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Ahead of Ravens-Titans: Precision, eyes, Adam Humphries, Ben Powers and Arthur Smith

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As I’ve contemplated the Ravens-Titans’ Wild Card game Sunday, I’ve thought a good deal about last year’s games.

Many like to downplay Ryan Tannehill’s role, but without two perfect throws early on, Tennessee never could have pulled the upset at M&T Bank Stadium.

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His placement on a first-quarter sprawling touchdown catch by Jonnu Smith (12 yards) and a diving early second-quarter 45-yard Kalif Raymond touchdown shaped the entire game.

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How hit-avoidance factors into Derrick Henry's durability

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As he’s taken 764 handoffs in his last 34 games, Derrick Henry has amassed 3,532 yards.

A giant man at 6-foot-3, 247-pounds, he provides a lot of target.

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Photo: Alison McNabb/ Tennessee Titans

While he took a handful of big shots in his 2K season, they’ve been infrequent. Josey Jewell got him opening night in Denver. DeShon Elliott of the Ravens smashed him in the chin and left him on his knees, slow to get up back in Week 11, perhaps the most memorable hit against him of his career.

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Derrick Henry was paired with the best quarterbacking of any 2000-yard rusher

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Before Sunday, six of the NFL’s seven 2,000-yard rushers had unsurprisingly carried their teams, doing the bulk of the heavy lifting.

The first, O.J. Simpson, was of a far different era.

He got just seven touchdown passes of help from the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback Joe Ferguson in a 14-game season, and the team’s QBs averaged only 88.3 passing yards a game over the historic season while he ran for 143.1.

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When Derrick Henry’s 250-yard game in Houston pushed him to 2,027 for the year, it came paired with the best touchdown total, the lowest interception mark, the highest completion percentage, the most yardage and the most passing yards for any 2K running backs quarterback or quarterbacks.

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Scout's Take: Unsettling signs in Titans' division clincher

Scout's Take: Unsettling signs in Titans' division clincher

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Does the ending of the Texans’ game energize the Titans team heading into the playoffs or do they come to the realization they had to go toe-to-toe with the third-worst team in the NFL?

I didn’t see a lot of quit in the Texans this week, but I also didn’t see a lot of talent.

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The Texans’ roster has been depleted through poor drafting and even worse trades.

Just like watching Matthew Stafford, I struggle watching top tier quarterback like Deshaun Watson playing with suspect talent.

Watson gave the Titans’ defense everything they could handle.

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With too much tension, Titans get their AFC South crown and more

With too much tension, Titans get their AFC South crown and more

HOUSTON – That awful Titans’ defense created a spectacularly tense and compelling football game at NRG Stadium late Sunday afternoon.

It looked fated for overtime despite the offenses’ best efforts but then it found one more play, a terrific 52-yard Ryan Tannehill to A.J. Brown bomb that set up a game-winning field goal as time expired on a 41-38 thriller.HenryHOUscoreboard2020

A fan of drama, I certainly didn’t think the Titans would have enjoyed the part where they coughed up a 24-9 lead.

But I did wonder if, in the back-and-forth of the moment when the Texans took a lead, the Titans took it back and Houston pulled even before Tennessee won it, if there was some fun to being in the middle of the tautness.

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Scout's Take: Titans' strategies for limiting Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt

Scout's Take: Titans' strategies for limiting Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The right result in the early window can get the Titans a playoff spot, and a Colts’ loss can clinch them the division.TexansHatch

But they are talking and thinking about winning in Houston and winning the AFC South.

Now comes the hard part: Actually doing it.

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The layers of meaning to the Titans' lack of sacks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With their anemic pass rush, the Titans haven’t only failed to stall opposing drives this season with sacks that create difficult down and distances for opponents, they’ve regularly failed to introduce doubt and instill fear in the quarterbacks they’ve faced.

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This is not a team of Al Davis’ disciples.

“I think back when he said that, you probably could do it in a manner that probably would have a lasting effect,” Mike Vrabel said when I asked him about the Hall of Famer’s philosophy. “I don't think that the rules are such now. These guys are big players, and again I would say pressuring them is critical. I think affecting the quarterback is critical.

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Titans ought to take the ball to start games when they can

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans have only won the coin toss a third of the time so far this season, but each time they have elected to defer.

While I understand the philosophy behind the choice and the desire to sandwich two scores and no opponent possession around halftime, it’s not been taking that shape for the Titans.

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In Green Bay, the Titans win the toss when Kevin Byard called tails, they deferred, and the Packers engineered an easy touchdown drive to open the game.

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