Tennessee Titans: Is Julio Jones the Missing Link?

Now that Julio Jones is on his way to the Tennessee Titans, does that mean the Titans are new favorites for the Super Bowl? No, not exactly. Giving Ryan Tannehill an extra weapon should put them closer to the top of the contender’s list. After all, with two playmaking receivers and the game’s best running back the past few seasons, there should be no issue moving the football.

However, pump the brakes on the Super Bowl talk for now. First, Tennessee would have to overcome the monumental task of taking down the AFC’s current powerhouses. Teams have already proved themselves to be contenders and the Titans are just playing catch up. While they’ve been able to pound the football in the ground game, they’ve been slightly above average in the passing game. With teams like the Chiefs and Bills able to move the ball with explosiveness in their passing game, Tennessee had to rely on controlling the football. It works well in the games when the run game is doing well, but playoff-caliber teams were finding ways to stop the run.

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Of course, the game would have to be handed over to the arm of Ryan Tannehill. While he can be a good game manager, his inconsistency makes him an easy target to gameplan for. Tannehill has the ability to take over games, but at times can rely on a comfort zone. Even in his days in Miami, he would have games where he put up the numbers but never seemed like he was in firm control of the game. He can make something out of nothing, but can’t dial in and make the magic happen on demand.

In a sense, Julio Jones might not be just the missing piece the Titans were looking for, this could be a make or break year for Ryan Tannehill. Given the talent that Tannehill has, there’s a very good chance they expect him to at least make a deep playoff push. Tennessee can’t rely on one-dimensional offense in the playoffs and need the spark. If Tannehill can’t provide that spark, look for the Titans to make necessary moves in the offseason to push them where they need to go.

As a Titans fan, you have to be excited to get one of the game’s best receivers. However, as exciting as it is, Tennessee needs to go out and pull away from the pack. So far, it looks like they’re just trying to stay within arms reach.