The Titans

[Ravensfan_till_DEATH]

The Titans affect on the RAVENS PLAYOFF HOPES for '08: any thoughts?

The titans seem to be making solid moves to ensure an even better season than '07. The KEY players added so far: From PHILLY(DE)Jevon "the FREAK" kearse, From INDY(CB)Nick Harper, From INDY(OG) Jake Scot, From Atlanta(TE)Alge Crumpler.

Last year the titans ranked 5th overall in defense (baltimore 6th), 7th in sacks, 2nd in takeaways, 5th in rushing yards allowed, 10th in passing yards allowed. With the addition of pro bowler jevon keare rushing off the end and former colts best coverage cornerback nick harper the titans have definitely improved a defense that was in the top 5 D's of '07.

On the offensive side of the ball the titans have replaced offensive norm chow and have added star Tight End Alge crumpler into the mix. Improving a struggling o-line with the addition of the former colt starting guard Jake Scot. Jake Scot is a big time guard in this league having been a key contributor to one of the best offensive lines in the last several years(indy colts).

with the titans sitting low in the first round draft having already addressed some of the major issues for the upcoming season look for them to draft a play maker WR with their 1st pick. Limas Sweed who was Vince youngs starting WR for texas, (6'5'', 220 pound, 35'' vertical and a 4.4 forty time) is one of the top if not the BEST wr in this years draft. Vince young has already gone on record saying that he wants the titans to draft sweed in the 1st round and when a franchise QB and team leader says "get me my former teammate limas sweeed" you better believe the titans are gonna listen.

The titans have "VOWED" to improve an offense that was 21st overall last year and by signing crumpler and jake scot they are definitely addressing the offense. With all this being said, expect the titans to be a divisional winner for the 1st time since 2002. If not a divisional champ expect them to be a major contender of the AFC wildcard.

with the AFC south having all but guaranteed 3 of their 4 teams being legitimate playoff teams for 08' (Colts, Jaguars, Titans) that puts a new additional pressure on the ravens to win the division this year if we plan on making a playoff run and contending the superbowl. Watch out for tennessee to be a big time team this year. So far its pretty hush hush about the titans round the league...

[minford]

In my opinion, the Titans are loaded with quality mid level to upper-mid level talent and are using it very well. Theres not really a single player on the Titans that scares me, like most other teams have. Also, keep in mind Kearse used to be a Titan and thats probably a large reason why he went back, but he's also kind of old and isn't the playmaker he used to be.

Lastly, this belongs in the Other Teams thread.

[Ravensfan_till_DEATH]

Theres not really a single player on the Titans that scares me, like most other teams have...

Lastly, this belongs in the Other Teams thread.

Vince young? Crumpler?....THEIR ENTIRE DEFENSE??

jevon kearse is only gonna be "an upgrade" and the titans could affect the "RAVENS" playoff chances this year...

[MKdave]

the only titans that scare me are ex-titans.

Steve McNair and Pacman Jones (for entirely different reasons)

[Sub-Zero]

Jevon's back but this time he won't command many double teams. He's got Haynesworth and KVB to do that. Just think how good their defense could be WITH Pacman.

I kinda miss having them in the same division, they were some of most intense and exciting games to watch probably the best rivalry in all of football.

[minford]

Vince young? Crumpler?....THEIR ENTIRE DEFENSE??

jevon kearse is only gonna be "an upgrade" and the titans could affect the "RAVENS" playoff chances this year...

Are you really scared of Vince Young? He was one of the worst qb's last year! And if I'm not afraid of a QB throwing then why would I be afraid of Crumpler? If Young's not getting the ball to him then why worry? Also, there are many better tight ends out there that scare me more than Crumpler. He's probably in the bottom half of tight ends.

[Purple and Black Forever]

I am getting an 07 49ers feel from this team. They are bringing in talent, but they are also going to be installing a new offense. Vince Young is a playmaker no doubt, but his throwing motion is so bad, that I think if he turns into the pocket passer he is going to have a lot of balls batted. Crumpler is a good pick up, but is starting to get older. The Titans offense is pretty much Vince Young and him alone. The running backs arent going to run on us, the only thing I think LenDale White has ever sprinted fast for is twinkies. As for the recieving corp in Tennesee, even if they picked up Sweed, they still need a better #2. Tennesee is getting some key pieces, but until they can establish a solid running game, it all falls in VY to make the plays and I still think our D can match them pound for pound in all the skill positions, and our D-Line is the best in the game. As for our O on thier D, we have two many unknowns to really make a fair comparison, we dont know our starting qb, or if JO will be back. Personally, I think the Ravens Titans game will be the game of the week, its two very hard hitting fast teams.

[Ravensfan_till_DEATH]

ravens are gonna be better than the titans in 08, but as tough as our scheldule is gonna be....is our record gonna be better than the titans?

thats all that matters when playoff time comes around

If you happened to be one of those vince young critics that believes he isnt gonna be a serious threat please re-watch the rose-bowl. Last year vince was a 2nd yr rookie!! And as a "ROOKIE" he played better than half of the leagues starting "VETS" crazy to think that vince young is not something to be afraid of when playing against them. Tell that to the colts! or jaguars!

what rookie qb or 2-3 year qb would you rather have then vince young as the starting qb for the ravens...POINT! AND CASE...i win

what other tightend besides heap, gates and gonzalez, would you rather want on your team?...POINT goes to me..

and as far as rb is concerned, sean alexander is looking more and more available..and not mention what jake scott is gonna do for the titans o-line which was really their biggest problem on offense. AND!! if u dangled a twinkie over lendale's helmet this year..imagine the force he is gonna bring.

[PuppyPuncher]

Are you really scared of Vince Young? He was one of the worst qb's last year! And if I'm not afraid of a QB throwing then why would I be afraid of Crumpler? If Young's not getting the ball to him then why worry? Also, there are many better tight ends out there that scare me more than Crumpler. He's probably in the bottom half of tight ends.

When Tom Brady throws to kick returners, it's crime against humanity.

When Vince Young throws to kick returners, he's a bad quarterback.

Crumpler was a great target for Vick, because Alge was great at getting open when Vick rolled out. I'm definitely drafting him as my TE in my fantasy draft this year. (I'm an idiot for choosing Vernon Davis).

[Purple and Black Forever]

ravens are gonna be better than the titans in 08, but as tough as our scheldule is gonna be....is our record gonna be better than the titans?

thats all that matters when playoff time comes around

If you happened to be one of those vince young critics that believes he isnt gonna be a serious threat please re-watch the rose-bowl. Last year vince was a 2nd yr rookie!! And as a "ROOKIE" he played better than half of the leagues starting "VETS" crazy to think that vince young is not something to be afraid of when playing against them. Tell that to the colts! or jaguars!

what rookie qb or 2-3 year qb would you rather have then vince young as the starting qb for the ravens...POINT! AND CASE...i win

what other tightend besides heap, gates and gonzalez, would you rather want on your team?...POINT goes to me..

and as far as rb is concerned, sean alexander is looking more and more available..and not mention what jake scott is gonna do for the titans o-line which was really their biggest problem on offense. AND!! if u dangled a twinkie over lendale's helmet this year..imagine the force he is gonna bring.

I will concede that VY is the best qb from his draft but as for TE, I would rather have Dallas Clark, Cooley, Witten, V. Davis, Utecht, Jeramy Shockey, or Greg Olson. Sean Alexander at RB there wouldnt give me chills at night either. I am pretty sure we can stop a 30 year old back with injury problems. Matt Hutchinson was the reason he got 28 TD's. Even with the ravamped O-Line they are still putting in a new offense, which everyone now has to learn, and unless the new offense actually does involve a twinkie over White's helmet I dont think they have the weapons to be a serious contender in their division, with Indy being so dominant, Jacksonville becoming a powerhouse, and even Houston is starting to improve, I am thinking the the AFC south is probably just as hard as the AFC North, I think the Titans are right there and could be in the mix but most likely wont. Either way, I am debating sending a box of twinkies to LenDale once Titans training camp opens.

[Ravensfan_till_DEATH]

...I dont think they have the weapons to be a serious contender in their division, with Indy being so dominant, Jacksonville becoming a powerhouse, and even Houston is starting to improve, I am thinking the the AFC south is probably just as hard as the AFC North, I think the Titans are right there and could be in the mix but most likely wont.

The colts went 13-3 and won the AFC south divisin

The jaguars went 11-5 and still made the playoffs as a wildcard

The titans went 10-6 and still made the playoffs as a wildcard (young was injured in the game against the bucs where they lossed by 3 points)

thats 3 of 4 teams making it to the playoffs last year from 1 division. ANd since 07 they have only added better players and upgraded key positions, so what makes you think they will miss the playoffs next year?

the colts lost Jake Scott and...to the titans

The titans have upgraded the DE position with freak jevon kearse(getting to payton is gonna be that much easier), upgraded the tight end position with crumpler, and have upgraded their O-line with former colt jake scott. Already by these 3 moves alone the team is better than 07'

The colts lost anthony McFarland, (LB)morris and still have 12 FA's still unsigned

including (TE)utecht (WR)moorehead, jake scots's back up (OG)dylan Gandy, starting d-lineman ed johnson,

not to mention the colts only have about 3-5 million in salary cap room....

so the titans have definitely upgraded their team and colts have taken a minor step backwards

as for the jaguars? name a handful of big time players that ur scared to face?? yet they are still one of the top 6 playoff teams projected in 08' disproving your point that you need to have standout players to be and elite team.

The titans still have chris henry at RB and he should be all good health wise this year, and with the fact that chris brown isnt gonna be there to split carries with him he should be the featured back with lendale white providing that 1-2 punch near the goaline. And Wr Mccariens signing back with his original team the titans have a decent WR to add to the other weapons the titans plan on getting for vince young.

If the jags or the titans win the division do u think the colts wont make it into the playoffs as a wildcard? so thats at least 2 teams from a division that is most likely gonna make it to the playoffs again. ANd more than likely the AFC north is faced with the same type of scenario. So the ravens have to do more than just hope for a wildcard spot this year to even make it into the playoffs and if we do happen to face up against the titans in the playoffs this year it is still gonna be a battle. SO really i dont understand where your going with this?? but im more than happy to oblige in this debate.

.....specially when i know im gonna eventually convince u to agree with me

[Sub-Zero]

at the very least the Titans will probably be in the wildcart hunt. If they can get Vince Young running like he did his rookie year, watch out. Everyone knows thats when he is the most dangerous, and his whole team feeds off of it (see Vince's rookie year/ Texas career esp. Rose Bowl against the Trojans). So if they can combine this with their dominant defense they could be Super Bowl contenders.

[ragnorok99]

I think you have some good points, but here are some things to consider:

--Jevon Kearse used to be a Pro Bowler. I don't think he was starting at the end of the year in Philly. A "change" of scenery could help him regain his form, but right now he's not an elite pass-rusher.

--The Titans have a mammoth schedule, just like the Ravens. In fact, they have the same difficulty, according to this link: http://www.theredzone.org/strength.asp

--If Tony Dungy doesn't pull his starters in the Week 17 Colts-Titans game, there's a chance the Titans wind up at 9-7 and the Browns go to the playoffs instead.

Just throwing that out there.

[Purple and Black Forever]

The colts went 13-3 and won the AFC south divisin

The jaguars went 11-5 and still made the playoffs as a wildcard

The titans went 10-6 and still made the playoffs as a wildcard (young was injured in the game against the bucs where they lossed by 3 points)

thats 3 of 4 teams making it to the playoffs last year from 1 division. ANd since 07 they have only added better players and upgraded key positions, so what makes you think they will miss the playoffs next year?

the colts lost Jake Scott and...to the titans

The titans have upgraded the DE position with freak jevon kearse(getting to payton is gonna be that much easier), upgraded the tight end position with crumpler, and have upgraded their O-line with former colt jake scott. Already by these 3 moves alone the team is better than 07'

The colts lost anthony McFarland, (LB)morris and still have 12 FA's still unsigned

including (TE)utecht (WR)moorehead, jake scots's back up (OG)dylan Gandy, starting d-lineman ed johnson,

not to mention the colts only have about 3-5 million in salary cap room....

so the titans have definitely upgraded their team and colts have taken a minor step backwards

as for the jaguars? name a handful of big time players that ur scared to face?? yet they are still one of the top 6 playoff teams projected in 08' disproving your point that you need to have standout players to be and elite team.

The titans still have chris henry at RB and he should be all good health wise this year, and with the fact that chris brown isnt gonna be there to split carries with him he should be the featured back with lendale white providing that 1-2 punch near the goaline. And Wr Mccariens signing back with his original team the titans have a decent WR to add to the other weapons the titans plan on getting for vince young.

If the jags or the titans win the division do u think the colts wont make it into the playoffs as a wildcard? so thats at least 2 teams from a division that is most likely gonna make it to the playoffs again. ANd more than likely the AFC north is faced with the same type of scenario. So the ravens have to do more than just hope for a wildcard spot this year to even make it into the playoffs and if we do happen to face up against the titans in the playoffs this year it is still gonna be a battle. SO really i dont understand where your going with this?? but im more than happy to oblige in this debate.

.....specially when i know im gonna eventually convince u to agree with me

Probably wont agree with you, but am enjoying the debate none the less. Just because a team is bringing in top free agents doesnt translate to success. Look at SF last season, with the big signing of Nate Clements at CB or Jackson at WR, they were expected to contend for the NFC West title, the finished 5-11. Just because the Titans grabbed a TE on the downside of his career, and a new guard, I dont really expect them to all of a sudden become a new powerhouse team especially in the AFC South, where if Indy begins stepping back the Jaguars are going to take their place. I see the Jaguars as more of a threat than the Titans with the new WR core and their only major loss being DT Marcus Stroud, who can be replaced in the draft. Garrard is a better qb than VY.

You also have to take into account that the Titans are going to be installing a new offense for all the players next season. So even with the playoff run, they dont have experience of any kind running this offense, if it ends up being a Brain Billick Offense, (run for a yard, run for a yard, checkdown pass for 3 yards, punt) I am not worried. If they end up running one like NE I am not worried because VY has such an awkward throwing motion he cant make them anyway. Lets not forget that the Titans threw 9 passing touchdowns all season last year and even with the new recieving core still has a lot of work to do to compete with Indy and Jacksonville. I think the Ravens are closer to the Browns and the Steelers than the Titans are to the Colts and Jaguars.