2017 NFL Power Rankings: Where do Los Angeles Rams stand heading into Week 1 preseason?

(Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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12. Tennessee Titans

Don’t look now, but the Tennessee Titans appear ready to make the major leap in the AFC when it comes to going from pretenders to contenders, although they did fall just shy of winning the AFC South title a year ago. In just two seasons, Marcus Mariota has quickly established himself as a true leader for the Titans, and the best part is, the quarterback seems to be just scratching the surface of what should be a promising career.

Losing Mariota to a serious leg injury towards the end of last year was crushing for Tennessee, but the Titans quarterback has looked sharp enough in the offseason where it doesn’t seem like it’s a reason to be concerned. Plus, with Tennessee using this year’s draft to bring on Corey Davis along with the late addition of Eric Decker, Mariota is going to see a major difference in the passing game thanks to these new toys he has to play with.

After a decent start to the 2016 season, it was good to see the Titans finish the year on a strong note by winning five of their final seven games to finish with a 9-7 record. The Houston Texans aren’t going to make it easy for them, but don’t be surprised if Tennessee makes a strong push to win the division.