The Tennessee Titans have now lost five games in a row and have lost the division lead for the first time since Week 4.

It felt like the Titans wrapped up AFC South weeks ago, but their unexpected fall-off has left things wide open. 

The Jaguars have won four of their last five games and have set up a winner-takes-all showdown in Week 18. The Titans will travel to Jacksonville, and no matter what happens against the Dallas Cowboys, the game will be for the division title. 

This means the Titans' next meaningful game is not for another 13 days.

Everyone can see that this team needs rest, as a large chunk is either out or dealing with lingering health issues. Even Mike Vrabel acknowledged that this team is far from healthy:

"We've got some guys who have played a lot of football for us that are far less than 100%," Vrabel said after Saturday's loss to the Houston Texans.

With players like Ryan Tannehill, Jeffery Simmons, Kristian Fulton, Amani Hooker, and many more battling lingering injuries, the extra time could help make this fractured team whole again. 

The Titans were in a similar position at the end of the 2019 season. They faced the Saints in the penultimate game of the season, in what was a meaningless game for them. For the Titans to make the playoffs, all that mattered was beating the Texans in the season finale. 

Vrabel decided to bench Henry against the Saints to prepare him for the de-facto playoff game against the Texans. That turned out to be the correct decision. Henry ran for 211 yards against Houston and carried the Titans into the playoffs. The payout did not stop there, as Henry used his fresh legs to drag the team to their first AFC Championship game since 2002. 

It will be interesting to see what Vrabel decides to do in the coming days, as I think the best thing for this team might just be a little rest.

While it may seem that all hope is lost for this Titans team, a couple weeks off could be the perfect thing to jumpstart this team. If Vrabel plays it right, who says this team can't make another improbable late-season run?

Feature image via Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports