Football is finally back for real with the regular season starting Sunday as the Titans host the New York Jets, Robert Saleh’s former team. Let’s look at some of the Titans’ keys to victory:
First down
Bring the heat. Saleh’s defenses are known for their waves of relentless pressure and continuing to rotate in fresh players to keep the heat turned up on opposing quarterbacks. Geno Smith had a penchant for putting the ball in harm’s way last year with the Raiders. The Titans need to see if he will do the same thing against their defense.
Second down
Get Cam Ward going. Ward’s preseason was messy. But that will all be forgotten if he can somehow find a rhythm in Sunday’s opener. The Jets didn’t intercept a pass all season last year. Ward does not want to be the quarterback who ends that streak. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is likely to give him a lot of safe, short passes to start, minimizing his accuracy issues downfield.
Third down
Get Carnell Tate involved. Tate was quiet in preseason games, but the Titans need to get him going early so he can establish himself as an eventual No. 1 receiver. The Titans have the luxury of WanDale Robinson as their main safety valve, but Tate needs to see the football and contribute to the team’s success.
Fourth down
Give the fans some hope. The Titans have not given fans much to celebrate the past two years with just six wins in that span. There won’t be many more games on the schedule that appear to be more winnable than this one. Starting out 1-0 might give some hope to a fan base that has been both frustrated and apathetic most of the time in recent years.