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Team History
The Tennessee Titans began playing long ago in the ‘60s as the Houston Oilers in the AFL. The franchise had most of its success in the AFL, winning three AFL East division titles and two AFL Championships. Those teams were led by the talents of quarterback George Blanda and running back Billy Cannon.
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After the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 the Oilers began two mostly forgettable decades. Running back Earl Campbell helped the team flirt with the championship in three consecutive appearances in from 1978 to 1980, but the team could not capitalize on Campbell’s skills and the team quickly sank to the bottom of the league again.
In the late ‘80s the team finally found a quarterback who could run the offense. Warren Moon was already a legend in the CFL, but now brought his immense talent to the NFL. The Oilers were one of the most successful teams in the AFC under his guidance from 1987 to 1993, making the playoffs every year.
After trading Moon in 1993, the team again struggled. However, the franchise found another franchise quarterback in Steve McNair in the 1995 draft. McNair developed over time and returned on his promising talent. The Oilers, then the Tennessee Titans, ended the 1999 season wit a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance. The Titans lost a close game to the Rams, with wide receiver Kevin Dyson’s tackled one yard from victory.
The Titans remained competitive, flirting with the Super Bowl on an almost yearly basis. Eventually, McNair took on too many injuries and the Titans let him go. They replaced him with a similarly mobile quarterback out of Texas, Vince Young.
2007 was a success in that Vince Young made it to the playoffs in his second year as quarterback. 2007 was a failure in the sense that Young threw 17 interceptions and 9 touchdowns. His performance leaves many questioning whether he will ever be a franchise quarterback. He has awful statistics for a quarterback, but he has produced wins and his mobility has won some of those games.
The Titans have tried to help Young this summer by signing tight end Alge Crumpler and receiver Justin Gage. The thought seems to be that he may not have the weapons necessary to develop his passing skills. The team will also try to improve its defensive line and linebackers to alleviate some of the pressure put on the offense. The Titans hope the 2008 draft and their 24th pick can help the team become a perennial playoff team.