Tennessee Titans Playoff Hopes Rooting Guide: Week 13 Edition

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 12:34 PM CST

Current AFC Standings:
1. Indianapolis Colts (11-0)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)
3. San Diego Chargers (8-3)
4. New England Patriots (7-4)
5. Denver Broncos (7-4)
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5)
7. Baltimore Ravens (6-5)
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
9. Miami Dolphins (5-6)
10. New York Jets (5-6)
11. Tennessee Titans (5-6)
1 2. Houston Texans (5-6)

Good news from last week: The Jags, Steelers, Dolphins, and Texans all lost, and we moved past the Texans for 11th place in the conference.

Bad news: The Jets and Broncos won.

This week's games, who to root for, and why, after the jump.

This week's Games:

NY Jets at Buffalo: Bills. We still feel guilty about Birdgate. That, and oh yeah, they can knock off the Jets for us, after the Panthers couldn't pull it off.

Detroit at Cincinnati: Meh. The Bengals currently have a 2-game lead on the division. As long as the Steelers and the Ravens lose, this game doesn't really matter. Why not root for Schwartz? Lions.

Tennessee at Indianapolis: Titans. Of course.

Houston at Jacksonville: Texans. This is one of the most important games of the week to our playoff chances. We currently have the same record as Houston, and are ahead of them in the standings based on tiebreakers. The Texans can pass us in the playoff hunt pretty much only if they win this week and we lose. If both Houston and Tennessee win, all 3 teams will have the same 6-6 record and will also be tied on the 1st tiebreaker. But we will win the 2nd tiebreaker, division record, and move ahead of both Houston and Jacksonville in the standings.

Denver at Kansas City: Chiefs. Come on, Chiefs! The Broncos need to lose at least 2, maybe 3, for us to pass them.

New England at Miami: Patriots. That was even harder to say then telling you to root for the Colts last week. But here's why you should root for the Evil Empire: The Patriots now have a pretty solid division lead, they're most likely not going anywhere - the Dolphins are the only team with a chance of taking it. But Miami lost last week, one more loss will put the Dolphins away. And it will let us move closer to the playoffs in the process.

Oakland at Pittsburgh: Raiders. Any given Sunday, right? Maybe the ferocity of our cheers will spur the Raiders to greater success, so root hard!

San Diego at Cleveland: Browns. San Diego would need to lose 1 more than Denver for us to pass San Diego. Since Denver has begun winning and we need to beat San Diego ourselves, might as well root for them both to lose.

Baltimore at Green Bay: Packers. Puts Baltimore in a tie with us, though they still will hold the tiebreaker. Plus, it's the Ravens. Rooting against them is only natural. Join me in drinking a nice, refreshing glass of Haterade.

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Comments

i'm rooting for you guys

cowboys fan here, but titans are my “afc team”
would love to see you make the playoffs

by holycowboy on Dec 3, 2009 1:08 PM CST reply actions

Thanks!

Do us a favor: BEAT SAN DIEGO.

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 1:16 PM CST up reply actions

Haterade!

I love it. I need to get me some of that.

by Titanfan on Dec 3, 2009 1:13 PM CST reply actions

gramsey makes the best bathtub haterade in the state.

Music City Miracles blogger and official Jon Bovi tour manager.

by August West on Dec 3, 2009 1:30 PM CST up reply actions

FRESH!

Official MCM Hater!

Vince Young Is A Quarterback.

Retire #9!

by gramsey712 on Dec 3, 2009 1:31 PM CST up reply actions

What's the secret ingredient?

Texan tears?

T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair

by T--Rac's Posse on Dec 3, 2009 1:45 PM CST up reply actions

That, and a lock of Merril Hoge's hair

by FaninEcuador on Dec 3, 2009 2:01 PM CST up reply actions

Fan in Ecuador.....

…where do you live? I’m in Ecuador every other summer (Guayaquil).

"Bite my shiny metal ass!" -- Bender Bending Rodriguez

"Life is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead."

by The Jade Scorpion on Dec 4, 2009 4:04 PM CST up reply actions

its damn hard to cheer for the pats

by vancouverTITAN on Dec 3, 2009 1:37 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Think of it as cheering AGAINST the Dolphins

That, and keep your therapist on speed-dial.

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 3:27 PM CST up reply actions

my most hated team

in any sport, ever.

by numbertenox on Dec 3, 2009 3:28 PM CST up reply actions

Still #2 to the Ravens, to me.

But it’s a very close call.

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 3:28 PM CST up reply actions

i hated ravens less

after departure of smarmy coach and addition of a few ex titans; don’t like them either though.

by numbertenox on Dec 3, 2009 3:29 PM CST up reply actions

Patriots for me

I’m not saying they’re our biggest rival, they’re just who I hate the most

T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair

by T--Rac's Posse on Dec 3, 2009 3:36 PM CST up reply actions

Seems like I'm the odd guy out...

I hate Colts the most, and the Ravens are a second in line. I despise Peyton so much, that I enjoy rooting for Brady. Not necessarily for the Pats, but Brady over Peyton.

by J3G77 on Dec 3, 2009 4:50 PM CST up reply actions

Colts are 3rd.

Mostly because of Peyton.

But it’s not really close.

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 5:02 PM CST up reply actions

+1

by mattd97 on Dec 3, 2009 11:38 PM CST up reply actions

j3g77

im right there wit you bro..i hate the colts but since im in texas i hate the cowboys a lil more so cowboys colts ravens then pats ..i root for brady just cause i hate manning

by TattedTI on Dec 4, 2009 11:26 AM CST up reply actions

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one..

I enjoy seeing Brady out-duel Peyton. I can always expect Peytons head hung, shoulders slumped, hands turned up – with that WTF just happened look on his face, and I love that.

by J3G77 on Dec 4, 2009 12:39 PM CST up reply actions

i hate them because they cheat

and nobody doesn’t seem to think that there should be a big frickin asterisk beside their superbowl victories.

by vancouverTITAN on Dec 3, 2009 5:27 PM CST up reply actions

Chargers...

we could root FOR them on the basis that they will rest their starters on xmas day to better allow us a victory. …in that they couldn’t improve their seeding, etc.

by oilertitan on Dec 3, 2009 5:37 PM CST reply actions

That was my theory last week

But people didn’t seem to like the “root for the division leaders to win, so they clinch and we don’t have to worry about them” plan.

by hartley on Dec 4, 2009 12:25 AM CST up reply actions

I'm on board with it

We arent catching the Chargers so lets embrace their success so they don’t play their starters

T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair

by T--Rac's Posse on Dec 4, 2009 2:04 AM CST up reply actions

go bolts

by TattedTI on Dec 4, 2009 11:27 AM CST up reply actions

i cannot root for the chargers,

but if they win i will not get in my time machine and try to fix it.

by numbertenox on Dec 4, 2009 7:06 PM CST up reply actions

good point

by madhjsp on Dec 3, 2009 5:58 PM CST reply actions

denver needs to lose 3

They have us on the conferece record tiebreaker

by oiler2titan on Dec 3, 2009 6:22 PM CST reply actions

Not necessarily.

It’s still possible for them to finish with a worse conference record than us.

We are 3-6 and will be 6-6 if we win out; they are currently 5-3, meaning they can finish 5-7.

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 10:42 PM CST up reply actions

Of course, in that case, they will have lost 4.

Making tiebreakers a moot point.

But it gets even crazier – assuming Denver loses 3, we lose an NFC game, and yet somehow we are still relevant to the playoff discussion – we could TIE conference records!

And if one of the 3 they lose is Indy, we would also tie the common games tiebreaker, sending it to the strength of victory tiebreaker, which I cannot calculate right now without making up a lot more numbers than just wins and losses.

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 10:47 PM CST up reply actions

do you realize

if the jets lose tonite…miami and jacksonville lose…we move from 11 to 8! hello!

by zero defects on Dec 3, 2009 7:02 PM CST reply actions

Yep

It would be awesome.

Make it 9th place, now that the Jets won again.

by hartley on Dec 3, 2009 10:32 PM CST up reply actions

assuming we win

which i do

by zero defects on Dec 3, 2009 7:03 PM CST reply actions

This little winning streak has been a blast, BUT...

knowing how good the team is this year…

and IF we lose and don’t make the playoffs…

Is Fisher to be blamed for squandering a potential elite team and should be let go?

This one's for you, #9.

by Drubaru on Dec 4, 2009 1:20 AM CST reply actions

No

T-Rac's Posse - T-Rac is one boss raccoon.
My personal Tribute to Air McNair

by T--Rac's Posse on Dec 4, 2009 2:05 AM CST up reply actions

Ridiculous, T-Rac

Just ridiculous.

"Bite my shiny metal ass!" -- Bender Bending Rodriguez

"Life is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead."

by The Jade Scorpion on Dec 4, 2009 3:38 PM CST up reply actions

if we finish 9-7(which has never happened)...

or better, then i would say give him another year. But only one, because when half this website could have made smarter roster moves earlier in the season than the titans did, something needs to change. Maybe its Mike, who knows? But this team being 0-6, THIS TEAM..0-6! Thats just pathetic. Maybe leave Fisher in and just let Bud the Birdman be GM.

by bull4real on Dec 4, 2009 4:54 AM CST up reply actions

I think Fisher shoulders a lot of the blame

for not getting corner depth or a returner. You could say that lead to at least 1-2 losses by itself.

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles even though gramsey hates it.

by Jimmy on Dec 4, 2009 2:50 PM CST up reply actions

agree

but I’m not in Jade’s camp. I won’t cry in my milk if he’s let go, but I don’t feel like screaming for it. He’s been coach for the team one year less than I’ve been married. Sure, there’s things he does that are infuriating and enoying, but I love her anyway. Hmmm, sorry got my wires crossed there.

by numbertenox on Dec 4, 2009 7:14 PM CST up reply actions

annoying

by numbertenox on Dec 4, 2009 7:15 PM CST up reply actions

swagger is what we need

a offense leader has to be the qb that leader has to have a swagger and needs to have fun .. i think AND I repeat i think (my opinion ) that titans went into this year ready as can be and collins went in with a contract extension for retirement just kinda went with the flow not really demanding kind of guy he provided no spark to get this season started.. VY the way he is playing has everybody on that team thinking they have a shot to win everygame .. with that said .. you look at this team across the board and give them that kinda of confidence it could be scary .. thats why i think theres been a 5-0 run since him coming back. he not only gets the offense excited but the defense is watching on the sideline watchin VY extend drives when collins was going 3 in out most of the time … that alone fires up a defense playing defense you get to that sideline hoping the offense scores cause you did your part but to sit down catch a breather and 3 plays later find out you gotta go back out there casue ur offense went 3 in out can be a bit of a downer as the game and season goes on .. so now you got a defense going out there feeling like we need to get the ball back so VY and CY can do something with it is good. i know ..i was there with all you guys after the boston massacaure saying we need a change but where jeff ,mike who ? but now that we have seen how this team is playing with vy and some defensive players back from injury .. i believe we just had some bad luck with injurys and collins lack of leadership in the huddle to the younger guys wasnt there thats what i believe caused the 0-6 start..but hey im just a fan i know what i read and see !who knows

by TattedTI on Dec 4, 2009 11:44 AM CST reply actions