The Tennessee Titans’s 2020 schedule is out, and it’s full of intriguing matchups, and tests for last year’s AFC runner up.
Mike Vrabel’s squad will have the luxury of playing the entire NFC North this year, which currently possess 3 teams that have a real shot at winning the division. Quarterback play will seriously dictate what the Bears will do this year, with that defense and a potential respectable offense, the Bears could find their selves right back in the conversation to win the NFC North.
The Titans will also get 4 games against the entire AFC North, a division with its own intrigue as well.
Add in the 3 primetime game the Titans are *scheduled* to play, and this slate is looking mighty fun to dissect early on.
I know some haters of fun absolutely HATE game predictions this early on in the off-season, but I don’t care.
Let’s get to some predictions and analysis, shall we?
Week 1: Titans @ Broncos (MNF, 9:10 PM CST)
Alrighty how about that? Ever since the Titans’s 34-17 loss to the Houston Texans on MNF in 2018, Tennessee hasn’t had the privilege of playing football on the supposed “worst day of the week”.
Now they’ll get their first shot since that loss, right out of the gate against a Denver Broncos team that’s starting the year off with dare I say it, expectations.
That’s right, the previously lowly Denver Broncos have added a lot of talent to both sides of the ball, and are looking to continue the play they had at end of last season.
Drew Lock played some great football during the last quarter or so of the season last year, and the Broncos are seemingly going all in with the ex-Missouri product.
Philip Lindsay, Courtland Sutton, and Noah Fant all return to form and already exciting, young offense full of potential.
The additions of Jerry Jeudy(15th overall selection in 2020 NFL Draft), and Melvin Gordon(signed a 2 year $16M deal with Denver), only adds explosion and a lot of playmaking to this fresh Broncos offense.
This team is full of potential, not immediate AFC West contention potential, but potential to make the AFC West a lot more competitive down the road.
This is a difficult first game for the Titans, on the road in a rowdy environment and in primetime, who knew week 1 could have such extreme measures. Count in how hard it is to get an early season win in Denver, and you could be chalking this one up as an L prematurely.
Consider this your yearly reminder that an early season road trip to Denver is a death trap. Since the merger, the Denver Broncos are 49-8-2 at home in games during the first two weeks of the season. That is a win percentage (85 percent) similar to what Nick Saban has done at Alabama (87 percent). Mind you, the league-wide win percentage in this scenario over this timespan is just 56 percent.
via Optimum Scouting
You can add a loss to that 49-8-2 record, since the Broncos lost to the Bears in week 2 of the 2019 season, but you get the gist.
This Titans team, although still a little young, is full of experience and veteran leadership on both sides of the ball.
I’ll give them the win here, but it could be a hard fought one.
Did I mention Jurrell Casey will also get his revenge game in the first contest of the season?
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 2: Titans vs. Jaguars (Noon CST)
The long awaited home opener.
Let’s keep this one a little short.
The Jaguars are currently in the midst of putting out the dumpster fire, that’s spread through the entire organization. Calais Campbell is gone, Yannick Ngakoue is still on the trade block, and Leonard Fournette openly advocated for Cam Newton to join the Jaguars, even with Gardner Minshew still on the roster.
Yeah, it’s bad, and I haven’t even gotten to Nagakoue’s Twitter fight with a team executive!
However, since the Jaguars have fallen into a pit of misery, this gives them the chance to load up on high end talent once again.
C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson were the Jaguars’s 2 first round selections in the 2020 draft, and both have a shot at becoming core members of that defense for years to come.
But, the Jaguars still need some more help on the defensive line, offensive line, wide receiver, eh you get the idea.
This isn’t rocket science, the Titans are a better football team than the Jags, I’ll write this one up as a win.
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 3: Titans @ Vikings (Noon CST)
Another early season test, this time courtesy of the NFC North.
The Vikings are in a peculiar spot right about now. Stefon Diggs is now in Buffalo, the defense has *probably* lost Everson Griffen, the cornerback position is looking mighty suspect, and Kevin Stefanski is no longer leading the offense.
However, as long as Mike Zimmer is coaching that football team, you can expect a challenge, especially on their home turf.
To fill the holes that I described above, the Vikings selected WR Justin Jefferson with their first 1st round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, they addressed corner by selecting TCU DB Jeff Gladney, and hired Gary Kubiak to lead their offense for this upcoming season.
Not too shabby I should say.
This is the type of game I can see the Titans losing, especially with it being on the road, where the Vikings have shown to be absolutely dominant at times.
Also, Tajae Sharpe revenge game anyone?
Prediction: Titans Lose
Week 4: Titans vs. Steelers (Noon CST)
To start the first of 3 straight home games, and to close out the 1st quarter of the season, the Titans will have the luxury of taking on one of the best defenses in the league.
T.J. Watt on one side, Bud Dupree on the other, Cameron Hayward manning the middle of the defense, and Devin Bush running the show on the mid level of the defense.
Whew, that’s a stupid amount of talent.
This matchup could spell trouble the Titans’s offensive line, who have constantly been whooped up front by this Steelers defensive line time and time again in recent years, just rewind to week 3 of the pre-season last year and you’ll understand.
With this game having some juicy loss potential, it would be easy for me to give the Titans a loss here. But if this team wants to get away from their 9-7 reputation, these are the types of games they have to win, especially considering the potential for Nissan Stadium to be flooded with Terrible Towels.
Prediction: Titans Win
The Titans’s Record After The 1st Quarter of The Season: 3-1
Week 5: Titans vs. Bills (Noon CST)
How about a little rematch.
Last year, in an offensively challenged contest, the Bills scrapped their way to a 14-7 victory at Nissan Stadium. Now, with the Bills being the favorite to win the AFC East, and the offense getting another weapon in Stefon Diggs, this Bills team has nowhere to look but up.
I know this game is 4 months out, but you can’t help but to think this game will be a carbon copy of last year’s game.
The Bills’s defense is arguably the best in the league, so it’s reasonable to expect little action on the scoreboard for the Titans, even now in the beginning of May. Josh Allen, until proven otherwise, is an erratic quarterback with a strong arm, I don’t expect too much out of him unless he does a complete 180.
Usually in these games, I’d go with the better defense, but again we’re 4 months out so anything can happen.
I’ll take the Bills, but this one is a toss up, even with the game being so far out.
Prediction: Titans Lose
Week 6: Titans vs. Texans (Noon CST)
To close out this 3 game home stand, the Titans will take on a familiar foe. Psssh “familiar”, it’s a divisional opponent TreJean.
This’ll be the first time the Titans take on the Texans since DeAndre Hopkins was shipped to Arizona, which should make life in the Titans’s secondary a little less hectic.
However, Deshaun Watson is still here, causing problems for the rest of the AFC.
I still like the Titans’s chances, especially at home.
Plus, losing to a Texans team without one of the game’s best wide receivers, that doesn’t make you go from good to great. Oh my gosh that was cringey as hell, but we’ll roll with it.
Give me the Titans in this one.
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 7: Bye Week
Sweet, sweet bye week.
Week 8: Titans @ Bengals (Noon CST)
The good ole Cincinnati Bengals, with an ex-Bayou Bengal leading the offense.
2 words, Joe Burrow, I mean how can you not get excited about that name? The guy just led LSU to their most decorated season in its entire football history, he even sealed it by winning a national title. The man is a stud, and boy I’m excited to watch him at the next level.
Despite my personal football crush., I shall make this prediction with preciseness, and 100% honesty.
The Titans shouldn’t have trouble with this team, even with the young nucleus of talent the Bengals possess.
But hey, Kristian Fulton facing off against Joe Burrow. 2 ex-teammates going at it sounds fun, right?
Prediction: Titans Win
The Titans’s Record After The 2nd Quarter of The Season: 5-2
Week 9: Titans vs. Bears (Noon CST)
Da Bears are crashing in Music City once again.
But boy, the last time the Bears came to town, the Titans lost so bad that Bud Adams had to release a statement after the game. The game ended in a 51-20 drubbing courtesy of the boys from the Windy City, but I have a feeling this matchup in Nashville will end a bit differently.
The Bears’s defense is simply….scary. But poor quarterback play has sent this team into the questionable bin, and has left me wondering if this team can overcome below average quarterback play, if the situation presents itself.
Mitch Trubisky is back after a disappointing 3rd season, and doesn’t have a lot of room to make mistakes. To give Trubisky some competition, the Bears added none other than…..Nick Foles.
Womp womp.
If the Bears can get even slightly above average play from their quarterbacks, this team will be dangerous again.
If not, good luck.
Considering the pasts of both Trubisky and Foles, it’s safe to say the Bears will be faced with the unfortunate wrong side of the coin.
I’ll take the Titans.
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 10: Titans vs. Colts (TNF, 7:20 PM CST)
The Philip Rivers experience makes another stop in Nashville, but this time, with Rivers donning a Colts uniform. To make the stage even more larger, the game will be on Thursday Night Football, fun huh?
It’ll be interesting to see where the Colts are as a team at this point.
Rivers is nearing 40, and has been a little inconsistent in recent years. Can he really turn it around with a Colts team that, outside of T.Y. Hilton and maybe Jack Doyle, don’t have a lot of difference makers in the passing game?
Marlon Mack and newcomer Jonathan Taylor will get their success in the running game, but how much can those 2 help in the passing game?
Michael Pittman Jr. is another young wide receiver the Colts added in the draft, but who knows what his form will be come week 10.
This Colts team has a lot of questions, and not a lot of answers for them, plus, they’ll playing a road game on a short week after a game against Baltimore.
In this primetime matchup, I’ll take the Titans.
But as a potential added bonus, maybe we’ll get a mic’d up Philip Rivers, and hear the infamous gosh dangits and fricks we’ve heard so much about.
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 11: Titans @ Ravens (Noon CST)
Let’s get to another rematch.
As we all know, the Titans unexpectedly took out the Ravens in the playoffs last season in dominating fashion, courtesy of an emotional 28-12 win.
I know Ravens players won’t say it, but a little revenge has to be on their minds.
This game will be another battle of 2 dominant ground games, question is, which one will show up and which one won’t? I have no answer to that question, since I’m not some fortune teller, or some weird genie that can make either situation happen.
But, I’m a realist and a man who loves watching grown men hit each other while wearing shoulder pads, piece together the puzzle for that one.
Ahh whatever, enough of my rambling.
I’ll take the Ravens.
Prediction: Titans Lose
Week 12: Titans @ Colts (Noon CST)
Seeing the Philip Rivers led Colts twice in a 3 week span?
Is this heaven?
In all seriousness, road games against divisional opponents have the potential to be all sorts of bonkers. In the Titans’s case, road games in Indy haven’t been their strong suit, having only won in Lucas Oil Stadium twice since it opened in 2008.
Will they make it 3 wins in Lucas Oil Stadium since 2008?
Eh, who knows.
But for right now, I don’t think so.
Prediction: Titans Lose
The Titans’s Record After The 3rd Quarter of The Season: 7-4
Week 13: Titans vs. Browns (Noon CST)
So far, ex-Titans are 1-1 in revenge games during these predictions.
I had Jurrell Casey losing a close battle in week 1, and Tajae Sharpe getting a win in week 3, now it’s Jack Conklin’s turn.
The Browns are a weird team to analyze, with a lot of moving parts that’ll make or break this potential bounceback campaign. Nick Chubb is a fun one to watch, and Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t too bad either(sarcasm by the way), but Baker Mayfield is bleh.
Eh, maybe Kevin Stefanski gets him back on track.
Oh well, either way, I’ll take the Titans. This game is a good candidate for a Titans loss though.
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 14: Titans @ Jaguars (Noon CST)
Hello again Jacksonville.
This one should be relatively short.
The Jaguars=bad
The Titans=good.
Equation should equal to=a Titans win.
Gosh I did that all wrong didn’t I? Whatever, who cares, math isn’t my strongest skill anyways.
This game has trap game written all over it though, so watch out.
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 15: Titans vs. Lions
I’ll do it right this time.
The Titans vs. the Lions should equal=another Titans win.
Let’s just say it right now, the Lions are an average football team at best. The offense has some fun pieces in D’Andre Swift, Kenny Golladay, and T.J. Hockenson, but that defense is disgusting.
Trey Flowers is still there, and Jeff Okudah is main man in the secondary now, but that defense needs a lot of help.
Give me Titans.
Prediction: Titans Win
Week 16: Titans @ Packers (SNF, 7:20 PM CST)
Welcome back to *scheduled* Sunday Night Football, Tennessee.
It’s been ages since the Titans last appeared on an initially scheduled game on Sunday night. I won’t count the Titans-Colts play in game 2 seasons ago, as that game was flexed into a Sunday night spot.
The last time the Titans were initially scheduled for SNF was 2009, when the Colts came to town.
As for their opponent, you couldn’t ask for a better one, tradition wise that is.
Late December in Green Bay is always full of frigid air, and some beautiful snow if you get lucky. To top it all off, it’s a night game at Lambeau Field, it’s like a football fan’s dream.
We’ll see the first matchup between Mike Vrabel and Matt LaFleur, the 2 good friends that worked together for the longest of 1 year.
Sarcasm!
Anyways, this is a tricky game.
I’ll take the Packers here, but with the road warrior mentality the Titans have, it’ll be a close one.
Prediction: Titans Lose
Week 17: Titans @ Texans (Noon CST)
The annual Titans-Texans week 17 get together lives on!
Just like week 17 last season, this game will take place at another house of horrors for the Titans, NRG Stadium. Also just like week 17 last season, this game could have some playoff implications riding on it.
Will the Titans be playing for a playoff spot again? Maybe even for the division? Who knows, but any game with intrigue always has my attention.
I’ll label this one as a toss up, and give the Titans a win.
Prediction: Titans Win
The Titans’s Final Record: 11-5
