The Tennessee Titans have encountered quite the bumpy road as a franchise. Once the Houston Oilers, then the Tennessee Oilers and now the Tennessee Titans, this AFC South franchise has certainly had its ups and downs over the years, though this organization has produced some insanely talented teams as well.
Providing the Titans franchise and its fan base alike with countless memories and some serious success in between all of the hiccups since the team's originally coming out party as the Tennessee Titans back in December 1998, this organization seems to once again be on the rise.
With legends like quarterback Steve McNair, running back Eddie George, running back Chris Johnson, linebacker Keith Bulluck, pass rusher Jevon Kearse, tight end Delanie Walker, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and so many more leading the way through the years, the Titans have only reached one Super Bowl despite coming very, very close on a few other occasions.
With Tennessee producing some seriously talented teams that were a lot of fun to watch, there are still only a few squads that need to be placed atop the perviable Mount Rushmore of single-season Titans teams as the following trio has been narrowed down from just five or six possibilities.
1999-00
In 1999-00, the team's inaugural season as the Tennessee Titans, the AFC South was well represented in Super Bowl XXXIV against the eventual champion St. Louis Rams. While the Titans infamously came up just one yard shy of prolonging one of the best Super Bowls ever played, the team's season would ultimately be highlighted by only an AFC Championship.
However, the road to the team's AFC Championship in 1999-00 was definitely a great one as the Titans produced the “Music City Miracle” in the opening round of the postseason against the Buffalo Bills before beating a pair of current divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars in the subsequent rounds. Not only that, but it is also worth noting that the team's arch rival in the Jaguars won 14 games in 1999-00 while losing only three times all year with all three defeats coming at the hands of the surging Titans.
Little did Tennessee and the team's fans know it at the time as it was only Year No. 1 as the Titans, that this would be the pinnacle season for more than a few Nashville legends. Although this Titans core would go on to make the playoffs a few more times and even reach an AFC Championship Game shortly after this campaign, Tennessee has since reached the height of playing in the Super Bowl with the 1999-00 season bringing both joy and tears to those who don the two-tone blue.
2008-09
The 2008-09 Tennessee Titans definitely lead the way for the franchise in terms of the “what could have been” category. Despite the fact that starting quarterback Vince Young went down with a season-ending injury in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Titans jumped out to a perfect 10-0 start to the season before ultimately becoming the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoff picture at 13-3.
With a veteran signal caller in Kerry Collins leading the way under center in the absence of the aforementioned Young, the Titans initially earned a bye to begin postseason play before matching up against the Baltimore Ravens at home. Although already defeating the Ravens earlier in the season, the Titans were unable to do so once again in the divisional round as Baltimore squeaked by 13-10 on the road — the same score from when Tennessee won the previous matchup.
Even playing at home, some blown calls, a controversial injury to running back Chris Johnson and a last second field goal attempt were simply too much for this team to overcome. Adding to the “what could have been” narrative, the Titans also manhandled the eventual Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-14, in Week 16 of this season. This would all come to a screeching halt in Tennessee as well as the Titans were unable to regain this same momentum in the following years as all of the air was seemingly sucked out of both the city and the team following this historic and heartbreaking loss to the rival Ravens.
Making matters worse as the aforementioned Johnson was completely healthy the next year in 2009-10, “CJ2K” showed the Ravens — and the rest of the NFL landscape — just how dynamic he was when allowed to run free en route to rushing for more than 2,000 yards.
2019-20
After years of little to no success in “Music City,” the Tennessee Titans' most recent stretch of football had come in 2017-18 as the AFC South franchise pulled off the unthinkable and completed a huge comeback on the road at Arrowhead Stadium in the opening round of the playoffs. However, it would be only a few seasons later that the Titans would take things even further and win two playoffs games in 2019-20.
Even with some quarterback controversy and a nearly even 9-7 regular season record in 2019-20, the Titans were more than ready come playoff time while stringing together two of the most impressive consecutive victories in recent memory.
First up was the heralded New England Patriots, who didn't know it at the time, would be playing the franchise's last game ever with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady under center. Even though the Titans were the No. 6 seed in the AFC while being forced to travel for each and every postseason game, Tennessee knocked off Brady and the Patriots to advance to the next round, which meant possible revenge on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.
A rivalry renewed, the Titans absolutely demolished the top-seeded Ravens despite playing in quite the hostile environment in Baltimore. The Titans shutdown Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who would later become the league MVP for this season.
Unfortunately, the cinderella run would come to an end in the AFC Championship Game against the soon-to-be Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Adding to the agony, the Titans held an early double digit lead in Kansas City as Tennessee even beat the Chiefs and MVP quarterback Patrick during the regular season.
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