The Tennessee Titans (7-5) have found a new sense of energy on offense with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, and former Alabama standout rusher Derrick Henry driving the ground game.
The team looked solid in all three phases of the game as they recorded a 31-17 win over the division rival Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.
After the victory, the Titans stayed put at the No. 11 spot in Touchdown Wire’s Week 14 NFL power rankings.
Here’s what analyst Doug Farrar had to say about placing the Titans directly ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and behind the Minnesota Vikings.
“For once, Ryan Tannehill wasn’t the big story in a Titans win. Though the reformed quarterback looked good in a 31-17 win over the Colts, completing 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns, this game was really in running back Derrick Henry’s hands,” he wrote.
And there’s no doubting that Henry was a force against one of the league’s toughest rushing defenses.
“Henry gained 149 yards and scored a touchdown on 26 carries, proving once again that he is the kind of powerful, sustaining back you can build an old-school offense around. Over his past three games, Henry has rushed 68 times for 496 yards, a 7.3 yards per carry average, and five rushing touchdowns. With Tannehill looking explosive and consistent and a defense rounding into shape, the Titans — who have won five of their past six games — are starting to look like that wild-card team nobody wants to deal with in the playoffs.”
The Titans have certainly made a turnaround at this point, and look like an entirely different team than they did toward the beginning of the season.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for them, and if they’re able to stay hot enough to crack their way into the postseason and be competitive.
Tennessee will face the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday.
