The Tennessee Titans face off against the Arizona Cardinals in their Week 1 season opener. There is a ton of hype surrounding Tennessee, as the front office made huge upgrades throughout the offseason. The offense improved after acquiring Julio Jones, and the defense received a much-needed facelift.
For that reason, the Titans are the early favorites to win the AFC South and are potential Super Bowl contenders. They'll have to play their best throughout the course of the season, but the Titans are equipped to be a dangerous team in 2021. Tennessee will look to set the pace in their first game of the season.
Everyone is overlooking the Titans' defense after their poor performances last year. However, this is a great matchup for this unit to surprise the critics. Tennessee's passing game will be featured throughout the season, and they should expose the Cardinals' weak secondary. Ryan Tannehill has the leisure of quarterbacking an elite offense and should be in for a big game. Lastly, this first matchup could put Derrick Henry ahead of the race for the rushing title right away. With that said, here are four bold predictions for the Titans season opener against the Cardinals.
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4. Titans defense shuts down the Cardinals
The defense was a key issue last year for the Titans. However, the front office managed to bring in Bud Dupree and Denico Autry to improve the pass rush. Additionally, the secondary is nearly completely different as well. Those were two areas the Titans struggled in last year. Look for Tennessee's defense to be on top of their game on Sunday, as this is a young, hungry group looking to prove themselves.
3. AJ Brown and Julio Jones combine for 250 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns
Tennessee has been a run-first offense for quite some time now. However, they now have two legitimate superstars out wide. The Titans might be airing it out much more often. It's a complete guessing game for opposing defenses, as either AJ Brown, Julio Jones, or Derrick Henry will have room to work. Arizona has a very young secondary group who has their hands full in Week 1. The Titans are very likely to exploit that weakness right away.
2. Ryan Tannehill has a near-perfect game
Ryan Tannehill has been electric for the Titans since taking over as the starting quarterback. This year, he's easily on the best team he's ever been on in his career. The Titans have an elite offensive line, the best wide receiver duo in the league, and a two-time league-leading running back in the backfield. Tannehill's job is easy, and we should see him go to work on Sunday.
1. Derrick Henry takes an early lead on the rushing title
The front seven is actually pretty solid for the Cardinals. However, they're not an elite group. Tennessee could take an early lead due to the huge mismatch in the passing game. That means the Titans will feed Derrick Henry to run the clock. With Arizona's defense tired from chasing after the receivers, Henry should have open run lanes throughout most of the second half. If that's the case, King Henry could put himself in first place for another rushing title from the jump.
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