Tennessee Titans: 5 Bold Predictions for the 2011 Upcoming Season

The Tennessee Titans finished with a 6-10 record after losing eight of their last nine games of the season in 2010.

With a new head coach in Mike Munchak and a rookie quarterback in Jake Locker, the Titans are looking towards a bright future.

With the lockout still in effect, nobody knows what the 2011 NFL season has in store. That doesn't stop us from making predictions.

Here are five bold predictions for your 2011 Tennessee Titans season.

Jake Locker Will Throw More Touchdowns Than Interceptions

Why is it bold?

He is a rookie that many don't expect much from this season.

There have also been several quarterbacks that have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns their rookie season, including Peyton Manning, Bob Griese, Josh Freeman and Troy Aikman, among others.

Why it will happen

Looking at that list, maybe it's better if he did throw more interceptions than touchdowns. The Titans will remain a run-first offense, and with running back Chris Johnson, it's easy to do so.

The running game will take a lot of pressure off of Locker, and with weapons at receiver like Kenny Britt and Nate Washington and Jared Cook at tight end, he'll be fine.

Locker will probably be asked to be more of a game manager like Mark Sanchez was his first two seasons. He'll only be asked to make a play when he has to.

With that, Locker won't exactly wow you, but will show potential and will throw for more touchdowns than interceptions.

Chris Johnson Will Rush for 2,000 Yards, Again

Why is it bold?

Only six players have ever reached the 2,000-yard mark—none of them were able to do it twice.

Why it will happen

With Johnson's speed and quickness, he could run behind high school linemen and still be effective. Fortunately he runs behind one of the top offensive lines in the NFL.

Add that to the fact that majority of the teams he faces this season were ranked in the bottom half of the league in run defense last season. With Jake Locker taking over, the Titans are going to run the ball a lot, which means more touches for No. 28.

Chris Johnson will become the first player ever to have two 2,000-yard rushing seasons and his legacy will forever go down in NFL history.

Now the question is, will the Titans pay him?

Nate Washington Will Have the Best Season of His Career

Why is it bold?

Washington has yet to top 700 receiving yards in any of his six seasons. Washington has been a solid No. 2 receiver throughout his career but has yet to live up to that big contract he signed in 2009.

Why it will happen

Washington is not a bad wide receiver at all. He's a veteran player that has been in the league for six years and has averaged almost 600 receiving yards a season.

This year will be his best season. With Jake Locker being a rookie quarterback, he is going to have to find his favorite receiver. Every quarterback has one. Kenny Britt is more than likely going to face a suspension for his issues off the field.

That makes Washington the No. 1 option in his absence and sets up a chance for him to have early success.

The Titans Will Continue to Have the Falcons' Number

Why is it bold?

Easy, the Falcons are the better team—a possible Super Bowl contender—while the Titans are in rebuilding mode and will be struggling to stay out of the AFC South cellar.

Why it will happen

The last time the Falcons won a game against the Titans was in 1990. The Titans have won the last five meetings.

This will be a trap game for the Falcons, as they will have played the Colts and Saints before this meeting, possibly overlooking the Titans. Tennessee's game plan will be to run the ball and manage the clock, keeping the ball out of Matt Ryan's hands. Jake Locker also should be able to make some plays on that below-average Atlanta secondary.

This will be the upset of the week as the Titans will continue their surprising winning streak over the dirty birds.

Kerry Collins Will Stay to Mentor Locker and Retire After the Season

Why is it bold?

Collins has really shown no signs of wanting to quit and can still be a decent backup quarterback.

Why it will happen

Kerry Collins has started a total of 13 games the last two years combined.

His record is 2-11 in those games.

Collins is expecting to be the starter going into Week 1 of the season, which is possible, but he has to realize his time is running out. Jake Locker will take over at some point in this season. Collins is not the same quarterback that he was in 2002 when he threw for over 4,000 yards with the Giants.

Locker is the future of this team.

Collins, 38, will call it quits, but he had a successful career. He is 11th all-time in passing yards, 29th in passing touchdowns and ninth all-time in passes completed.