Derrick HenryRyan TannehillTreylon Burks

Titans won’t have a chair when the music stops

Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry

Perhaps there isn’t a city in America that has grown as much as Nashville has in the last decade. The Music City is a hotspot for tourism, country music, honky tonks, fantastic food, and a candy known as the Goo-Goo Cluster. 

 

It’s also one of the only cities in America that is still ruled by a king, King Derrick Henry. He also doubles as the Tennessee Titans running back on Sunday’s, but his presence is certainly imposing no matter the venue. 

 

Regardless, the Titans are primed to face some issues this season, issues that might see them left without a chair when the music stops in January. 

 

From top seed to playoff outcast?

 

The Titans surprised a year ago, managing to find themselves as the AFC’s number one seed at the end of the season. Considering Henry missed a chunk of the season, it was an impressive feat. But then quarterback Ryan Tannehill melted down in the Divisional Round and the rest is history. 

 

Despite having a fairly good coach in Mike Vrabel and a solid roster, the Titans were always on borrowed time. They were a throwback to older versions of the NFL, but never constructed to keep up with the great teams of today.

 

Ultimately, the team was always going to be limited by Tannehill, even with the major jump he made to save his career in 2019. Last year was the time to strike and they fell short. It’s a classic case of the team that missed their window to compete. 

 

Now it’s time for a teardown and reset, but that isn’t reality in Nashville, who tried to rebuild on the fly. They traded star receiver A.J. Brown, but replaced him with Robert Woods and rookie Treylon Burks as a way to build depth and save money.

 

Yet it’s not enough, as the Colts are primed to take over the division crown after their trade for quarterback Matt Ryan.

 

The Titans through the betting lens

 

Henry is listed at +700 on FanDuel to lead the league in rushing yards again this season. However, the King’s reign might be over for that. I think he’ll still be an effective runner, but in terms of usage, I don’t think he ever gets back to the height of his powers. 

 

But also on the offensive side of the ball, we come across a prop that should be priced much lower. Burks to win Offensive Rookie of the Year is +2000 on Caesar’s. That’s even crazier after seeing Steelers’ quarterback Kenny Pickett pegged as the favorite, despite not being the starter. 

 

 

Burks is being heralded as the, “next A.J. Brown,” so if he is, doesn’t that become a player worthy of the award? Caesar’s is offering us solid value here, and if I’m wrong and the Titans manage to reverse their fortunes, Burks will be a big part of that. 

 

BetBasics Best Bet

 

The Titans have been one of my favorite teams to bet on over the last few years, especially as someone who was a believer in their 2019 team. They play in one of my favorite cities to visit, with great people and a great food scene. Tennessee is a great state, but no longer has a great football team, if they ever were to begin with. 

 

Those Titans are gone for good now. So it pains me to say it, but the Titans will miss the playoffs and cash the -110 line on FanDuel as our best bet. They’ll also cash the under nine wins on DraftKings for -115, but in the event that doesn’t hit, the playoffs bet will save us. 

 

It seems the Titans are busy hanging onto the past instead of admitting defeat on this era. At the very least, they still get to play in Nashville and listen to some great country music, so all hope is not lost yet.

 

author
Nick Brinkerhoff
Sports Journalist
Hello there, I’m Nick Brinkerhoff, a New Jersey native with enough sarcasm and attitude to show I’m not from New York. Despite being Jersey born and bred, I’m a diehard New York sports fan (Jets, Nets, Rangers, Mets) who has seen plenty of losing, but my sports betting ability will hopefully continue to balance those scales. I have season tickets to the Jets but believe it to be more character building than bad asset management. Althoug
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