NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans are being underrated and disrespected in the latest NFL power rankings released by Yahoo Sports…Stop me if you've heard that sentence before.

I know it's not exactly a foreign concept for the Titans to be underrated in the national media, especially when it comes to projections for an upcoming season, but it doesn't make it any less laughable every time it happens. 

After an aggressive offseason to improve the roster and the hiring of a new coaching staff, Yahoo Sports has the Titans ranked…27th in the 2024 power rankings.

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The power rankings from Frank Schwab and Yahoo Sports are counting down from 32 to 1, going in depth to answer key questions about every NFL franchise ahead of the 2024 season. How did these teams get in this position? What does their quarterback situation look like for 2024? How should their offseason transactions be graded? What is their best case scenario this year?

Now, in Schwab's defense, I think a lot of the logic he laid out in his article tracks. As good as things might seem in Tennessee right now, there is still a lot that needs to be proven on the gridiron. Will Levis has all of the physical tools and the makeup of a franchise quarterback, but the jury is still out on whether or not he can put it all together. While the early returns on new head coach Brian Callahan seem to be positive, even those who are bullish on Callahan must admit that nothing matters until he proves he can win games and call plays.

That's much of what Schwab uses to argue against the Titans in his power rankings, pointing out how much could still go wrong and how hard Tennessee is to figure out.

"For all of the kind words about Brian Callahan, he has never called plays or been a head coach. We have no idea what to expect from him. And for all of Will Levis' raw talent, there's a reason he fell to the second round of the draft and had more turnover-worthy plays last season than any other NFL quarterback who will start this one," writes Schwab in a section titled 'Nightmare Scenario.' "The Titans' offseason spending spree was aggressive but we've seen many teams add a bunch of free agents and it doesn't fix much. The Titans were bad last season and have a lot to prove before climbing out of last place in the AFC South."

"The Titans are a tough team to figure out. They will look much different on both sides of the ball, in scheme and personnel. Their most important player, Will Levis, shifted between electrifying and alarming as a rookie. The Titans' big money addition, Calvin Ridley, also has a wide range of outcomes," Schwab continued. "While Mike Vrabel's final season and a half with the Titans wasn't good, he was excellent at maximizing the talent on hand. We don't know what Brian Callahan will be as a coach. It doesn't seem like the Titans are ready to take a big step, though it can't be ruled out because there are so many variables. For now, we'll proceed with caution on Tennessee before seeing what their new additions and Levis can do."

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I must cut Schwab some slack here. The Titans might have the widest range of possible outcomes of any team in 2024. There are just so many variables at play that could significantly shift the course of their season, and while it's easy to sit back and be optimistic about things in June, there is still a non-zero chance that things don't work out exactly how fans in Tennessee are hoping. 

Here's where I have a problem…as represented by receiving the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Titans finished with the 27th best record (tied with NYG) in the NFL last season (6-11). 

Tennessee's front office has since taken drastic measures to improve the roster from where it was at this point last year. Is there a single position group on the roster that is worse than it was in 2023? Maybe inside linebacker, depending on how well Kenneth Murray Jr. and Cedric Gray take to their new defense…But you'd be hard pressed to find another one.

The offensive line has made improvements that can't be understated. The acquisitions of Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and Tony Pollard bring more dynamic playmakers into a previously one-dimensional offense. Levis should see at least gradual improvement in his second season. 

On the defensive side of the ball, there is more depth on the defensive line to help stars like Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry III do their job. The Titans may have had the worst cornerbacks in football last season, and now they've got L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie to shut down opposing receivers.

It's too early to say about the coaching, but I really have a hard time seeing Dennard Wilson and Brian Callahan being a step backwards from Vrabel/Kelly/Bowen as play callers. The additions of key assistants like offensive line coach Bill Callahan are also certain to be an upgrade from the lackluster assistants Mike Vrabel had kept around in the past.

All of that…and you're trying to tell me the Titans won't be improve in 2024? You've got them finishing in the exact same spot as the NFL's 27th best team? I just don't see that being the case.

The only teams ranked lower than Tennessee by Yahoo are the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers. That means they've got the Gardner Minshew led Las Vegas Raiders, the Bo Nix (or perhaps Zach Wilson) led Denver Broncos, and the 4-13 Arizona Cardinals better than the Titans. That's disrespectful to the talent on this roster and the coaching staff that is in Tennessee.

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