CLEVELAND, Ohio (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Tennessee Titans kick off the regular season Sunday, Sept. 8 at noon with a trip to Cleveland to take on the Browns.
The contest marks the second Titans season opener in franchise history against the Browns. The last time took place in 1971, with Cleveland pulling out a win.
The Titans are 30-29 all-time on kickoff weekend, including a 10-10 mark in the Titans era, which began in 1999.
Second-year Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and company will look to build off of a 9-7 regular season in which they came within one game of a playoff berth after falling to the Indianapolis Colts 33-17 in Week 17.
One of the main strengths for the 2019 Titans will be their defense, as nine of its 11 starters return from a year ago. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees will once again orchestrate the defense who finished ranked eighth in 2018.
All eyes will be on Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota Sunday, as the former second-overall pick will need a stellar 2019 campaign in order to receive a lucrative contract extension. Working in Mariota’s favor is the fact that he will have a familiar face along-side him in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Smith joined the Titans in 2011 and worked his way up the ranks, serving as the tight ends coach for the past three and a half seasons before being promoted to OC.
Cleveland finished last season with a 7-8-1 record, including a third-place finish in the AFC North. The Browns will usher in a new era in 2019 with Freddie Kitchens as their head coach. Kitchens has been on the coaching staff since 2018 and served as the running backs/associated head coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator during the same season. The former University of Alabama quarterback also coached 11 seasons for the Arizona Cardinals prior to joining the Browns.
The Titans will look to get continuous pressure on the brash Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield who is now entering his sophomore season in the league. The first-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and Heisman Trophy winner set the NFL rookie record with 27 passing touchdowns a season ago.
Mayfield now has another elite weapon at his disposal in new Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The three-time Pro Bowler was traded from the New York Giants in the offseason after snatching 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in five years with the G-Men.
Both organizations begin the year with lofty expectations and only time will tell which team will live up to the hype.