By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans have gone from NFL afterthought to getting three games n primetime for the 2020-21 season, if it begins on time. They will even be part of the opening night lineup for Monday Night Football on ESPN. The Titans will face off against the Denver Broncos on the road, with the game set for an approximate 9:20 (CDT) start. The contest has some added interest in the wake of the Titans unloading longtime defensive tackle Jurrell Casey to the Broncos for a low draft choice in the off-season. They will also be featured on Thursday and Sunday night games against premium opponents.
They line up against perennial adversary the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 12 in a Thursday game. Then they will travel to Green Bay Dec. 27 as they face the Packers that night. The NFL announced the home-and-away schedules for all teams during a three-hour ESPN special Thursday. The Titans have quite an attractive home slate that begins Sept. 20 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their other home opponents include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions.
The road games besides the Broncos are with the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Colts, Jaguars, Packers and Texans. According to last year’s results, the Titans have the 20th ranked schedule. They have a three-game home stand from Oct. 4-18. But they also play three of their final four games on the road, including the final two at the Packers and Texans. From Nov. 22 until the end of the season (seven games) they will have only two games at Nissan Stadium.
That places a premium on a fast start and maximizing success at home.