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) /

5 of 6

NASHVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 15: General Manager Jon Robinson of the Tennessee Titans walks onto the field before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium on September 15, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Colts defeated the Titans 19-17. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

No matter the head coach, the Titans routinely beat playoff teams

The New England Patriots and Titans are the only two teams in the NFL to have a winning record against playoff teams in the last four years. The Patriots are 16-6 (.727), and the Titans boast a record of 13-12 (.520) in this metric.

All other NFL teams are under .500 versus teams that went on to make the playoffs since 2016.

Let this be a lesson: When you hear Quarterback X is under .500 versus playoff teams or teams with a winning record, that statistic is broadcasted to make the player look crummy. For instance, in the last eight years, Aaron Rodgers is 17-26-1 (.395) against opponents that finished the season with a winning record. Rodgers must be awful, right?

No, playing against teams with winning records comes at a price. Those teams have winning record for a reason — they’re good. They beat other teams. Most quarterbacks, even the elite ones, are owners of records against winning teams that will surprise you. To fully capture the essence of an against-teams-with-a-winning-record metric, it is vital to examine how that team or player compares to peers.

NFL teams that pull off a jack-in-the-box maneuver during a given season and surprise everybody generally do not possess an upper-echelon record against teams with a record on the whole. Such is the case for the aforenamed Jacksonville Jaguars.

Since 2016, the Jaguars are 4-20 (.167) against teams that went on to make the playoffs. This is the seventh-worst mark in the league.

As for the Titans, the organization has found methods to dethrone good football teams. And they have done so in a manner that is better than 30 other football teams. It’s a franchise-wide tendency that is not compatible with the whispers of a single fluke season.

Home/Tennessee Titans