Tennessee Titans

After a three-year absence, the Tennessee Titans returned to the postseason last year, going 10-6 in the regular season before losing out in San Diego in an AFC wild-card game. And while Tennessee was and remains a very good defensive team, QB Vince Young has not progressed as a pro passer, which is keeping the Titans offense too dependent upon the running game. The football odds will not shorten on Tennessee until the Titans see a return to quarterback productivity of the caliber they enjoyed under Steve McNair.

Tennessee won ugly several times last year, coming out on top four times while scoring fewer than 17 points. And while winning four more games than they lost, the Titans only outscored their opponents by a total of four points on the season.

Tennessee ranked just 21^st in total offense last year at 312 YPG, but fifth in rushing at 132 YPG. On the other side of the ball, the Titans ranked fifth both in total defense at 292 YPG and vs. the run at 92 YPG. Add it up, and Tennessee ranked 12^th in the league last year in total yardage at +20 YPG, and third in time-of-possession at +4:14 per game.

The Titans went 8-8 vs. the NFL betting lines last year, while the totals went a lopsided 5-10-1, as Tennessee games averaged just 37 total points per game.

Young was limited last year by a quad injury, and while he hit on 62% of his passes last year, he managed just a 9/17 TD/INT ratio and a 71.1 passing rating. And his 6.7 yards-per-attempt ranked near the bottom among starting NFL QBs. Also, the Titans ranked dead last in the league in red-zone efficiency.

LenDale White ran for 1,100 yards last season, but it took him 300 carries to do it. And the receiving corps remains devoid of a serious deep/speed threat, even after adding WR Justin McCareins and TE Alge Crumpler over the offseason. Defensively, the Titans have one of the best run-stoppers in the league in DT Albert Haynesworth, and they brought back DE Jevon Kearse. And the back seven ranks among the best in the league.

Young is one of those QBs whose numbers alone don't tell the whole story. The former Texas Longhorn owns a career 21/30 TD/INT ratio, but is 17-11 as an NFL starter. Yet to lead this team beyond where its been – which is to say, to the conference championship game – Young must improve his passing skills.

Tennessee has advanced from four wins in 2005 to eight in '06 to 10 last year. But that trend may be tough to extend this year, playing the fourth-toughest schedule this time around.