The Out Route

Say what you will, but the Titans are a fun team to keep an eye on right now. Left for dead early in the season and certainly DOA at the beginning of the season, Jeff Fisher's squad is turning itself around and looks not only like a spoiler the rest of the way, but a team to keep an eye on next year.

By beating two offseason Super Bowl hopefuls in a row, the Titans are clawing their way to relevancy. And they're entertaining in the process.

Vince Young is already as good of a passer as Michael Vick, if not better, and has this team believing it can win each week. They're a young team that probably doesn't understand the gravity of playing each week, and that's a good thing. With no pressure or expectations to live under, the Titans are free to go out each week and play ball. And they're looking pretty good in the process.

If this were the BCS (thank god it isn't) and perception played as big of a part in the standings as actual gameplay, I'd put the Titans at #2 in the AFC South, ahead of even Jacksonville. The Jaguars have been inconsistent and flighty, but the Titans are getting hot when it matters and can make a run at an 8-8 season. This, considering their offseason forecast, would be a miracle. Weeks ago Jeff Fisher looked like a coach that should update his resume. If the Titans can win out, he'll make a case for Coach of the Year. He won't win it, of course, because Sean Payton is practically a deity. But he'll make the case. And that's important.