Mike Vrabel and the Titans were special, and that can’t be taken away
By Allison Cary
The Tennessee Titans’ incredible postseason run is over. But fans should be proud of what their team has accomplished.
The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl and the Tennessee Titans are heading back to Nashville.
They were never supposed to reach this point. The Titans only qualified for the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, thanks to a loss from the Pittsburgh Steelers and their own hefty win over the Houston Texans. They came in as the No. 6 seed with a date at Gillette Stadium for the Wild Card Round.
The Patriots may have had a tough season in 2019, but taking on the reigning Super Bowl champions is no small task. It was a close match, but the Titans took the lead into the second half and held onto it. With nearly 200 yards rushing from Derek Henry, the Titans punched their ticket to the Divisional Round.
Things didn’t get easier for Tennessee. After taking on the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Titans traveled to Baltimore to take on the No. 1 seed Ravens. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore offense looked unstoppable in the regular season, but despite the odds, the Tennessee defense came in and did what almost no one else could do: shut them down. They held the Ravens to just 12 points. Henry had another fantastic night, rushing for 195 yards and even throwing for a touchdown. Ryan Tannehill may have only thrown for 88 yards, but he outdid Jackson in the most important category, throwing for two touchdowns.
This week, the Titans went to Kansas City. Playing in sub-freezing temperatures, they fought for a chance to go to Miami and play in Super Bowl LIV. Tennessee got the early lead, but in the second quarter, the Chiefs turned it on and it was too much for the Titans to handle.
Tennessee’s postseason run finally came to an end, but what a run it was. There were so many narratives to follow: Henry’s stellar performances, Tannehill finding success, and a defense that went toe-to-toe with some of the best offenses in the league. Hopefully, the Titans have created a solid foundation that they can build upon in years to come. But no matter what happens down the road, Titans fans can be proud of all their team accomplished on and off the field.
Tennessee gave us the best underdog story of the 2019-2020 season.