Being a contender...

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by Titans2004, Dec 20, 2011.

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  1. Titans2004

    Titans2004 Pro Bowler

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    To be a consistent playoff team and thus a SB contender you have to be elite on either defense or offense. If you look back at the last few years it is very rare to find a team that isn't top 10 (and usually top 5) on one side of the ball or the other that is a real SB threat.

    This year on offense you have Patriots, Saints, Packers who are elite on offense and Steelers, Ravens, Texans, 49ers who are elite on defense.

    The Eagles and Texans are the only teams that are top 10 on both sides of the ball.

    So to me it seems that we need to focus on becoming elite on one side of the ball or the other.

    Personally I think this off-season needs to be about making the offense elite. Spend money signing the best interior OL available, draft either OL or best offensive playmaker available in the 1st.

    Being average on both sides of the ball will make you an avg team that might get lucky to make the playoffs, but will never go far and really contend for a SB.

    We need to go all in and make the offense elite in my opinion.

    Which side of the ball do you try to make elite?
     
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  2. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    The only thing that separates us from the Niners is the coach. San Fran basically has the same team we have, but their coach is the difference maker we don't have.

    Not saying Munchak sucks, but he's not Jim Harbaugh.

    And it would be easier to get our defense up than our offense.
     
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  3. Smash

    Smash 2017 Survivor Winner

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    Well. We have "potential" explosive weapons on offense too. For now there are plenty of question marks, but I do think we have the talent on offense to be a consistant top10 offense. Locker, Britt, CJ, Cook are all playmakers at their positions. Nate has proven to be a stable goto guy, despite his size. DW will only benefit from having af WR removing focus from him. Cook is also dangerous. Yes he needs to protect the ball and be more consistent like DW does.
    Our O-line has proven they can get it done, although I wouldn't mind some interior shuffling - starting with a new C.

    They're all young players, with huge potential. It's fixable (except CJs hands) with physical training, but also mental. Someone needs to spark some confidence in them. - But that guy ain't Palmer. He's just too conservative.
     
  4. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    Gore. Davis. Willis. Rogers. DL.

    Same team? Right.
     
  5. HeadOnASwivel

    HeadOnASwivel Pro Bowler

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    Good post, I feel pretty much the same way. I just think it may be easier to improve the defense, based on Munch carrying over Fisher's offensive philosophy. Stupidly and or stubbornly this team is not going to turn into the Packers/Saints/Pats and start winging the ball all over the field, even though that should be the goal. The current rules in the NFL clearly favor the passing game. Between not being able to fart on a QB for fear of a roughing penalty to not hitting a receiver unless you do it with a giant, fluffy pillow and BS illegal contact, it behooves a team to try to put the ball in the air as much as possible. Teams that run the ball are just not taking advantage of the way the rules are set up and will continue to lag behind the "smart" teams.

    To be honest I think this team really wants to be a predominantly 3-4 defense. I think Gray wants it and based on last years draft I can see it starting to take shape. I'm not saying the 3-4 is the end all be all but it clearly has advantages that would really help us out. Look we don't have the DE's to generate pressure w/o blitzing, and we've seen how much of a problem that is when you only have 24 sacks as a team :(! The 3-4 allows you to confuse the o-line blocking schemes of the opposing team with various blitzes from all over the field. It also allows you to dictate match ups, since the scheme is so diverse and players are so interchangeable. Force the other team to not make mistakes and correctly diagnose our blitz schemes. It's my long way of saying if we don't have the horses in place to rush the passer we can be effective through scheme.

    The biggest reason for the switch is the friggin Texans. They went from the worst defense and, I think, something like 3 yards away from the worst defense in NFL history to the number 1 defense in one friggin off season. Thats one shortened off season, a new D-coordinator and one draft. The switch can easily be done. Gray can coach it with one off season we can be a vastly improved defense.

    1st round, give me Mark Barron

    2nd round, give me Vinny Curry

    3rd round, give me Dontari Poe.

    Possible 3rd round (comp), give me Jared Crick

    That's not even considering free agency. Tell me we can't turn it around in one season.
     
  6. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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    C.J. Cook, McCarthy, Finnegan, All-Pro kicker, yea same team.
     
  7. Titans2004

    Titans2004 Pro Bowler

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    I certainly can see going all in and trying to make the defense better. It usually is easier for defensive guys to make an impact early on. Obviously this past draft class showed that.

    I think our defense would be much improved if we could just get that one elite pass rusher. Be it a 3-4 OLBer or a 4-3 DE.

    I think the QB position is the most important position on the field. We have a young guy who is showing signs that he could be the man for many years. We need to surround him with as many weapons as possible and give him the best OL that we can.

    I just really want us to focus on one side of the ball or the other and become elite.
     
  8. Fry

    Fry Welcome to the land of tomorrow!

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    C'mon man, McCarthy has played well, but Willis has been to four straight pro bowls and is without a doubt the best MLB in the league(and Navarro Bowman isn't far behind him).

    If you want to go man for man along the defensive side of the ball it's not even close.

    Maybe Mike Singletary was just that bad?
     
  9. LANGSTER

    LANGSTER Pro Bowler

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    If gray want a 3-4, why is it that I just see the old base 4-3? Maybe it is injury and personel. But, doing the samething over and over is why I get so frustrated. When something is not working ADJUST. That is what the better staff's in the league do.
     
  10. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    This season? Who would you prefer?

    C.J. or Gore? http://www.nfl.com/stats/headtohead...Select+a+Player...&playerFour=Select+a+Player...
    Cook or Davis? http://www.nfl.com/stats/headtohead...Select+a+Player...&playerFour=Select+a+Player...
    McCarthy or Willis? http://www.nfl.com/stats/headtohead...Select+a+Player...&playerFour=Select+a+Player...
    Finnegan or Rogers? (1 INT vs 6)
    All-Pro kicker or a solid DL? I'd trade Bironas for just Justin Smith.

    :biglaugh:
     
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