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In The End, The Titans Offense Will Go As Far As Their Line Can Take Them
NASHVILLE - It's no secret that football games are won in the trenches, and if you are the Tennessee Titans, their hopes for the coming season rest upon the shoulders of their retooled offensive line.
While the team's current situation within their wide receiver group has been the subject of constant conversations, the accurate measure of what this team can do can't be measured by the massive amount of stats players collect.
In 2022, the Titans offensive line allowed 49 sacks last season, as their quarterbacks were constantly under pressure. Lowering that number this season will be of utmost importance.
We don't know how this unit will shake out as far as who will start and where, but whatever the outcome of those position battles, the five players who begin the season as starters have two critical missions.
The first is staying healthy. Whoever begins this season at each position must be able to remain on the field for the majority of the campaign. Otherwise, the lack of depth and the need to continually learn to play with an ever-changing line will likely play out much like last season.
And two, they must gel and do it quickly, as with only three preseason games before the season opener, there's not a lot of time for this until to grow the cohesion necessary to play winning football at this level.
If the season began today, the projected offensive line seems to be Andre Dillard at left tackle, Peter Skoronski at left guard, Aaron Brewer at center, Daniel Brunskill at right guard, and Nicholas Petite-Frere at right tackle.
It's conceivable that rookie Jaelyn Duncan could compete for a role along with others on the roster, but if I were to bet, none of these gentlemen would supplant those projected starters.
Fixing the offensive line is critical coming off the seven-game losing streak. According to the Fanduel gambling website, the Titans are heavy underdogs to win the AFC South. They are at plus-360, while the Jacksonville Jaguars are at minus-160. It's the largest gab of any of the eight divisions.
Writing about the offensive line is the most basic thing, but it's also true. As this line goes in opening holes for Derrick Henry and protecting Ryan Tannehill or Will Levis, so will this team's wins and losses. What kind of fantasy numbers will they put up? And will some big numbers equate to wins?
After all, it doesn't matter who your receivers are if the quarterback gets sacked another 49 times this season.
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