No team in NFL history has ever started a season 0-6 and still made the playoffs. This is fact. To do so would require a team to win 9 or, more likely, all 10 of your final games. Impossible right?
Well, tell that to Chris Johnson.
Earlier this week, Chris Johnson had this to say: “We really believe like we can … like we started off 10-0 last year … before we played Jacksonville, we sat down and was like we really feel like we can go 10-0 in these last ten games.”
As expected, the media is eating this up. People are ranting and raving the impossibility of finishing 10-0, but with a healthy defense, a nasty running game, and a guy named VY willing to put it on the line to save his job, is winning 9 games really that hard to imagine?
In case you were wondering, here’s a breakdown of the upcoming games:
Nov 8 - @ San Francisco - Good 49er’s team facing a lot of injuries, particularly on the O-line. I think the defense can put enough pressure on Smith to put this on in the bag.
Nov 15 - Buffalo - Replay of the Hall of Fame game? You may not be able to pass on Buffalo, but you can definitely run the ball on them. Ask Ryan Moats.
Nov 23 - @ Houston - Tough Monday night game in Houston. Still a very dangerous offense, but losing Owen Daniels should make things easier. I think the secondary works out the issues this time around.
Nov 29 - Arizona - You never know which team is gonna show up. The Cards can play some nasty run D, but I think we can keep Warner and Fitzy in check.
Dec 6 - @ Indianapolis - Without a doubt the toughest game left. If TN can control the clock and keeping Manning off the field, things could be more like the Code Blue game of last season. Also, Bob Sanders is out for the season. That can only help.
Dec 13 - St. Louis - If you stop Jackson, then there’s not too much to worry about. Thankfully his offensive line has no ambition of helping him out.
Dec 20 - Miami - Wildcat! Rawr! Stop the run, stop the dolphins. That’s something we can do pretty well when we decide to play ball. Should be a fun, hard-nosed game.
Dec 25 - San Diego - All I want for Christmas is to see Tony Brown crushing Phillip Rivers for 4 straight quarters (assuming he doesn’t leave early with an injury). This team hates the Chargers.
Jan 3 - @ Seattle - I hope Hasselbeck hasn’t broken every bone in his body by the time 2010 comes around. His o-line doesn’t block well, and when our front 4 can get pressure we’re an awfully stout team.
Of course, this all hypothetical. It could all go south and any point, and that’s all she wrote. But for now, I’m gonna side with Mr. Johnson. If he didn’t feel that they can win the next 9 games, then I wouldn’t want to be a Titans fan. And you know, it wouldn’t be the first time this team has gone 10-0.
