Tennessee Titans get harshly disrespected by ESPN statistic for 2022

The Tennessee Titans are fresh off of a season where they were the top seed in the AFC. Although, they didn't get it done in the playoffs. Going into this year, Derrick Henry is back, and the defense may be even better than it was last season. So, does ESPN believe they are contenders? Not […]

Adam Holt — NFL News Writer
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The Tennessee Titans are fresh off of a season where they were the top seed in the AFC. Although, they didn't get it done in the playoffs. Going into this year, Derrick Henry is back, and the defense may be even better than it was last season. So, does ESPN believe they are contenders?

Not quite, according to the Football Power Index statistic. The ESPN FPI does not have the Titans in their top ten teams that have the highest chance to win the AFC. Also, the Colts have the fifth-best chance to win the AFC, according to the FPI. The Titans were snubbed, somehow.

Teams with the highest chance to win the AFC, according to the ESPN FPI

  1. Bills – 13%
  2. Chargers – 11%
  3. Chiefs – 11%
  4. Broncos – 8%
  5. Colts – 8%
  6. Patriots 7%
  7. Raiders – 7%
  8. Ravens – 7%
  9. Browns
  10. Bengals

This is an analytics-based ranking system, so it is objective. No ESPN talking heads are to blame this time. That being said, having teams like the Colts and Patriots in the top ten without the Titans is hard to understand. Tennessee deserves to be ahead of New England, undoubtedly, and they should have about the same percentage as Indianapolis. Having the Browns above them with how much is known with that team is also very questionable.

The Titans will have to prove that last season's improvement on defense was no fluke. They will also have to show that their passing offense can succeed without A.J. Brown. Adding WRs Robert Woods and Treylon Burks should help with that. The Titans need QB Ryan Tannehill to play how he did in the early part of last season and push through his late-season/playoff struggles from last season.

Not to mention, they will have one of the best running backs in the NFL back and healthy. Plus, the defense looks deeper than it was last season. The Titans may not be in the top tier of the AFC as the season kicks off, but the FPI disrespected them.

Featured Image via USA TODAY-Sports

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