Let's be honest. If we polled 1,000 casual football fans in non NFL cities...and asked them who is the team they know the least about...I'm willing to bet the Titans would be unanimously mentioned in the top three, if not number one.
It's simple math.
Small market city + 0 marketable superstars + 0 playoff appearances in over five years = you're buried in the noon time slot every week....and don't even think about asking for a prime time slot.
Although Tennesseans are relatively new to professional football, it's SEC roots go back generations. It's a football savvy town...so they get it. They just set their schedules around the noon games each Sunday. Nobody cares about professional Tennessee football but them, and they're perfectly ok with that.
Case in point....
Last week, the Titans not only spanked Vegas as underdogs, but they thoroughly dominated a playoff team from a year ago. An opponent that...at one point...won 9 straight games last year. Tennessee's offense, which was one of the best in the league during the preseason, put up 26 points and over 400 yards of total offense.
They dominated time of possession, and forced Chiefs qb Alex Smith into 3 interceptions. Something he hasn't done in five years. To put the proverbial cherry on top...the defense...which was abysmal during the preseason...shut down one of the most explosive offensive weapons in the league in Jamaal Charles.
Few noticed...and fewer cared. As a Dallas resident, I surfed one sports channel after another, only to find mere snippets of the Titans victory.
But that will all change this week.
Yes...the Titans still play at noon this Sunday, but their opponent will thrust them into the national spotlight....for better or worse.
Yep...it's Cowboys week.
No matter the record...who they play...or where they play...the Dallas Cowboys will be the lead story when the post game highlights kick off. Coincidentally, so will the Titans.
Last week Tennessee was overlooked by the national pundits, but all of the heavyweight journalists that cover the league will be in downtown Nashville this Sunday. That's great for my hometown by the way. They will certainly enjoy the country cuisine.
But I digress.
Tennessee has an opportunity to reintroduce themselves to the league this Sunday.
Let's do the math.
Victory over America's team, + 2-0 start, = national pundits giving your new attitude team a garner of respect. Plenty of cities that do not have NFL teams nearby get the Cowboys game each week. It was the same in Nashville prior to the Titans arrival.
With little national exposure this season, Tennessee can leave a first..but lasting impression on the casual fan with a victory over Dallas. A loss, and well.....at least they're in the lead highlights for a day or two.
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