Offensive inefficiency will hurt Tennessee soon

By Marc Hudgens  |   Wednesday, October 24, 2007  |  Comments( 3 )

Tennessee Titans
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Looking back over Tennessee's first six games, it's clear the Titans, in spite of their 4-2 record, have struggled more often than not in 2007.

There was only one solid win among the bunch, in New Orleans, despite the Titans' supposedly strong running game. Had it not been for kicker Rob Bironas' superb performances thus far, the team would be in a world of trouble.

And this is aside from the almost-debacle that was the Houston game this past Sunday, in which Bironas kicked a record-setting eight field goals, accounting for 24 of Tennessee's 38 points. Even the win over Jacksonville included two Bironas field goals that accounted for the team's only points in three quarters.

Tennessee's win over 1-6 Atlanta is questionable, as Bironas kicked two field goals and defensive back Vincent Fuller's interception return for a touchdown gave the Titans the win.

Of the 28 scores the Titans have racked up this year, only 10 of them came via an offensive touchdown. The vast majority of them were via field goals and two others were interception returns for a touchdown. Everyone in the NFL knows coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Norm Chow love running the ball, but it appears the ground game isn't producing the bulk of the scores.

Given the lack of touchdowns the running game has produced this season when weighed against all the field goals that have been kicked, it seems that opposing defenses have indeed discovered that if you key in on the Titans' backs, you stand a decent chance to win. The other aspect enemy teams key on is keeping Tennessee in its own territory to limit Bironas' ability to bail the offense out, as Indianapolis and Tampa Bay have proven. The fact is, the Titans appear to be relying a bit too much on their kicking game.

If Tennessee wants to keep winning consistently over the next 10 games and return to the playoffs, it'll need more of an all-around effort. Right now, the Titans are relying too much on their defense and kicking game; where's the offense?
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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