Tennessee Titans: 8 Reasons This Titans Team Is Still in the Playoff Hunt

Here we are three quarters of the way through the 2011 NFL season, and the Titans have managed to fit a pattern that most fans would like to see broken. 

The Titans have gone 3-1, 1-3 and 3-1 through the first 13 weeks, suggesting that they would then finish out the season on a 1-3 spiral and an uninspiring 8-8 record.

But assuming that you can predict with any certainty what's going to happen in this NFL season, will...well, you know what assuming does.

There is an assortment of reasons to believe that the team's recent uptick will continue and the majority of them are because of changes to the offense.

The following will cover everything that has kept, and will continue to keep, this team in playoff contention. 

Colin McCarthy's Move to the Starting Lineup

When starting middle linebacker Barrett Ruud went down to injury in a Week 10 tilt against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, McCarthy took the opportunity and hasn't looked back since.

Since then, McCarthy has racked up 37 tackles, six stuffs, two forced fumbles, two passes defensed and an interception.

Over the first nine weeks of the season, Ruud only managed to pickup 57 tackles, three stuffs, no forced fumbles, three passes defensed and an interception.

McCarthy is set to eclipse Ruud in nearly every category in a matter of two weeks. He has been a major upgrade in stopping the run up the middle, something Ruud has never excelled at, and seems to force a turnover every game.

If McCarthy can continue to stay on this tear, the Titans defense is sure to maintain its recent mean streak. 

Matt Hasselbeck's Great Start

Watching Hasselbeck over the last three weeks has been absolutely infuriating for Titans fans. 

Yes, the team won two out of three of those games, but during that time span he has thrown for a grand total of 440 yards (average of 146.67 per game). He has also thrown three interceptions to just one touchdown.

Those numbers are very inspiring for a team in the home stretch for a playoff run, but we cannot forget about the great start Hasselbeck had that got this team off to a 3-1 start.

The team struggled as a whole against upper echelon defenses in the middle portion of the season, but Hasselbeck's play from here on will determine how far this team can go. 

Less than 150 yards a game may be enough for a couple wins during the regular season, but as teams buckle down for their own playoff pushes, it may not be enough.

The Emergence of Damian Williams

The loss of Kenny Britt to injury in Week 3 left a gaping hole in Tennessee's wide receiver corps, not to mention its big-play ability.

In Britt's absence, Damian Williams has stepped into the role and done a great job of stepping up his level of play.

After being inserted into the starting lineup, Williams has led the teams in touchdowns with five and has surpassed Nate Washington as Hasselbeck's favorite target.

Williams is by no means a No. 1 receiver—instead, what he offers is consistent play to keep the chains moving and he has become a key red-zone target.

The Return of CJ2K

After starting out the first eight weeks of the season with a measly 366 yards rushing, Chris Johnson has now racked up 486 yards on the ground in the last four games.

The schedule is primed for him to continue his resurgence as well, with the 16th-, 30th- and 14th-ranked rush defenses lined up over the next three weeks.

As well as the passing game carried the offense for the first half of the season, CJ2K and the Titans' offensive line must carry the load the rest of the way.

Defensive Takeaways

The Titans defensive has mastered the art of the turnover.

Over the team's last four games, the Titans defense has forced 10 turnovers—albeit five came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they have still managed to come away with two takeaways in two of the other games.

Tennessee has also managed to utilize turnovers to abruptly end any comeback hopes of their opponents in each of their last two matchups.

For the season, the team is plus-five in takeaways, good for third in the AFC and seventh overall.

Nate Washington Proves He IS a Starting Receiver

Nate Washington started out the season as a reception machine opposite of Britt, accruing 21 receptions over the first three weeks of the season.

Since then, he has helped carry the load by averaging more than 12 yards per reception for the season. Washington has routinely made timely receptions to keep drives alive, especially in 3rd-and-long situations.

His role may have reverted back to being a No. 2 receiver again over the last few weeks, but his play has helped keep this team's offense viable with a weak running game for the majority of the season.

Their Remaining Schedule

The Titans' remaining schedule would suggest that they go, at worst, 2-2 and finish the season with a 9-7 record.

That is definitely the worst record the team could expect to have while still being a viable playoff option, but I would posit that they go 3-1 in their next four games.

This upcoming weekend's game at home against the New Orleans Saints feels ripe for an upset pick, especially with the Saints playing outdoors in December.

They have struggled to victories at Jacksonville and Carolina, and have managed to lose to the lowly St. Louis Rams this season.

Let's not forget the Titans need this game more. After that, the Titans play the Colts, Jaguars and the Texans.

The Texans could be resting starters at that point with the amount of injuries that they've had thus far.

Red Zone Offense

Despite being 21st in the league in scoring with 20.8 points per game, the Titans are surprisingly ranked second in the league in red-zone offense.

The Titans might not make many trips to their opponents' 20-yard line, but when they do they make sure they get points (66.67 percent).

Red-zone offense is one of the key categories of determining a team's success during a season.

There are of course a few anomalies that manage to screw things up, but typically being in the top half of the league in red-zone production would suggest a record above .500.

The Titans have tailed off a bit over the last three weeks, converting on just 50 percent of the red-zone visits, but if they are able to maintain the form they have shown for the majority of the season, they will remain a viable wild-card contender.