The Tennessee Titans have had a dramatic couple weeks with the A.J. Brown trade and Ryan Tannehill's recent comments on mentorship. While he received undue flak over his thoughts about helping Malik Willis through the first year of his NFL career, outside noise is still outside noise.
The Titans have won the AFC South in both of the last two seasons, but that's obviously not enough for this franchise. Tennessee has suffered through two early postseason exits after its impressive AFC Championship run back during the 2019 season. While Brown is gone and there are questions about Tannehill, the Titans still picked up some intriguing weapons in the 2022 NFL Draft, which could give this team new life in 2022.
2022 opponents
Home
Houston Texans: The Titans have won four out of the last five against the Texans, which has finally given them a lead in the all-time series (22-18). Tennessee really struggled with this team in 2021, as the Titans lost in a rainstorm worthy of Noah's Ark in November, and then hung on for a 28-25 win in the regular-season finale. In that final matchup, rookie quarterback Davis Mills threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns, while Danny Amendola went off for 113 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Mills will get a chance to prove he's the franchise quarterback in 2022, and beating division rivals would be beneficial to his resume.
Indianapolis Colts: Another year, another quarterback for the Colts. Matt Ryan told CBS Sports he's rejuvenated by this change of scenery, however, and this team can certainly make the playoffs. They may be much better than the 9-8 team that got swept by Tennessee in 2021.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Titans have won the last five against the Jaguars, but they will be an interesting team to watch this season, as Doug Pederson is now in charge. Will Trevor Lawrence make a big jump forward in Year 2, or will this team remain in the basement of the NFL? This defense may be better than expected as well.
Denver Broncos: This Broncos roster has been ready to compete for a year or so, and now they finally have a starting quarterback. Watch out, Denver could be a Super Bowl contender if Russell Wilson is still a top 10 passer.
Las Vegas Raiders: Derek Carr and Davante Adams, the new dynamic duo in the west. The Raiders also made some nice additions on defense in Chandler Jones, Jayon Brown and Rock Ya-Sin. Expect second-year safety Trevon Moehrig to take a nice step forward as well.
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys went 12-5 last year and won the NFC East. They are a very solid team, but Titans fans will remember the 28-14 primetime beatdown they handed the Cowboys in Dallas back in 2018.
New York Giants: This will be the first game of the Titans' 2022 regular season. The Giants have a new front office, new head coach and new hope. They also had a great draft in which they selected arguably the top two players in the class in pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive lineman Evan Neal. Questions still surround Daniel Jones, but Brian Daboll knows how to get the most out of quarterbacks.
Cincinnati Bengals: A rematch from last year's postseason, where Tannehill threw three interceptions. Maybe this could be an opportunity for him to exorcise some demons, but the Bengals were the AFC champions for a reason, and now have a much better offensive line. I doubt Tennessee will register nine sacks again.
Away
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs: Titans vs. Chiefs has quietly evolved into a fun little rivalry, as the two teams have faced off three times over the last three seasons, including once in the AFC Championship game. Patrick Mahomes lost his top wideout in Tyreek Hill this offseason, but Kansas City went out and found an intriguing slot weapon in Skyy Moore in the draft. The Chiefs also paid plenty of attention to the defensive side of the ball this offseason, and could be even better there in 2022.
Los Angeles Chargers: It's unfortunate that the Titans have to face off against the AFC West this season, because it appears to be the best division in the NFL. The Chargers could win this division, as they have a young star quarterback in Justin Herbert, and a defense that has been completely revamped with the additions of Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles made the playoffs as a wild-card last year, and after the offseason they had, Philly could be in the postseason again. Howie Roseman drafted two of the best players from arguably the best defense in college football history, and of course swung a trade for Brown. All eyes around the NFL world will be on this matchup.
Washington Commanders: The Titans had no problem with Carson Wentz last season, but Washington appears to be higher on him than any other team in the NFL. The Commanders' ceiling hinges on his play, and I can guarantee you Mike Vrabel will be sending plenty of pressure when they meet up. Washington has won two of the last three against Tennessee, but the Titans won the last matchup back on Dec. 22, 2018.
Buffalo Bills: The Bills will be looking for revenge after last year's Monday night loss that came down to a goal-line stand -- and this rematch will take place on Monday night as well in Week 2. Buffalo is one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year, and for good reason. This offense is explosive, and defense stout.
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers did lose Davante Adams, but you can never rule this team out. Green Bay has won 13 games in three straight seasons. Plus, the Packers also beefed up the defense with two first-round picks both coming from the University of Georgia.
Full 2022 schedule
| Week | Opponent | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | vs. Giants | Sept. 11 | 4:25 p.m. | Fox |
2 | at Bills | Sept. 19 | 7:15 p.m. | ESPN |
3 | vs. Raiders | Sept. 25 | 1 p.m. | Fox |
4 | at Colts | Oct. 2 | 1 p.m. | Fox |
5 | at Commanders | Oct. 9 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
6 | BYE | -- | -- | -- |
7 | vs. Colts | Oct. 23 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
8 | at Texans | Oct. 30 | 4:05 p.m. | CBS |
9 | at Chiefs | Nov. 6 | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
10 | vs. Broncos | Nov. 13 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
11 | at Packers | Nov. 17 | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon Prime |
12 | vs. Bengals | Nov. 27 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
13 | at Eagles | Dec. 4 | 1 p.m. | Fox |
14 | vs. Jaguars | Dec. 11 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
15 | at Chargers | Dec. 18 | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
16 | vs. Texans | Dec. 24 | 1 p.m. | CBS |
17 | vs. Cowboys | Dec. 29 | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon Prime |
18 | at Jaguars | Jan. 8/9 | TBD | TBD |
