Tennessee

3 ways Tennessee Titans can thrive like the Chiefs (other than cloning Patrick Mahomes)

Published

6 months ago

February 12, 2024

3 ways Tennessee Titans can thrive like the Chiefs (other than cloning Patrick Mahomes)

Let’s avoid the obvious here.

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions for the third time in five years, and the answers to “how” and “why” are pretty obvious: The Chiefs have quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the rest of the league doesn’t. Mahomes is the gold standard, the catalyst, the star-maker. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is the suffocating kind of great who lost the capacity to surprise any opponent with his talents half-a-decade ago but still manages to bewilder any time he steps on the field.

For a team like the Tennessee Titans, playing in the AFC in the shadow of Mahomes’ dominance can feel like a curse. No team can out-Mahomes the Chiefs. But while the blueprint for the Chiefs’ dynasty centers around Mahomes, it doesn’t end there.

Here are three lessons the Titans can learn from Kansas City, other than of “just have Mahomes.”

Don’t worry about making an offseason about one thing

After losing the Super Bowl to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers amid offensive line injuries and struggles, the Chiefs spent the 2021 offseason fortifying the front. They signed All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and drafted guard Trey Smith and Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey, ensuring Mahomes wouldn’t need to worry about protection again.

After losing the AFC Championship game to quarterback Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals’ high-flying pass attack the next year, the Chiefs spent the 2022 offseason rebuilding their secondary. They signed safety Justin Reid and drafted five defensive backs, including All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. In two seasons, the Chiefs went from No. 26 in yards allowed per pass play to No. 3.

Sometimes turning one weakness into a strength is more valuable than trying to plug leaks across the entire roster. Sure, it’s easier to do that when you already have a strong roster than when you’re at the beginning of a rebuild. But there’s clearly something to the idea of picking one concern and eliminating all doubt about it.

It’s time to reevaluate the offensive identity

Here are quick fact that illustrates to what degree the NFL has become a passing league: The NFL has put out a player-ranked list of the 100 best players in the league every offseason since 2011. There are 33 running backs who’ve ever ranked in the top 50. Only two went on to win a Super Bowl the season after earning that honor: Ray Rice in 2012 and Marshawn Lynch in 2013.

It’s been more than a decade since one of the NFL’s best running backs won a Super Bowl. No player who’s even finished in the top-five in rushing has won a Super Bowl that year since 2004. In the years the Chiefs won their three Super Bowls, their leading rusher has ranked No. 18, No. 25 and No. 39 in rush yards.

There’s obviously still a place in the league for running backs. Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers were a blocked extra point away from rendering this trend obsolete Sunday. But as the Titans enter into a new era, their 25-year identity as a run-first team needs to be reevaluated, whether that means favoring more of a running-back-by-committee approach or deemphasizing the run entirely.

ESTES: The Tennessee Titans sure are trying hard to make you like Ran Carthon

Replace, but also rebuild

The Chiefs haven’t been immune to roster turnover as they’ve built their dynasty. Stars like Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu, Orlando Brown Jr., and Frank Clark have all moved on or been moved on from. And while there have been some instances where the Chiefs replaced a player with a comparable talent, like Mathieu for Reid, there are just as many instances where Kansas City used a departure to rethink their roster.

Instead of replacing Hill with another top-tier receiver, the Chiefs recast their offense as a more efficient, short- and intermediate-pass heavy attack. Instead of panicking about Mahomes’ blind side without Brown, the Chiefs signed a high-price right tackle instead and reconfigured the line to get more players in optimal positions. Without Clark’s consistency off the edge, the Chiefs went from blitzing on 24.2% of defensive snaps in 2022 to blitzing 32.9% of the time in 2023.

There’s no one way to win. The Chiefs seem less concerned with getting better “the Chiefs way” than they do with getting better by any means possible. The Chiefs don’t need to reinvent themselves, which makes the fact that they keep finding small ways to do just that even more inspiring.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

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Tennessee

Don't miss out! Tax-free weekend begins in Tennessee – WBBJ TV

Published

3 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Don't miss out! Tax-free weekend begins in Tennessee – WBBJ TV

JACKSON, Tenn. — Shoppers are out and about gathering some needed resources.

Tax-free weekend began at 12:01 this morning for eligible items, and shoppers are already taking advantage of the discounts.

The sales tax holiday is broken up into three major categories: clothing, school supplies, and computers.

The tax holiday is honored in store and online.

“Our tax rate here in Jackson, it’s 9.75% so come on in and get some great deals. We got a lot of things on sale, a lot of things 25% off. Even the clearance, it’s still tax free on the clearance, so you can double dip there and get a great deal on top of a great deal,” said Steve Johnson, store director of Academy Sports and Outdoors.

This tax-free weekend will last until Sunday night, .

For more Tennessee news, click here.

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Tennessee

Former Titans QB Addresses Will Levis Situation

Published

10 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Former Titans QB Addresses Will Levis Situation

The Tennessee Titans quarterback room looks a little different this season without Ryan Tannehill, who is not on the roster for the first time since 2019.

Tannehill, who turns 36 this weekend, saw his contract expire at the end of the 2023 season and was not offered a new one after the team signed Mason Rudolph and had Will Levis taken in the second round of last year’s NFL Draft.

While Tannehill’s career in Tennessee is over partially due to Levis, the veteran wishes the young signal caller nothing but the best.

“He’s a very talented guy. He’s big, he’s physical, he’s got a great arm, and did some great things when he got in there last year. We’ll see what happens and I wish him nothing but the best,” Tannehill told NFL insider Dianna Russini.

Last year, Tannehill struggled for the Titans to begin the season and the team was just 2-4 before ultimately deciding to make a switch to Levis, something the veteran wasn’t thrilled about.

“I’m not going to say it’s a fun place to be. A lot of people have been through it. It’s nothing new. It’s part of the business and we had a good relationship, right? There was nothing, no animosity or anything. I don’t have hard feelings against Will [Levis]. He’s trying to chase his dream just like I was coming out of college too,” Tannehill said.

The switch at quarterback was definitely a “passing of the torch” in some ways. Tannehill was supposed to be a backup in Tennessee and nothing more. Instead, when he was thrust into the starting lineup in 2019, he turned it into five seasons as the franchise guy in Tennessee, earning him another major contract in his 30’s. He led the Titans to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, including the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2021.

The Titans can only hope Levis has a similar level of success that Tannehill had.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Kamala Harris’ ‘secret weapon’? What to know about AKA, the Divine Nine and their chapters in Tennessee

Published

17 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Kamala Harris’ ‘secret weapon’? What to know about AKA, the Divine Nine and their chapters in Tennessee

With President Joe Biden now out of the 2024 Presidential Election, the spotlight is now on Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris’ campaign has seen a wave of support pour in since Biden announced he would not seek re-election on Sunday. From celebrities like Beyoncé to Mark Hamill to Demi Lovato to George Clooney, many are showing their outright support for the expected Democratic nominee. Along with celebrities, members of historically Black fraternities and sororities, known as the Divine Nine, are showing support through donations and campaigns for Harris.

Here is what to know about the prestigious organization.

Support for Kamala Harris from Black fraternities and sororities

While Harris’ success so far in campaign fund raising cannot entirely be attributed to Black fraternity and sorority members, they contributed in a major way. Over 44,000 people joined a Sunday video call hosted by a group called Win With Black Women, which lasted well past midnight and, according to the organizers, netted more than $1.5 million for the Harris campaign.

Harris joined AKA in the 1980s when she attended Howard and their mutual support has continued ever since. Harris’ AKA sisters have long rallied around her, once referred to by the New York Times as her “secret weapon.”

According to the sorority’s website, it boasts more than 360,000 college-educated women in chapters located in 12 countries. AKA contributed more than $200,000 to the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign, with members individually donating exactly $19.08 to honor the year the sorority was founded.

What is the Divine Nine?

The “Divine Nine” is a nickname for the National Pan-Hellenic Council coined by Lawrence Ross, Alpha Phi Alpha member and author, in his book “The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities.”

The council was founded at Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, D.C., in 1930 by Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta from “a need for mutual support,” Ross said.

Alpha Kappa Alpha: founded in 1908 at Howard University
Alpha Phi Alpha: founded in 1906 at Cornell University
Delta Sigma Theta: founded in 1913 at Howard University
Iota Phi Theta: founded in 1963 at Morgan State College, now Morgan State University
Kappa Alpha Psi: founded in 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington
Omega Psi Phi: founded in 1911 at Howard University
Phi Beta Sigma: founded in 1914 at Howard University
Sigma Gamma Rho: 1922 at Butler University
Zeta Phi Beta: 1920 at Howard University

Founding of Alpha Kappa Alpha

Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in 1908 at Howard University as the first Black sorority. It was founded by Ethel Hedgemon Lyle and eight other women. Since its founding, it has grown to now have 1,074 chapters in the United States and in 11 other countries.

Who are famous Alpha Kappa Alpha members?

Along with Harris, there are a number of other women who have joined the organization and made a name for themselves within the 116 years it’s been around. Other members include:

Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist
Coretta Scott King, author, activist and wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Rosa Parks, civil rights activist
Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer
Ava DuVerney, Emmy-award filmmaker
Alicia Keys, Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter
Phylicia Rashad, Emmy nominated actress
Jada Pinkett Smith, actress and talk show host
Wanda Sykes, actress and comedian

What schools in Tennessee have Divine Nine chapters?

When looking at major universities in Tennessee, a number of them have multiple chapters from the Divine Nine. There are 55 four year colleges and universities in Tennessee. This list focuses on universities and HBCUs in Tennessee that have sororities and fraternities from the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

Universities with National Pan-Hellenic Council chapters in Tennessee include:

LeMoyne-Owen College and the University of Memphis are the only two schools that have a chapter from each of the Divine Nine. Austin Peay State University, Fisk University, Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University all have eight.

How many Divine Nine chapters are there in Tennessee?

When looking at major universities and HBCUs, there are 109 total chapters in the Volunteer State.

Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Beta Phi all have 14 chapters across the state. Alpha Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi both have 13 chapters. Sigma Gamma Rho has 10 chapters, and Iota Psi Theta is the smallest with only three chapters among major universities in Tennessee.