As Evan McPherson’s 52-yard field goal sailed through the uprights, handing the Cincinnati Bengals a 19-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in last season's divisional round of the AFC playoffs, many — including myself — began to question if the Titans would ever contend for a Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill under center.
The 34-year-old quarterback had just thrown three interceptions — the last of which put the Bengals near midfield and helped set up the game-winning field goal — and he squandered a playoff-record nine-sack performance from his defense. It was his fourth multi-interception game of the year after having just two such games the previous two seasons combined, and he posted his lowest QBR (10.4) since becoming the Titans’ starter in 2019.
“Obviously, the guy pulling the trigger is going to get blamed,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said at the time. “I mean, that's just what happens. But we all have to do a better job of taking care of the football. Nobody feels worse than Ryan does.”
There’s little debate that the 2021 season was the worst of Tannehill’s three years in Tennessee. His 14 interceptions were more than he had in his first two years as the Titans' starter combined (13). Furthermore, his 21 touchdown passes were his fewest in a single season when starting 16 or more games since his rookie season in 2012, and his 89.6 passer rating was his lowest since the 2015 season.
Perhaps Tannehill could have earned himself some grace for the ostensibly rough transition from former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to Todd Downing. After all, the Titans — who had the NFL’s No. 2 overall offense and No. 4 scoring offense in 2020 under Smith — ranked 17th and 15th, respectively, in those same categories in Downing’s first year. Tannehill also fell from eighth in the NFL in touchdown passes in 2020 to 19th in 2021.
But he only exacerbated the fan base’s frustration after avoiding speaking to the media on locker-cleanout day, being a no-show at voluntary offseason workouts, failing to reach out to first-round pick Treylon Burks until a full two days after the Titans picked him 18th overall in April, and posting a poorly timed Instagram photo of himself on a boat while the rest of the Titans were at Saint Thomas Sports Park prepping for organized team activities.
It wasn’t until Tannehill admitted at the beginning of May that after many sleepless nights, some painful self-reflecting and repeatedly rewatching tape from that Bengals loss, he decided to spend part of his summer in therapy, seeking guidance on how to move past perhaps the most agonizing moment of his career, that the angry mob of disappointed fans dispersed ever so slightly.
As he showed up for training camp, an admittedly rejuvenated Tannehill conceded that he was in a much better headspace than he had been at any point since that Jan. 22 loss to Cincinnati at Nissan Stadium.
“Juice, energy, leadership,” Titans GM Jon Robinson said of why he believes Tannehill has turned the page on last season. “[He’s] fired up to be out here; working with the new players that are on the team about, ‘Hey, when you run this route this way, look for the ball, because this is what I'm looking for out of you on this certain route.’ He's into it. Ready to roll.”
Added Tannehill: “I have a burning fire inside of me. There's no question about that, but at this point, it's a new season. What happened last year doesn't matter, but no doubt, there's a there's a passion and fire burning.”
While he’s saying and doing all the right things, it will presumably take more than a boisterous new leadership style for Tannehill to fall back into the fans' good graces. I would even go so far as to suggest that if the Titans fail to reach the AFC Championship game this season, Tannehill will not be on the roster by the draft.
That may sound like hyperbole to some, but with third-round rookie QB Malik Willis’ inspiring showing in the preseason, it may not be farfetched.
With every Tannehill incompletion, every sack and every missed wide-open receiver will come an uproar of discontent from a growing congregation of season-ticket holders demanding that Willis be given the reins of the offense.
But according to Tannehill, that’s just part of the job.
“I attack each and every season like it could be your last,” Tannehill said. “You never know what's going to happen, whether it's physically or something else. That's kind of how I live my life. Whether it's time with family, time with friends or in this situation of football. You never know what's going to happen in life. You have to attack each and every day with a purpose, with an intention, being where your feet are and trying to take advantage of each and every opportunity you get.”
The Titans will face the New York Giants this Sunday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m. Central, with Fox's Kevin Kugler and Mark Sanchez on the call.
GM Jon Robinson is doing his best to keep the Titans’ Super Bowl window open
It all comes back to Tannehill, whose career is at another crossroads
The team heads into the season with the core of its defense still together
