2009 Tennessee Titans Season Preview

by: Vernon Croy

The Tennessee Titans are coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history. With a 13-3 regular season record its hard to believe that they needed a lot of help in the off-season. However, as with any NFL team, you can always get better. Did the Titans do enough in the off-season to merit consideration as a Super Bowl contender? Will they even make it back to the playoffs? If you're looking for free NFL preseason picks, don't expect the Titans to even be the top team in their division, let alone the entire NFL.

The Good News: The best thing that you can say about the Titans is that they still have their unbelievable rushing attack. Last year, the "Thunder and Lightning" tandem of LenDale White and Chris Johnson led the Titans offensive attack. Chris Johnson proved that he is one of the up-and-coming running backs in the league. His combination of speed and power is unmatched in the NFL. He was the fastest player at the combine coming out of college, but his elusiveness was a question mark. However, after a full season, we now know that he is the real deal. Look for more of the carries to shift his direction as the season goes on. They also added another decent wide receiver in Nate Washington from the Steelers.

The Bad News: Probably the biggest setback of the offseason was losing "All-World" defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to the Washington Redskins in the opening minutes of free agency. He signed a $100 million contract to make him the highest paid defender in league history. His brand of punishing play in the middle of the defense is not found anywhere else in the league. He will be a very tough player to replace. A talent like him does not come along very often and the Titans will not be nearly as strong on defense as a result.

They also will not be that dynamic on offense. Their pass game is still a liability in most cases. They don't have a #1 wide receiver on the roster and Nate Washington isn't about to change that. Kerry Collins is still their quarterback and he's not getting any younger. Then behind him, you've got one of the biggest head cases in professional sports in Vince Young. The only thing their offense has going for it is Chris Johnson with the occasional dose of Lendale White. Their defense might not be able to win them 13 games this year.

Outlook: Don't look for the Titans to repeat their performance from last year. As far as NFL football betting picks go, expect the Titans to be overtaken by the Texans and Colts and finish third in their division. They'll still be competitive, but overall, I think the Texans did enough to surpass them in the division. Even the Jaguars might jump up and compete in this division. They're only one season away from having a very good team and you never know what could happen. This division will be a knock-down, drag-out fight the whole way.

Make sure you check out Vernon Croy's NFL packages this season.

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