Titans’ playoff hopes in serious jeopardy

By Marc Hudgens  |   Wednesday, November 28, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

Tennessee Titans
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What Cincinnati did to Tennessee this past Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium appears to be the result of what was destined to happen to the Titans anyway.

Tennessee racked up six wins in its first eight games this season. But it's like legendary Nebraska coach and interim athletic director Tom Osborne stated after the firing of Bill Callahan earlier this month: "It isn't just a matter of wins and losses. It's how you do it."

With only two of the team's six wins being by a margin greater than seven points, it was clear the offense was in real trouble.

Kicker Rob Bironas' reliable foot and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth's outstanding play were the two biggest masks that were hiding dropped throws, erratic passing by quarterback Vince Young, LenDale White's lack of speed and quickness, an inability to score in the red zone, and so on. Despite all the hype he gets, Young is producing neither touchdowns nor wins.

Now that the injured Haynesworth has been out of action for three consecutive games, Tennessee has fallen and can't get up, having lost each contest. The current defense has now joined its Young-led counterpart in the meltdown, allowing opposing offenses to put up 28 (Jacksonville), 34 (Denver) and 35 (Cincy) points, respectively. The team, which had playoff aspirations before the season, is now in serious trouble.

Now at 6-5 and third in the AFC South, it's possible that Tennessee -- which only faces two above-.500 teams over the next five weeks -- will make the postseason. But with a sieve for a defense and an inept offense, expect for this downturn to continue spiraling. And it won't be out of the question now for Tennessee to end the season with a losing mark.

Looking into the future a bit, what's even scarier for the Titans is that Haynesworth's stock has skyrocketed, considering his presence produces wins and his absence leads to losses; without doubt, Haynesworth will be in high demand when he becomes a free agent at the end of this season. And if he bolts for a huge contract, Tennessee's 'D' will take a hit it may not recover from next season.
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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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