Ryan Tannehill has saved the Tennessee Titans’ season

Mike Vrabel made the important decision of benching Mariota for Ryan Tannehill, hoping for a spark. Now, the Titans are one of the hottest teams in the NFL.

Remember October? Well, October 13th, to be precise. The Tennessee Titans had just come off a debilitating 20-0 loss to the Denver Broncos.

In that game, it was a continuation of what had been for the Titans: bad o-line, head-scratching play-calling, and in consequence, an inept offense. Franchise QB Marcus Mariota threw two picks and looked like he had lacked confidence in the pocket.

So, the day came. The Titans seemed fed up with the offense’s lack of production when led by Mariota, so he was sent to the bench for Ryan Tannehill. Two days later, head coach Mike Vrabel made a big decision that he hoped would spark his Titans by announcing Ryan Tannehill as the starter going forward.

Tannehill was acquired by the Titans in the offseason via trade to possibly come in as relief to a quarterback that was often injured in his career. However, we don’t know if the Titans expected to bring him in in relief for a healthy Mariota. When this decision was made, Vrabel was ridiculed by the fans.

Yet here we are, six games later, and Tannehill has 12 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, with 1,458 yards. Tannehill and Derrick Henry has made this offense a legitimate top-five offense in the span of week seven until now. The Titans have had three consecutive 30+ scoring games, which is the first time that’s happened since 2016.

Poor Mike Vrabel received a lot of backlash for benching Mariota, but his decision may have saved the Titans season from ending in turmoil. When the Titans were sitting at 2-4, it was difficult to envision any kind of playoff run, especially with a tough schedule ahead following the tragic Broncos game.

To everyone’s surprise, the Titans ended up winning five of their next six and sit at 7-5. Now, they are in prime position to win the division and make the playoffs. Their remaining games in the season are:

@ Oakland

vs. Houston

vs. New Orleans

@ Houston

The Titans will likely need to win at least one vs. Oakland or New Orleans and sweep Houston to take the division. That ending would give them a 10-6 record, the AFC South, and a playoff berth.

What seemed like a long shot in October has become a real possibility in December. Can you believe that?