The 2011 NFL season is almost here which means it's time to preview every team's chances this year. SB Nation's Music City Miracles gives us the scoop on the Tennessee Titans.
Tennessee Titans 2011 Season Preview: New Era With Mike Munchak
SB Nation is previewing the 2011 season for all 32 teams and up today is the Tennessee Titans. Check out all of our 2011 NFL season previews.
Record Prediction
The Tennessee Titans have undergone a complete overhaul from 2010 to 2011. Jeff Fisher and Vince Young are no longer a part of the team. Mike Munchak is now the man running the show. He pretty much cleaned house of Jeff Fisher's staff and has tried to change the culture of the locker room. The results have been good so far. 2011 will be a transition year for the Titans. They are going to be better than people think, and they may even push for an AFC South title with the division being down this year, but ultimately they will probably fall short of the division title and the playoffs with a 7-9 record.
The Titans will be a much better team by the end of the year than they will be at the beginning, but with all of the time they missed in the offseason because of the lockout it is going to take a few games for the new system to click on both sides of the ball.
Best Game On The Schedule
The best game on the 2011 schedule for the Titans is the Week 2 game at home against the Baltimore Ravens. The emotions will be high because it is the home opener, and there is a strong rivalry between the Titans and the Ravens. It would be a huge win for the Titans if they were to be able to find a way to get it.
Player Most Likely To Take A Step Back This Year
The player most likely to take a step back this year for the Titans is running back Chris Johnson. At the time this is being written CJ still isn't in camp, and the rumor out there is that the two sides are still pretty far apart on contract parameters. There is a chance that he will miss a portion of the season, and even if he ends up with the team before the first game, there is an increased chance of some type of nagging injury when a guy reports that close to the season starting. He will hit his stride before the season is over, but it could be a rocky beginning.
Breakout Player Candidates
The most popular breakout candidate for Tennessee is tight end Jared Cook. He presents nightmare match-ups for opposing defensive coordinators, and new Titans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer has made no secret that he plans on getting him more involved in the offense than he was in the past two years.
You could also look at Kenny Britt as a breakout candidate. If he can put the stupid off the field stuff behind him and get his legs right (those are really big ifs), he has the potential to be a top five receiver in the NFL.
Best Titans Player Others Have Never Heard Of
The best player on the Titans that most people have never heard of is David Stewart. He is one of the nastiest right tackles in the NFL and might be one of the best overall.
Overrated/Underrated/Just Right
The most underrated player on the Titans is left tackle Michael Roos. He was an All Pro a couple of years ago, but after a down year last year people have written him off. He is still a young player and will have a bounce-back year in 2011.
Fantasy Football Outlook
For the first time in a long time, the Titans actually have three guys on their offense worth owning in CJ,Britt and Cook. You know what CJ’s production will be when he gets here. Britt caught 42 passes for 775 yards last year in just over 11 games. That is top five receiver production if you spread it across all 16 games. Cook could end the season with 6-8 TDs and 600+ yards pretty easily.
Best Media Personality In Tennessee
Mike Keith, the voice of the Titans, is the best local media personality. His famous phrases such as SAAAAAAAACK! and TOUCHDOWN TITANS! get any Titans fan fired up, and his call of the Music City Miracle still gives us goose bumps to this day.
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