Tennessee Titans Are Better Than Record Indicates

"You are what your record says you are." That's an oft-quoted phrase in the NFL to deflate the egos of teams who are underachieving and to give credibility to teams who seem to be outperforming their talent level. And while it's true that wins and losses provide the bottom line of the memory of an NFL season, there are some misnomers that come with looking only at the win-loss record of a team as well.

The Tennessee Titans are one such example. The Titans are currently at 6-8 and sit outside of the playoff bubble and buried underneath the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. The Vince Young controversy has Head Coach Jeff Fisher questionable to return next year, and the team's six-game losing streak through the season's mid-section surprised several after the Titans 5-2 start. It's easy to point to losses to the Broncos and Redskins and current position in the standings and believe the Chiefs should walk in this contest.

But the win-loss record doesn't tell the whole story. The Titans are 13th in the NFL in points scored and 12th in points allowed. Their expected win-loss record is actually 8-6, revealing just how close the Titans have been from turning the tables in several games. While every team can point to a loss and think, "If only this happened, we would have won," the Titans performance on both sides of the ball shows they're better than their record indicates.

The Titans have averaged over 30 points over the last two weeks and their offense seems to be clicking with Chris Johnson getting back on track in those two games. Kenny Britt and Nate Washington provide solid targets at receiver and Kerry Collins is clicking after coming back rusty from injury. On the other side, the Chiefs offensive line will have their hands full with the Titans relentless pass rush. Jason Babin (12 sacks), Dave Ball (7 sacks) and a rotating cast of defensive linemen keep the defense fresh and will give Matt Cassel precious little time to get the ball out of his hands.

The Chiefs should still be favored for certain, and playing in Arrowhead gives the Chiefs an even better advantage. However, some pointed to the Rams contest as the must-win and might be looking forward to the season-ending divisional contest against the Raiders next week. To overlook the Titans would be a major mistake and might cost the Chiefs a playoff spot if guilty of doing so.