In times like these, when the Tennessee Titans are eliminated from the playoffs with a month remaining before the end of the season, all that’s left to do is throw out the “Ted Lasso” quote.
“Aren’t they relegated in America?” asks a player.
“Oh no,” Lasso responds. “No. No.”
“So what happens to all the (bad) teams at the end of the season?” » asks a second player.
“They play the rest of the schedule,” Lasso responds, “going through the motions in meaningless games played in lifeless, half-empty stadiums, and everyone is pretty much OK with that.”
Yes, we have officially reached this part of the Titans season. They are 3-10 years old. There is no punishment for losing more matches. They can’t be doubly eliminated from the playoffs. They can’t be judged for having trouble scoring. They are just the Titansand they have four games left to play.
If that’s your cue to leave, no one’s stopping you. Titans games won’t make sense from here on.
But if you’re looking for a few reasons to stay committed until the end, here are four reasons continue to monitor the Titans until the end of the season.
Track Will Levis’ progress
Sunday felt like a step backwards for Levis, who failed to put up big numbers against a putrid Jacksonville pass defense. But he had played pretty well the previous four weeks and is starting to show signs that he can be a useful starter in the NFL.
He still hasn’t shown enough to ensure the Titans shouldn’t have to pursue another quarterback this offseason, whether it’s a veteran in free agency or a rookie in the draft . But he could. Or he might not succeed. These final four games are going to be huge when it comes to the Titans making that decision.
Hunting for young talents
This isn’t college football. Coaches won’t start phasing out veterans just to develop younger players. But young players will nevertheless have opportunities. The Titans have rookies like linebackers Cedric Gray and James Williams, receiver Bryce Oliver and tight end David Martin-Robinson who are starting to see their roles expand.
If you want to look at the last month as a scouting opportunity, there should be some squinting opportunities and you’ll get a glimpse of the future.
Root for the record (and other milestones)
The Titans’ single-season record for receiving touchdowns (since moving to Tennessee) is 11, a mark last reached by AJ Brown in 2020. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has eight. It’s a fun stage to support.
There are also the 1,000 yard markers to watch out for. Tony Pollard needs 63 rushing yards to get there, and Calvin Ridley needs 262 receiving yards.
And one big problem: Harold Landry III is just 3.5 sacks away from tying Jevon Kearse’s record for most sacks in a Titans uniform. It’s going to be a tough race to get there before the end of the season, but it could be interesting.
The cynical track
There’s nothing stopping you from going against your own team, whether you’re a tank enthusiast who wants a great draft pick or you’re unconvinced with the franchise’s direction and think more losses could force a structural change.
It’s usually not the best mental health decision to go against your own well-being, but sometimes you have to tear something down to the ground to rebuild it.
ESTES: Low energy, low scoring and not much else in this Titans loss to the Jaguars
Nick Suss is the Titans writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article was originally published on Nashville Tennessean: The Titans officially can’t make the playoffs, but Will Levis is worth following
