What separates Mike Vrabel's Titans from the rest of the NFL
There are three guarantees in life: Death, taxes, and Mike Vrabel winning after a bye week. Since Vrabel was hired as the Tennessee Titans’ head coach in 2018, his team has consistently dominated opponents following a bye week. This trend would continue on Sunday as the Tennessee Titans (4-2) put a stranglehold on the AFC […]
There are three guarantees in life: Death, taxes, and Mike Vrabel winning after a bye week.
Since Vrabel was hired as the Tennessee Titans’ head coach in 2018, his team has consistently dominated opponents following a bye week.
This trend would continue on Sunday as the Tennessee Titans (4-2) put a stranglehold on the AFC South with a 19-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1).
The Titans are 5-0 in regular season games following a bye with Vrabel at the helm. But the Titans aren’t just winning these games, they’re consistently brutalizing its opposition.
Under Vrabel’s command, Tennessee has outscored its opponents by a margin of 151-60 in games directly following a bye. The average margin of victory comes out to be a stunning 18.2 points per game.
Most teams in the NFL dread an early bye with a 17-game schedule. However, the Titans welcomed the league’s earliest open date possible with open arms after a litany of key contributors have been battling injuries.
Getting guys healthy is one thing, but having an extra week to prepare for a divisional rival was an added bonus for Tennessee. Vrabel does as good of a job as any coach in the NFL in getting his team ready with the luxury of extra rest.
It’s what separates him from, not just other coaches across the league, but from every head coach the Titans have employed since the franchise moved to Tennessee.
(Nobody send this to Jeff Fisher, please.)
Any given Sunday is a phrase that highlights the parity in the NFL. Any team can beat any other team on any given Sunday.
The Titans are the exception to this rule as wins following a bye week have become as expected as a bone-headed play call by Todd Downing in a high-leverage situation.
I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist.
Featured image via George Walker IV – USA TODAY Sports
