Ryan Tannehill has the Tennessee Titan rolling since the team decided to bench Marcus Mariota during their Week 6 shutout loss to the Denver Broncos.
Once Tannehill was inserted into the lineup, the Titans were holding a 2-4 record with little optimism for the remainder of the season. However, they have gone 6-1 since making a change at the quarterback spot and are currently riding a four-game winning streak.
Since being named the starter, Tannehill has thrown 15 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 73.4% of his passes. He has been a spark for the Titans team and it is showing big time on the field.
If Tannehill continues to take care of business, the Titans are going to be in good shape in the division and postseason. In Week 14, the Titans took down the Oakland Raiders with 42-21 being the final score. During that performance, Tannehill went 21-27 on his throws resulting in 391 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
As things currently stand, the Titans are 8-5 and find themselves tied with the Houston Texans for the first spot in the AFC South standings. These two teams will meet twice over the final three weeks of the season, which will be crucial in deciding the winner of the division.
Is Tannehill the Future in Tennessee?
The Titans selected Mariota with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. His first four years as a pro were filled with inconsistent play and overall underachieving results. This season, he came out hot leading the Titans to a 43-13 win in Week 1 but it was all downhill from there.
The key to Tannehill's resurgence in the league is that he is not turning the ball over while being extremely efficient. He has thrown just four interceptions as the starter and five overall. Meanwhile, during their four-game winning streak, Derrick Henry has rushed for 100 yards in each game with seven total touchdowns
Tennessee's system simply seems to fit how Tannehill plays better than Mariota while maximizing the rest of the team's offense. As a result, there is a real chance they could win the AFC South despite their slow start. With the inconsistent nature of the Texans, there is no reason why the Titans can't win 10 games and win the division.
How Tannehill manages to close the season will tell a lot about his future. He is playing on a one-year contract and has definitely earned at least one more season in Tennessee. Regardless of the future, Tannehill was clearly the answer and right move for the Titans in 2019 and they will need to determine if he's still the right fit to start going forward