AFC South Breakdown: Young, But Not Quite Ready

Nov 14, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker (82) is pursued by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis (23) at LP Field. The Colts defeated the Titans 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Supporting Cast

The group of players around the quarterback had more to do with the inadequate offense than any of the quarterbacks they used, and that cast has not changed much at all.

The top receiver in 2014 was tight end Delanie Walker who had 63 catches for 890 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Kendall Wright was decent, but not stellar and youngster Justin Hunter got 28 catches and has not developed as the team would like.

The running back position was even less impressive as the top guy was Bishop Sankey who had 569 yards and two scores. Also scoring only twice and putting up only 392 yards was the veteran Shonn Greene.

Perhaps rookie running back David Cobb or rookie wide out Dorial Green-Beckham delivers big time and the Titans become a more consistent offense. However, counting on three rookies when you also include the quarterback is not a desired approach to a season.

Instead, look for the offense to continue to sputter around their lowly 15.9 points per game like they had in 2014, which was good for 30th place in the NFL offensively.

Dec 18, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee (11) and Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan (91), cornerback Coty Sensabaugh (24), safety George Wilson (21) and linebacker Avery Williamson (54) react after a pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter at EverBank Field. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Defense

The guys on the other side of the ball didn’t fare much better as they surrendered almost twice as much as the offense scored with 27.4 points per game. That was poor enough to land them 29th in the league for scoring defense.

The main problem was their rushing defense as they were steamrolled all year to the tune of 137 yards per game, which was second to last in 2014.

The signing of Brian Orakpo as their new outside linebacker should give them a boost with their pass rush, but there still is a lot to be desired in terms of stopping the run.

Next: Special Teams And What To Expect