2011 NFL Predictions: 10 Keys to Tennessee Titans 2011 Season

As head coach of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Jeff Fisher led his teams to six playoff appearances in 17 seasons.

Mike Munchak will attempt to make the playoffs in his first year holding the clipboard for the Tennessee Titans.

Coming off a 6-10 season where the Titans finished fourth in the AFC South, Munchak will bring in veteran Matt Hasselbeck to pair with dynamic running back Chris Johnson as they hope to turn the tide around in the Music City.

Ahead are 10 predictions that are vital for Tennessee to succeed.

Early Injuries to Opponents Gives Titans an Opening

Peyton Manning is still struggling with a neck injury.

Arian Foster tweaked his hamstring in a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Both players are vital to their team's success.

The Mannings—sorry, the Colts—have looked utterly confused on offense without Peyton Manning under center. Early reports suggest Manning will miss at least Week 1 of the regular season. Other analysts have speculated that there is no way Manning misses Week 1. My early guess is that he rushes back, not fully recovered from the injury. If in fact he does that, Manning will risk re-injury or simply not playing up to the standards he has set for himself.

Arian Foster is another case. Foster, now famous for tweeting out a picture of his MRI, is also expected to miss at least Week 1. Foster's case is different from Manning's in the sense that tweaks to muscles like the hamstring happen all the time and can occur from any slight movement. Being at the running back position only makes things worse for the All-Pro.

The Colts face the Houston Texans, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs all in the first five weeks. The Texans will match up against the Colts, Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders all in the first five weeks as well.

Both teams face a tough road, even tougher if their stars are out, which could open an early lead in the division for the Tennessee Titans.

Matt Hasselbeck Bounces Back in Change of Scenery

Matt Hasselbeck hasn't started all 16 games in an NFL season or thrown more touchdowns than interceptions since 2007.

What makes me think he can bounce back this year?

Look at the talent surrounding him compared to Seattle.

The starting lineup in Seattle consisted of Hasselbeck, Marshawn Lynch, Mike Williams and John Carlson. The year before, his top receiver was T.J. Houshmandzadeh and his top running back was Julius Jones. 

In Tennessee, he steps into a spot with arguably the best running back in the league, a downfield threat in Kenny Britt and an athletic tight end in Jared Cook.

The offensive line will also protect the injury-prone veteran quarterback. Last season the Titans' offensive line ranked seventh in the NFL, according to NFL.com. The unit only allowed 27 sacks to the name-your-quarterback in Tennessee compared to the 35 sacks allowed in Seattle, good for No. 16 in the NFL.

Although it is only preseason, the 35-year-old Hasselbeck has passer ratings of 104.9, 100.9 and 73.1 in his only three games played.

Jared Cook Takes Advantage of Golden Opportunity

Bo Scaife spent all five seasons of his career in Tennessee before being let go in free agency this past offseason.

The Titans finally felt comfortable with third-year pro Jared Cook at the tight end position.

Cook is a 6'5", 248-pound tight end who ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the pre-draft combine.

Did I mention he is a tight end?

Cook's large frame, combined with incredible speed, will be a nightmare for opposing defenses. Older quarterbacks who don't have great arm strength love their tight ends as safety blankets and Cook should be no different for Hasselbeck.

It will be interesting to see how Cook's development as not only a pass catcher, but a run blocker translates when the Titans lock up with the Jaguars Week 1 in Jacksonville.

Damian Williams Emerges as Another Threat at Receiver

Under former head coach Jeff Fisher, the Titans relied too much on age and not enough on youth at skill positions.

As Mike Munchak takes over the head position, openings are already occurring at most positions, which is why it is hard to imagine Justin Gage ending the season as the No. 3 receiver.

Damian Williams emerged last season as a potential future replacement for Justin Gage and Nate Washington, but saw limited opportunities. Williams ended up racking up 16 receptions for 219 yards, including a long of 39 yards.

Williams opened up other opportunities Thursday night, as he brought back his only punt return 52 yards for a touchdown.

The second-year receiver will have a huge opportunity to step up in 2011.

Kenny Britt Moves to the Upper Echelon of Receivers

Kenny Britt exploded onto the scene as a rookie in 2009 as he started only six games, but snagged 42 balls for 701 yards and three touchdowns.

In his sophomore season, Britt stepped out again as a legitimate threat to the struggling Titans offense, securing 42 passes for 775 yards and nine touchdowns, all while only starting seven games.

Britt has dealt with severe hamstring issues throughout his tenure in the league, but took vital time off during the offseason and preseason to fully recover the injury and prepare for the regular season.

As former playmakers like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss fall to the back burner, spots have opened in terms of the top receivers in the league.

Kenny Britt has an opportunity in his third season to join the likes of DeSean Jackson and Andre Johnson as the top receivers in the league.

Moving Cortland Finnegan to Nickel Packages Bolsters Pass Defense

New defensive coordinator Jerry Gray has made moves throughout the defense and could make the biggest impact on his secondary.

Cortland Finnegan is best known as the fiery player that is always fighting. He may always be fighting, but this year he should be doing that legally, not what you would see on the streets.

Last season, when using five corners, the Titans allowed a passer rating of 92.1 to opposing offenses, according to ESPN.com. 

In those situations, Jason McCourty slid to the nickel position with Alterraun Verner and Finnegan at the opposite corner positions.

Finnegan is obviously more of a physical corner, so the Titans secondary will benefit from having physicality on the inside, with speed and youth on the outside.

Those concerned that having the youth at both corner positions will allow more deep passes shouldn't be worried, as Michael Griffin and Chris Hope are expected to bring veteran presences at both safety positions. 

Jerry Gray Will Stick in Nashville

In Jeff Fisher's final seasons with Tennessee, he relied on speed rushers, giving way to the run game but forcing the quarterback to get the ball out quicker.

While the Titans don't want to stray away from forcing the quarterback to get the ball out quickly, they have gotten bigger and stronger throughout the offseason, especially on the defensive line.

Last year, Tennessee's smallest starting defensive lineman was Jacob Ford at 252 pounds. This season, the Titan's smallest defensive lineman is William Hayes, who will start at defensive end weighing in at a hefty 272 pounds. Shaun Smith will also strengthen the line with his 352-pound frame.

Upgrades at the linebacker spots by bringing Akeem Ayers through the draft and Barrett Ruud through free agency should bolster the middle, followed by a solid secondary with different schemes.

Derrick Morgan Prepped for a Breakout Season

When talking about the defensive line, it's hard to overlook former first-round pick Derrick Morgan.

Morgan tore his ACL last season after appearing in only four games.

The defensive end out of Georgia Tech recorded five tackles and one sack in his short stint with the team during its 2010 venture.

Before re-injuring his knee in the preseason, Morgan had four tackles and one sack. Although Morgan had arthroscopic surgery and is expected to miss at least the first game of the regular season, defensive coordinator Jerry Gray's new schemes should allow Morgan to emerge as a legit rusher off the end.  

Chris Johnson Becomes Rejuvenated, Refocused

Chris Johnson got paid, now he's expected to play.

CJ2K promised his fans before he would repeat on his 2,000-yard season, but has yet to produce.

The All-Pro running back out of East Carolina still rushed for 1,364 yards last season, despite lackluster individual performances and uncertainty at the quarterback position.

Johnson has stayed quiet this offseason—other than demanding a new contract—which is a good change of news for the fourth-year back.

The Titans are returning their entire offensive line from 2010, a healthier Kenny Britt and a downfield threat in Jared Cook.

These new options, plus a reliable quarterback, should equate to Johnson having a stronger season and maybe even eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark once again. 

Weak Schedule Opens Up Opportunity at Division Title

The Tennessee Titans will enter the 2011 regular season tied for No. 23 with the Chicago Bears in terms of ease of schedule.

Ten of their 16 total games are against teams that did not make the playoffs in 2010, including playing Houston and Jacksonville twice.

The Titans will start off the season against Jacksonville, Baltimore, Denver, Cleveland and then Pittsburgh before their bye week. Tennessee has three easy games, with two difficult games sprinkled in between, to start the season, including the Ravens at home.

If the Titans have any shot at making the playoffs they will have to go through tough teams, including the likes of the Ravens and the Steelers, while taking care of business against teams they should beat.

Conclusion

Tennessee has a great opportunity to get Mike Munchak into the playoffs in his first year as head coach of the Titans.

Many things need to fall into place for the Munchak regime to start off hot, but crazier things have happened in the NFL.

Thanks for reading.

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