Titans Get Power Rankings Boost Despite Loss

The Tennessee Titans are moving up in the NFL power rankings despite struggling against the Indianapolis Colts.

Dec 22, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (85) makes a catch for a two-point conversion during a game against the Indianapolis Colt at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous/USA Today Network via Imagn Images / Christine Tannous/USA Today Network via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans are losers of four straight games and they have fallen to a dismal 3-12 record.

However, even when things are bleak, there's always a brighter side.

Sports Illustrated writer Conor Orr moved the Titans up from No. 30 to 28 in his weekly power rankings, two spots higher than the previous edition.

In Orr's story, he played the role of Santa Claus, giving each team a gift for the holiday season. For the Titans, he gifted them "a time machine to travel back to 2022 and stop the firings in subsequent years of Jon Robinson and Mike Vrabel."

Both Robinson and Vrabel didn't do enough to get the Titans to where they wanted to be, but they have produced far better results than the current regime with Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan.

The teams that ranked lower than the Titans were the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants. But the reason why the Titans moved up is probably because the four teams below them simply have worse outlooks.

The Jags lost to the Raiders in Week 16 before Las Vegas was on the path towards the No. 1 overall pick, so their recent struggles have led them to this spot.

This week, the Jags and Titans meet up for a second and final meeting between the rivals before each team rounds its season out in Week 18. The game will likely determine who sits on top of the other in the final power ranking of the season and, more importantly, which team will have the better position for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Both the Titans and Jaguars could be targeting similar players, so the game could have a long ripple effect in how the AFC South turns out over the next several years.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Titans Rookie Leaves Game vs. Colts
• Titans, Bengals Linked to Intriguing QB Trade
• Titans Could Lose Rising Star Wide Receiver to AFC Rival
• Titans Urged to Pursue Alabama Star QB Jalen Milroe
• Titans Insider Offers Surprising Will Levis Replacement Option