NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With 14 of 16 games played for each team, knowing what we know now, the Titans have six games on their schedule they shouldn’t have lost or shouldn’t lose this season.

If they won/win all six, they’d have only had to split the remaining 10 for an 11-5 record and they’d have contended to the very end for the AFC South with the mark.

It doesn’t work like that of course.

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Scouting notes in advance of the Titans' big game Saturday against Washington at Nissan Stadium...

Washington is playing for its own playoff life this week. It is down to its fourth QB, but still has a chance.  

Its offense is suspect with journeyman Josh Johnson at quarterback. Johnson wasn’t even in the NFL a month ago. He does have experience playing in games in the NFL and has a unique skill set with good arm strength and is very athletic moving in the pocket. The limited experience in the offensive system will hold him and the offense back.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Adrian Peterson is having a very solid year.

He is the NFL’s seventh-leading rusher with 221 carries for 923 years with a 4.2-yard average and seven touchdowns.

Most coach speak would head the direction of Dean Pees, who said: “the guy’s still got it.”

So we must pause to appreciate a rare moment of real candor from an NFL head football coach talking about a 33-year old NFL running back, who’s been a God-send for Washington but is not exactly what he was 10 years ago.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Drafted by three different general managers, they made room for 62 players who took handoffs and protected 19 different quarterbacks.

So far.

For all the talk about wide receiver, the position the Titans have failed to figure out, there is a spot the franchise has nailed three times in a row. Perhaps no team has fielded back-to-back-to-back Pro-Bowl caliber left tackles the way the Oilers and Titans have.

They drafted Brad Hopkins in 1993, who overlapped for a year with Michael Roos in 2005 who was a teammatebof Taylor Lewan in 2014.

"That might be as good as it gets,” said Gil Brandt, the longtime Cowboys' executive who now writes for NFL.com and is Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist in the contributors' category.

“I think the three positions you want are QB, defensive right end and left tackle. I’m not sure who comes second and who comes third. But having a left tackle is a monumental help to your line.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The NFL’s scheduling formula only gives divisional foes two different games each season. Those two are based on the previous year’s finishes.

So the AFC South’s plays another AFC division, the East this year, and then the first-place team gets games against the first-place teams from the two other AFC divisions, the second-place team gets the second lace teams, and so on.

Often times, in the year-to-year changes of the NFL, those games may not reflect much of a reward for the bad team or punishment for the good teams.

But this year for the Titans and their closest foes, it has.

BY BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Scouting notes from the Titans 17-0 win over the Giants at MetLife Stadium....

A promising first drive by the Titans was halted by a Taywan Taylor third-down drop, a missed field goal by Ryan Succop and Derrick Henry being taken out of the game after runs of 10, 6 and 6 yards.

No reason to take Henry out and stop the momentum the run game was creating.

Excellent third-down pass by Marcus Mariota to Corey Davis. Great throw but a very good route and catch by Davis vs. tight coverage by Janoris Jenkins.

A combination of Derrick Henry creating yardage after contact and Mariota converting big passes on third down gave the early lead to the Titans. 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In Week 14,the Titans lost two starters on offense to injuries.

Indications are that in Week 15 it was the defense’s turn to lose key players.

The Titans are not expecting good news on cornerback Logan Ryan, who suffered a left ankle injury against the Giants, or outside linebacker Sharif Finch, who was carted off the MetLife Field with a shoulder injury. Both players could be lost for the remainder of the season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – With Mike Vrabel as the coach, the Titans wanted to move away from formulaic football and play more week to week. Instead of shoveling a nearly identical game plan into the furnace each week and spitting out a this-is-what-we-do effort, the franchise wanted to produce variation.

When it made Tom Brady look old and ineffective, it was genius. And when it made the Titans’ offensive line look confused as Marcus Mariota was sacked 11 times, it was insane.

But now, halfway through the final month of the regular season, the Titans do look to have settled into a formula. And it’s not Mike Mularkey football. It’s traditional, hard-to-get-away from December football. For Nashville purposes after a 17-0 cakewalk over the Giants, we’ll call it “Derrick and the defense.”