So maybe it’s time to assume Mike Vrabel just knows what he’s doing.

When the Titans started the season 0-2, that didn’t necessarily appear to be the case. A close loss to the Giants (which looked much worse at the time than it does now) and a 41-7 dismantling at the hands of the Bills had some wondering whether Tennessee had fallen off entirely. The season already appeared lost — only 10% of teams that start 0-2 end up making the playoffs.

But since that start, the Titans are 7-1 with their only loss coming on the road against the Chiefs 20-17. This is despite losing their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to injury for a couple of weeks. So what’s fueling the run? 

Defense, defense, defense. 

The Titans have held opponents to 17 points or fewer in 6 of their last 8 games and have held up well against some of the best offenses in football. Combined with a methodical, clock-controlling offense led by professional bulldozer Derrick Henry, Tennessee has a strong formula to grind out wins.

A home game against the dangerous Bengals should be an interesting test, but the Titans have been passing those with flying colors in recent weeks.

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