Why the Tennessee Titans will prove they're not a fluke

Why the Tennessee Titans will prove they’re not a fluke

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans celebrates with fans after their 20-13 win over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

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NASHVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 24: Nick Foles #7 of the Jacksonville Jaguars talks to Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans after the game at Nissan Stadium on November 24, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 42-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Ryan Tannehill is a very, very good quarterback

Pundits don’t acknowledge it enough. Do you think the man with the top passer rating in the NFL last season arrived at that accolade by a series of happy accidents? Was Tannehill the luckiest man in the world? No.

Tannehill certainly is not classified as a less-than-desirable quarterback, but there is a sense of average or meh that is attached to his name. It’s unfounded and somewhat disrespectful. In this regard, the 32-year-old is perceived in the same realm as Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Both men began their careers with franchises that were not renowned for winning.

Because neither man single-handedly transformed the culture or made deep playoffs runs, the words Washington and Miami remain synonymous with each quarterback. Now look at them. Both signal-callers are presently situated with competent football teams and have playoff wins to show for it. It’s amazing how the “team” aspect of football works.

During the last five years, Ryan Tannehill owns the 10th-best passer rating (96.0) in the NFL among quarterbacks that have started at least two full seasons (32 games). Therefore, Tannehill is not an elite passer, but nobody expects his performance to be at the level of a Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson.

Elite quarterbacking is a novelty and not a requirement for a Super Bowl championship. Ask Nick Foles, Joe Flacco, or the diminished version of Peyton Manning from 2015 if primary resources are needed.

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