Countdown to Kickoff: 20 Days

Things have never been worse for the Titans during their years in Tennessee than the 20 losses (in 23 games) under coach Ken Whisenhunt.

The countdown to kickoff continues.

The Tennessee Titans will open the 2020 regular season Sept. 14 at Denver. That is 20 days away. So, today we look at one way the number 20 figures into the team’s recent history.

Perhaps it is true that you must hit rock bottom before you can get back up.

For the Tennessee Titans, that moment was in 2014 and 2015 when they lost 20 games under coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Of course, Whisenhunt was in charge for just 23 contests. The decision to fire him seven weeks into the 2015 season – the only time since the franchise relocated to Tennessee that it changed coaches in mid-season – was, without a doubt, a turning point.

Mike Mularkey finished that year as interim coach and then held the job for two more, during which he brought stability and a measure of success (two 9-7 seasons, one playoff win). Mike Vrabel replaced Mularkey following the 2017 season and – for the most part – has kept things moving in the right direction as evidenced by last season’s march to the AFC Championship game.

How long ago the Whisenhunt era now seems. In those 23 games, the Titans were outscored 597-379 (on average, opponents outscored them by 9.5 points per game). Twelve of the 20 defeats were by 14 points or more and both seasons ended with Tennessee tied for the NFL’s worst record.

The funny thing is, Whisenhunt’s time with Tennessee included moments of actual optimism. It started with his hiring, which felt like a coup given that most experts expected he would go to Detroit, a team that also looked for a new coach in 2014.

Both seasons started with decisive victories, 26-10 over Kansas City in 2014 and 42-14 over Tampa Bay in 2015. Those highs were short-lived, however. Whisenhunt’s first season included just one more victory and the triumph at Tampa Bay to start his second was followed by six straight defeats – and the decision to make a change.

Since then, things have gotten better.