Tennessee Titans: Analyzing the 2012 Schedule

The 2012-13 schedule for the NFL has been released, and while the official week-by-week listings won't be available until the end of the month, home and away matchups are known and ready for analysis and discussion.

Because the season is so far away, it's impossible and almost naive to attempt to guess the outcome of every match; there are simply too many unknown factors to try to predict.

What we can do, though, is look at whether the 2012-13 schedule is easier than it was last year for certain teams, and what that will do for their overall chances.

We'll start off with the Tennessee Titans. You'll find a complete breakdown of their schedule compared to last year, as well as the three most exciting matches to look forward to in 2012.

Ready? Let's roll.

The Titans in 2011

After starting strong, the Tennessee Titans finished the 2011 regular season with a 9-7 record—narrowly missing out on the playoffs.

Matt Hasselbeck had a strong year with the offense but was left to lament missed opportunities that saw the Titans lose four games by less than a single score.

Their defense was strong without being dominant, forcing opposing teams to grind out wins rather than allowing up big scores.

2011-12 Schedule

Starting with the obvious one, the Tennessee Titans played six divisional matches against their fellow AFC South teams—finishing with a 3-3 record against them.

The Titans won their divisional matches at home to Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars but failed to win a single divisional match away from home against these sides.

They did beat the Houston Texans on the road in the final week of the regular season, though, after the Texans had dominated the Titans earlier in the year.

Tennessee also played the entire AFC North and split that series 2-2. The Titans chalked up an impressive victory over the Baltimore Ravens at home and also beat the Cleveland Browns on the road, but fell to both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Against the NFC South, the Titans—you guessed it—had a split series, as they walked away 2-2 from their matches against the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Against both the Saints and the Falcons, the Titans lost by less than a single score, yet they walked away with wins over the Bucs and the Panthers.

Their other two matches for the year came against teams in the AFC West and AFC East—both of which the Titans won. They managed to sneak home with a win against the Denver Broncos early in the season before beating the Buffalo Bills by six later on in the year.

It was a relatively tough schedule for the Titans who played arguably the toughest offensive division (NFC South) and the toughest defensive division (AFC North) in the same year. Out of their 16 matches for the year, nine of those were against sides that made the NFL playoffs.

2012-13 Schedule

Again, getting the easy one out of the way, Tennessee will play their six divisional matches against the AFC South, teams that will be desperate to improve on their situation from last year.

The Indianapolis Colts, under Andrew Luck, will be seeking to make their 2-14 season a distant memory and begin to rebuild the franchise now that Peyton Manning is no more.

Jacksonville, too, will be looking for an improvement from Blaine Gabbert, who, with enough time, showed last season that he was capable of making big-time throws.

However, the Titans' toughest task will be against the Houston Texans—one of the most complete football sides in 2012.

The Texans' defense will not give Hasselbeck any help, nor will their offense, which looks set to improve from last year also. With a healthy quarterback and Arian Foster waiting to explode, the Texans look even more dangerous than they did last year when they made the playoffs.

Tennessee will take on the AFC East this year—facing the New England Patriots and New York Jets at home and the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills on the road. The key for the Titans in all four of these games will be their defense, and whether it can keep the likes of Tom Brady and Tim Tebow under wraps.

The other division that the Titans will play in 2012-13 is the NFC North, just in case their defense didn't feel like it worked hard enough against the AFC East.

If it were even possible, the NFC North looks set to rapidly improve with sides like the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers all looking to improve on their performances from last year. Especially if these matches come later in the year when Lambeau is nice and cold, the Titans may find these games a real challenge.

Rounding out the schedule for next season is the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North) and San Diego Chargers (AFC West), who will both feel disappointed with their previous season. Philip Rivers was one fumbled snap away from the playoffs, as it turned out, and Ben Roethlisberger was eliminated from the playoffs by a magical bit of Tebow Time, so expect both of these to be tough matches.

Comparing the Strength of Schedule

Divisional Matches

These will no doubt be tougher for the Titans in 2012-13. Houston will be a stronger side again, especially if they can keep players healthy this time around, and there's this small player coming in to the mix called Andrew Luck. Regardless of how much the Titans improve on last year, there's no question that it's a tougher division this time around.

Tougher year? 2012.

AFC East

These games will be very different to those they played against the AFC North last year—featuring stronger offensive packages but potentially fragile defensive packages also.

Hasselbeck and the offense will benefit from the defense not being as tough as the likes of Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. If the restrictive Titans' defense shows its true form, they stand a genuine chance of breaking even against these sides.

Tougher year? 2011.

NFC North

Asking whether the NFC North is tougher than the NFC South would have been a tough one to answer last year, but it's far more clear cut this year.

The complete arsenal of Aaron Rodgers is superior to the New Orleans Saints; the Detroit Lions are far more explosive than the Atlanta Falcons; and the Chicago Bears have improved to a point beyond the Panthers and the Bucs put together. Walking out of these matches with a 2-2 split is probably a solid achievement.

Tougher year? 2012.

Other Matches

These also appear to be slightly tougher this year for the Titans, mainly because they face the Pittsburgh Steelers at home and the Chargers away.

Pittsburgh are never an easy side to beat, as their defense continues to cause havoc for offensive lines and quarterbacks across the league. And because you never know just how Rivers is going to perform, it's a bit of a lottery, and you've got to think that he could bring his best game. But even if he brings his worst, it's still got to be better than Buffalo, giving this year the slight edge.

Tougher year? 2012.

Three Games to Watch

No. 1: Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts

Regardless of where this match falls in the season, taking on Andrew Luck at his home field with the Colts' fans cheering on like crazy will definitely be a tough match. I'd expect this match to be a real grind-it-out affair, with the tougher defense probably taking the win.

No. 2: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans

If Tennessee are to win the division, then the side they have to beat is the Houston Texans.

They managed to win one against them last year—can they do a similar thing again this year against a healthy Texans side? You've got to think that at home, they can certainly give them a real run for their money.

No. 3: Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings

Perhaps an odd choice for a third match, but as far as significance goes, this one could be huge. Minnesota are one of those sides that Tennessee needs to beat if they want to still be there come playoff time, but away from home, anything could happen.

The Vikings will have improved greatly on last year, and considering the Titans' run defense was exposed several times last year, Adrian Peterson could have a huge impact on this match.

Overall

As far as scheduling goes, the Tennessee Titans are in for a tougher time this year than last year, but this doesn't mean at all that they won't be a definite danger in 2012.

If they can get their offense to click early, and especially in the fourth quarter, then the Titans can turn some of those close losses into wins and improve their record drastically.

The real key, however, lies in the defense and whether they can restrict their opposition's ability to move the chain. If they can keep pressure on sides, then they may force a crack or two to appear, which they can exploit and turn into a Titans victory.

They're not the divisional favorites, and nor should they be, but they are a definite contender in 2012 and certainly a team to watch in the National Football League this year.

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