What Went Right: Chris Johnson
I know I’m
going to catch flak from statisticians about this, but a lot of times I find
advanced statistics tend to just be justification for over-thinking the
obvious. Yes, Johnson was very inconsistent this season, however, at the end of
the day, he was productive. He rushed for 1243 yards and six touchdowns this
past season and catching 36 passes, ranking fifth on the team. While he did
have seven games where he averaged less than 3 yards a carry, those were
clumped at the beginning and end of the season. Between weeks 6 and 13, He
played much better, having less than 80-yards rushing only once. His speed is
still a big time factor, breaking big plays every now and again. I think he
will return to form if the Titans improve the interior of their offensive line
this off-season.
What Went Wrong: Defense
The Titans were
dead last in scoring defense this season and gave up more than 30 points eight
times. To be fair, following the bye week, they gave up 30 points only once,
however by then their offense was barely functioning and they faced three
playoff teams. Injuries at Middle linebacker, the loss of Cortland Finnegan and
inconsistency along the defensive line set them up for a bad season in the red
zone. Overall they just need to get healthy and they need to add more talent
along the defensive side of the ball.
Player of the Year: Chris Johnson
His
productivity this season led to him having the sixth most rushing yards through
the first five seasons while also having the fewest caries of the top six
(third fewest of the top ten). No one else on the offense was a productive,
though the whole offense was as inconsistent.
Keeper: Jared Cook
Cook, like most
of the offense was inconsistent this season. However, he’s incredibly talented
at the tight end position and can make big plays on the field. The Titans,
after the passing game was so inconsistent this season, need to hang onto all
the weapons they can. Cook can be a solid security blanket and playmaker for a Jake
Locker, who’s recovering from shoulder surgery. With cook coming off of an
injury and never having been the most consistent of players, the Titans have a
fair bit of leverage to give him a smaller contract so I don’t see why they shouldn’t
at least consider keeping him in place.
Goner: Matt Hasselbeck
This is
completely about the money and not the player. The Titans are in the rare
position of not having a ton of money tied up in a deadball player (and the Titans have already said they’ll keep Chris Johnson so everyone who wants to point to that
can hush). Hasselbeck is due to make 5.5 million next year but that begin said,
he’s still a good quarterback. The fact remains that he’s a backup making 5.5
million. It’s just the way this business goes sometimes.
Should Draft: Cornerback
While the
Titans really need interior line help, the Titans need more help at the cornerback
spot. While Jason McCourty was solid this past year, he’s more of a number two
corner than a starter. Alterraun Verner wasn’t bad, but I think his skill set lends
better to playing in the slot than as a starter. I think the Titans need to focus
on getting a big time star corner to shut down the opponent’s best receiver while
McCourty and Verner work the second and third receivers respectively. More
depth on the defense as a whole would help too.
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