way.
While the Jaguars may be able to slow him down, they definitely won’t stop him completely. Just because you are set on something, you still have to execute it. He will still end the game around the century mark with a touchdown or two.
Gardner Minshew, the Jaguars rookie quarterback who was forced into action after Nick Foles suffered a fractured clavicle, will suffer the same fate as Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett. The Titans defense will be more of the same, even with the short week.
If this holds true, the Titans will be 3-0 and sitting on top of the AFC South. They will have 10 days to prepare for Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and the Falcons — a game which, by the way, will be their final contest before the return of Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan.
The Titans’ faithful, whether optimists or pessimists prior to the season, will begin to believe alike. This season — at least early on — can unfold nicely in Tennessee’s favor. The view is always better from the top, especially if you are constantly perceived as the underdog.
