Atlanta Falcons recently made Arthur Smith an offer he couldn’t refuse, and he left the Tennessee Titans to become head coach at the Mercedes-Benz stadium. The former offensive coordinator had done such a good job at the Nissan Stadium that it was only a matter of time before he was snaffled up to lead a coaching team at another franchise. This is doubtlessly a good move for the Dirty Birds, but it could have a negative impact on the Titans’ chances this season.
Smith got the Best Out of the Titans Offence
When looking at the stats from Smith’s time at Tennessee, it’s easy to see why he is held in such high esteem. He was able to get the best out of star players Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill, who both had incredible campaigns in the NFL the last term. Henry managed to accrue the fifth-best total of rushing yards ever with 2,027. This made him only the eighth player in history to surpass 2000 yards over the course of a season.
Tennessee were averaging a healthy 30.7 points per game in the regular season, meaning they had the division’s fourth-best attack in this regard. In terms of rushing attacks, they were only bettered by the Baltimore Ravens. Smith has clearly had an incredible effect on the attack, but the 38-year-old has also proven skilled in other areas since taking the coaching job with the Titans. Over his tenure there since 2011, the former North Carolina guard has taken on various roles. These have included defensive quality control coach and tight ends coach.
What Does This Mean For Tennessee?
Tennessee had an exceptional season last time out, winning the AFC South division for the first time since 2008 and qualifying for the Playoffs. However, they were unable to capitalize on this progress and were dumped out in the Wild Card round. Despite the loss of Smith, there seems to be a structure in place at the franchise for them to push on and enjoy success in the 2021 season.
As usual, there is likely to be a flurry of betting surrounding the Titans’ hopes in the year ahead. The betting scene in the southeastern state is booming, and there are various sportsbooks online cropping up to cope with the number of bettors. For many, though, the old ones are the best. For example, players in the state are likely to try out Action 24/7 sportsbook, which is one of the oldest operators in the region. It provides odds for all the most popular sports including, of course, NFL.
In order to deal with the loss of Smith, head coach Mike Vrabel has decided to do what worked so well last time and promote his tight ends coach. Todd Downing will be the team’s new offensive coordinator, and he will be tasked with carrying on the great work started by his predecessor. Although the loss of Smith seems huge at the moment, the pieces are in place for Titans to push on and enjoy more success in 2021.
