Smoky Mountain Blues | A Tennessee Titans Dynasty (Madden 15)

[Letalis]

A Madden 15 Franchise



Game Info:
Team - Tennessee Titans
Game - Madden 15 Xbox One
Mode - Coach
Difficulty - All Madden
Sliders - JoshC1977's Sliders
Penalty Sliders - JoshC1977's Sliders
Salary Cap - On
Quarter Length - 12 Minutes
Accelerated Clock - 15 Seconds
Ball Hawk - Off
Heat Seeker - Off
Defensive Graphics - Off
Rosters - Standard

I will be simulating the first season as the owner of the Titans. After the end of the season (before the off-season), I will retire and start the career as a new coach character.

[Letalis]

2014/2015 NFL Season Recap

2014/2015 Super Bowl Winner:
Houston Texans (30 - 27 victory over San Francisco 49ers)

2014/2015 MVP:
Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (15-1-0)

2014/2015 Offensive Player Of The Year:
AFC:Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
NFC:Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

2014/2015 Defensive Player Of The Year:
AFC: Derrick Johnson, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
NFC: Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers

2014/2015 Offensive Rookie Of The Year:
AFC: Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns
NFC: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2014/2015 Defensive Rookie Of The Year:
AFC: Ryan Shazier, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC: Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Green Bay Packers

2014/2015 Coach Of The Year:
Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs (15-1-0)

[Letalis]

Tennessee Titans: A Season In Review

The Tennessee Titans finished the year with a lot more questions than answers. Their 3-13-0 record and last place in the AFC South offer no hiding places but there are some bright spots in all this gloom. The Titans might have a new quarterback of the future, they had a better defense than people gave them credit for and there are some young building blocks on both sides of the ball.

The team started off the year with Jake Locker under center and Shonn Greene as the starting running back, both of these would be different by the end of the season. Greene was pulled in week 8 for rookie Bishop Sankey, who struggled behind an offensive line with some glaring holes.

Locker lasted a little longer, remaining the starter until after his 10th game but he made way for 6th round pick Zach Mettenberger. Whilst Mettenberger didn't set the league on fire with his play he was a significant improvement on Locker and managed to go 3-3-0 as a starter. The flashes from Mettenberger were enough to give the coaching staff hope that he may carry on next season and beyond as the starting quarterback.

Between a lackluster Locker and a rookie the passing game struggled all season with no receiver managing to pick up over 700 yards. The most consistent member of the receiving corps was tight end Craig Stevens who led the team with 70 catches. Second year receiver Justin Hunter came on strong near the end of the year, leading the team with 4 receiving touchdowns. Kendall Wright suffered through nagging injury issues that limited his playing time and his effectiveness.

On defense the stand out player was linebacker Wesley Woodyard who led the team in both tackles and interceptions, taking advantage of good coverage over the middle. Both Akeem Ayers and Jurrell Casey managed quite well getting to opposing quarterbacks but as a whole the team was not able to generate anywhere near enough pressure and the turnovers suffered as a result.

The less said about the Titans' special teams the better really, apart from some good return work by specialist Marc Mariani, the team suffered from poor play all year, losing some close games by virtue of a shanked punt or missed field goal.

Overall the Titans go into the off-season with questions about almost every aspect of the ball. They are a team that is in desperate need of some direction, else they could find themselves at the bottom of the pile for a long time to come. Hopefully with the 2nd pick of the draft and pieces like Mettenberger and Sankey the team is able to pick themselves up and forge ahead.

[Letalis]

Whisenhunt Fired, Rookie Coach Appointed

The Tennessee Titans announced today that they have fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt's first and last season with the Titans ended with a 3-13-0 record and no clear direction for the team. The team also announced Whisenhunt's surprising replacement, a rookie head coach Robert Stock. After the Super Bowl success of Bill O'Brien teams are lining up to give new blood a turn at the reins.

Stock started off as offensive coordinator for Northwest Missouri State, one of the most successful Division II colleges in recent memory. After leaving there Stock moved between a few different Division I teams as an offensive coordinator but he has long been pegged as a rising star in college coaching circles. The fact that the Titans turned to Stock,a big personality despite his lack of head coaching experience, shows that the organization is looking for a coach to completely renovate the team and provide direction going forwards, not merely fight for a few more wins.

Stock's offensive coordinator and assistant head coach will be Doug Nussmeier, the former NFL QB and Alabama offensive coordinator was instrumental in the success of Michigan this year and he will tasked with whipping the league's worst offense into shape. The new defensive coordinator, charged with taking the defense to the top of the league, will be Ilaisa Tuiaki, the former Utah defensive line coach and Oregon State linebackers coach. Tuiaki has been described as a great talent and he was nominated for the Broyles award for best assistant coach in 2013 after his defensive line unit lead the nation in sacks.

[Letalis]

The Titans Biggest Questions Going Into The Off-Season

The Tennessee Titans have a new coach, a new playbook and a new vision, but they also still have a lot of questions at key positions. After the team announced the release of Jake Locker and Michael Roos this week it is clear that the team want to give some of the younger players a chance but are they up for it. Most importantly of all, is Zach Mettenberger the signal caller of the future?

Let's address that last question first. It is entirely possible that Mettenberger is the team's answer at quarterback moving forwards, he showed a lot of maturity and talent in his 6 games last season. The most likely scenario, now that the team has released Locker, is that they sign a veteran to mentor the young quarterback. However the team could still look to the draft for their quarterback, after all this isn't the coaching team that selected Mettenberger in the 6th round last year.

Another big question for the team is the offensive line, Taylor Lewan had a decent year at right tackle last season but only time will tell if he is ready to move over to the blind side now that Michael Roos has left town. The Titans also need to address center desperately, it was their biggest hole last season and they suffered at the hands of any competent defensive tackle. Tennessee may wait until the draft though if they do not feel that there is enough value in free agency.

Finally the team need to address the pass rush. Jurrell Casey was franchise tagged to keep the interior of the defensive line together and Karl Klug and Akeem Ayers were both re-signed but the team will lose Derrick Morgan to free agency and they will need to find a way to generate more pressure off the pass rush to disrupt the opposing quarterback and help out their secondary.

[Letalis]

Free Agency Recap: Week 1

The Tennessee Titans started free agency off with a trade, not a signing, as they moved often-injured tight end Delanie Walker to the Buffalo Bills for a 3rd round pick. Walker was fairly anonymous last season as Craig Stevens took over the starting tight end duties.

The Titans also announced that they have signed running back Roy Helu Jr to a 2 year deal, worth around $1 million per year. This is a good pick-up of one of the league's best pass-catching running backs and with Bishop Sankey and Shonn Greene already on the roster this lets Helu focus more on 3rd down and passing situations where he will be most effective.

The Titans will be having work outs with center Ryan Kalil this week after the 4 time Pro-Bowl player was released by the Carolina Panthers. Center is a position of real need for the Titans and this would help to strengthen a now potentially very good offensive line. The Titans will also be hosting punter Dave Zastudil and kicker Mike Nugent in an effort to reboot their dire special teams.

[weddlesbeard]

Nice start, and a good interesting rebuild project. Following.

Curious to see what the QB situation looks life post-draft both here and in real life.

[Letalis]

Free Agency Recap: Week 2

Week 2 of free agency kicked off with a bang when the Titans revealed their biggest signing, center Ryan Kalil. Kalil was signed to a 6 year deal worth a reported $38.1 million with $14.2 million in signing bonuses. This signing transforms the offensive line for Tennessee and will allow young players like Chance Warmack and Taylor Lewan to learn from one of the best linemen in the business.

It is often said that a good center is one of the best things that a young quarterback can have and the other is a dependable pass catching tight-end, often called a quarterback's security blanket. Zach Mettenberger leaned on Craig Stevens heavily in his 6 starts last year and the Titans have added another option with tight end Rob Housler who signed a 3 year deal this week.

Tennessee also added some depth on defense with outside linebacker Spencer Paysinger, who was an undrafted free agent playing for the New York Giants for the last few season. Paysinger will be used in rotation with the existing outside linebackers to help provide some pass rushing help to the front 4. The Titans also announced a 1 year deal for punter Dave Zastudil.