The Tennessee Titans lost their third straight game at home, dropping the Week 16 contest to the Seattle Seahawks, 20-17.
Tennessee was in control for most of the game, but a late touchdown drive by Seattle, followed by a horrendous sequence of events from quarterback Ryan Tannehill, ended up putting the dagger in the Titans’ chances of pulling off the upset.
Truth be told, the most disappointing part about today was the fact that we didn’t get to watch rookie quarterback Will Levis play due to his ankle injury.
When you’re five games below .500, getting your young signal-caller reps and experience matters more than almost anything. When he doesn’t play, there really isn’t much to cheer for, unless you’re just someone who wants to see the team win meaningless games.
I’m not going to tell someone how to be a fan, but this article is going to discuss some truths that will argue how losing is better for this franchise’s long-term future.
I’ll also be discussing one narrative that is being drastically over-exaggerated by a section of the fanbase that is just looking for reasons to cope.
Let’s not waste anymore time and dive right into this week’s truths and overreactions article.
Truth: Titans are on the verge of drafting two top-40 prospects
This has undoubtedly been a rough season for the fanbase, but there is one clear silver lining to it all: the Titans are on the cusp of securing a top 5-8 pick in the upcoming draft.
In case it makes anyone feel better, the #Titans are currently slotted to pick 5th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) December 24, 2023
While many fans rightfully focus on the potential options in Round 1, one of the more overlooked realities that come with picking that high is the fact that the Titans will also have a pick early in each round.
That means Tennessee could end up selecting two top-40 prospects, on top of having the most cap space in the league. The resources are going to be there to get things turned around quickly.
General manager Ran Carthon and his staff of scouts just have to make the right decisions to make that possibility a reality. Only time will tell whether or not they do, but this season could ultimately be a stepping stone toward a much brighter future.
Overreaction: Mike Vrabel has lost the locker room
It goes without saying that head coach Mike Vrabel hasn’t had a great year by any means. The Titans are 5-10 and trying to play the spoiler role these last few weeks instead of trying to position themselves for a playoff run.
Despite the struggles, one of the silliest narratives floating around is how Vrabel has lost the locker room. You can say a lot about the job he’s done this year, but not being able to motivate his team is certainly not something that can be said with a straight face.
His players are still playing hard, even when they don’t have anything to play for. Sunday was evidence of the type of culture he’s built in Tennessee.
If you want to see a team that has quit on its coach, go watch the Chargers vs. Raiders game a few weeks back that led to Brandon Staley being fired.
The Titans have a talent deficiency more than anything right now, which is why securing premium picks in next year’s draft is arguably more important than anything outside of Levis’ development.
This is a massive offseason for the Titans, and until we see what they do with what will inevitably be a re-vamped roster next year, Vrabel isn’t going anywhere.
Truth: Chig has turned his season around
Earlier this year, Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo caught a lot of heat for his sophomore slump. Most of it was deserved because he looked like a shell of himself compared to the electric playmaker he was a year ago.
However, over these last handful of weeks, Chig has turned a corner in a big way. Since the start of Week 12, Okonkwo has recorded 21 catches for 252 yards and one touchdown. More importantly, he’s put the uncharacteristic drops to bed.
The Maryland product has also eclipsed his rookie total of 450 yards with two games still to play.
This may not have been the breakout campaign we all envisioned before the season, but at least Chig is building some positive momentum ahead of the offseason.
