We are now well over halfway through the season and the Tennessee Titans have one of the worst records in the NFL. There were hopes that a new head coach would improve the situation at Nissan Stadium but any chance of a playoff berth rapidly disappears after every single weekend.

It is now two years since the Titans enjoyed a winning season and won back-to-back divisional titles. Both those seasons ended in narrow losses in the Wild Card round but what the fans would give to have the opportunity to cheer on their team in the postseason this year now. The Super Bowl betting online markets certainly don’t feature the Titans very much these days.

But is there anything that can be done to change things around? The playoffs seem a very long way off at the moment but is there something that Brian Callahan can do to give the Titans faithful some hope – either for this season or the future? There is a very good chance that Tennessee will post another losing record this year and possibly go into next year with its highest draft pick for a long time. Just how can the Titans get better?

Improve Defense

Unlike some teams that find themselves in this position, the Titans have not lost games by too many points this season. There have been no blowouts aside from the week 8 debacle in Detroit – and that was to a Lions team that is proving to be one of the strong Super Bowl contenders this year.

But there have been too many losses (even at this relatively early stage). There are parts of the offense that can definitely improve but that will not help that much if the lack of defensive pressure shown so far continues. Opposing QBs need to feel rushed into making decisions and Callahan needs more from his defensive unit on this point.

Give Levis Time to Learn

It was good to see Will Levis return against the Chargers in week 10 after a three-week absence because of a shoulder injury. The second-year quarterback was perhaps unlucky not to come away with the win. He may have been sacked far too many times in that game but there is hope for the future with him calling the shots.

Levis looks like he is beginning to understand time management and possession in the NFL better and it is only more time on the field that will help with that. He is beginning to use the run game more frequently now and is also passing for touchdowns. There is no point in thinking of alternatives – Levis should be the number one now and the good news is that he will only get better with more games.

Stay Healthy

That last point about Levis missing three crucial weeks of play early on in the season is very important. The sorry truth is that this is not the greatest Tennessee Titans team of all time and it will have to battle to even post a winning record this season. But losing key personnel makes that task so much more difficult.

Levis absolutely needs to remain fit and healthy for the rest of the year if it is to be salvaged in any way. L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobie Awuzie would also make a huge difference if they were available to the head coach instead of struggling with injuries from week to week. There is not much room for absence with this roster and no-injury weeks are to be welcomed.

Stop the Penalties

This is another factor that exemplifies the feeling that there are already enough problems with these Titans without making it hard on ourselves. The coaches have to somehow get it through to certain players that giving penalties away is only ever going to be detrimental to the team.

The offensive line has enough trouble with finding a regular right tackle without Leroy Watson giving multiple penalties away and handing opportunities to opponents. We have already mentioned how the points differential for the Titans is not that bad considering the record. That makes it even more important not to give stupid penalties away.

Better Luck

There is an old sports adage that is regularly trotted that proclaims that losing teams just don’t get the luck they deserve. We are not ones to put the Titans performances and results down to fate or luck – but an argument could be made that there have been a number of occasions this season when calls have not gone our way.

When we say that the Titans need “better luck”, what we really mean is that we do not want those suspect calls to directly affect the score in a game. If the team is improving as a whole, it will not be in a position to lose a game thanks to one rogue decision. Get better and then “luck” will suddenly not seem as important.

Divisional Games

Going into week 12 of the season, there were still five divisional games to be played. Only a loss to the Colts in week six was already in the books and that provides a great opportunity for the Titans to begin to turn things around, albeit on a smaller scale than many fans would probably like.

We can assume that it will probably be the Texans who end up winning the division, and a Wild Card berth will not be going to any other teams. So, winning three of those games, at least, should be the priority of Brian Callahan. That would send a statement to the rest of the division and boost a flagging win total.

Plan for This Season – and Into the Next

Beating divisional rivals before the end of the season has already been covered but that is the only real light at the end of the tunnel factor for this Tennessee Titans team. The other games left in the season seem very difficult, even with the Bengals not looking like the contenders that many painted them to be in the offseason.

If Callahan does get those divisional wins, it will be a stepping stone into next season that can be taken. The AFC South is not the strongest, so momentum – and the chance to draft some high-level players – could be enough to begin something of a renaissance in Nashville.

By Chris Bates