The Tennessee Titans were one of six teams on a bye last week, but we’re still taking a look at where they stand in the NFL power rankings of experts going into Week 8, especially after the Kevin Byard trade on Monday.
We begin, as always, with Nate Davis of USA TODAY, who has the Titans falling four spots to No. 29 in the wake of them trading away their franchise great. Here’s Davis’ write-up:
29. Titans (25): Has the teardown begun? Offloading All-Pro S Kevin Byard for little more than a song seems fairly indicative a transition is afoot.
With Byard shipped to Philly and the Titans seemingly on the verge of blowing it up, the question now becomes: Who’s next?
Derrick Henry is at the top of the list of the most notable trade candidates in Tennessee, followed by guys like DeAndre Hopkins, Denico Autry, Kristian Fulton and perhaps even Ryan Tannehill, although his injury may thwart a potential attempt to deal the veteran signal-caller.
But it may be another week before we find out the fate of those players and more, as the trade deadline doesn’t fall until Oct. 31.
For now, you’ll just have to settle for our power rankings round-up.
Jarrett Bailey, Touchdown Wire: 28 (-2)
Jarrett Bailey, Touchdown Wire:
They seem to finally be realizing how bad they are and are starting to sell ahead of the deadline. We’ll see if DeAndre Hopkins joins Kevin Byard on the way out.
Barry Werner, The List Wire: 24 (no change)
The Titans had the week off to figure out what has gone wrong since the second half of last season. They are losing touch with the Jags in a division that looks like only the champ will go to the playoffs.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 27 (-2)
They come off their bye without quarterback Ryan Tannehill. That means it’s Malik Willis and Will Levis for a bit and maybe longer if the Kevin Byard trade means they are having a fire sale.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 28 (-2)
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 28 (-2)
The Titans are having a quarterback crisis during their bye with Ryan Tannehill being hurt and Malik Willis being ineffective. Will this mean more of Will Levis to see during the lost season, along with other key youngsters? It’s a tough call for the competitive Mike Vrabel.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: 25 (-1)
The Titans traded safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles for safety Terrell Edmunds along with a fifth- and sixth-round draft pick. That is probably the signal to the rest of the league that the Titans are willing to trade anyone before the deadline. Stay tuned.
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network: 24 (-2)
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network:
The Titans offense is one of the least successful units in the NFL (25th), but they rank 12th in EPA because of their inconsistent ability to create explosive plays. All in all, Tennessee’s offense is underwhelming, and they’ve struggled considerably on defense despite boasting some impressive talent on the roster.
K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire: 24 (no change)
Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post: 23 (+2)
Josh Schrock, NBC Sports: 26 (no change)
Malik Willis? Will Levis? It doesn’t matter. This season is a wrap for the Titans.
Bleacher Report: 27 (-1)
The Tennessee Titans have a lot to do over the bye week.
Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a high-ankle sprain in last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That means it will probably be either second-year pro Malik Willis or rookie Will Levis under center against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8.
Head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters he’s not sure who will draw the start. But whoever it is, he believes they can be effective:
“It’ll be one of those two guys if Ryan (Tannehill) can’t go. I don’t know who that would be yet. We’ll see how they continue to practice. It’d be good to get them some work this week, maybe with some guys that they haven’t necessarily worked with. They’ve been working on the show team during the season. I’m excited to get both those guys some reps with some of our offensive guys and see how they handle that.”
Frankly, it should be Levis. The Titans saw enough of Willis last year to know he’s not a long-term solution. The rookie, on the other hand, was a first-round talent in the eyes of some draftniks this year.
The Titans are going nowhere in 2023 anyway. They might as well see if the Kentucky product can be a foundational part of the rebuild that looms on the horizon.
