The Memphis Maniax were an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee . The team was part of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC , a major television network in the United States. Home games were played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium .
123-809: The Tennessee Titans are the professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee . They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Previously known as the Houston Oilers , the then Houston, Texas , team began play in 1960 as a charter member of the AFL American Football League . The Houston Oilers won two AFL championships before joining
246-573: A 12–5 record and won the AFC South. The Titans' season ended with a Divisional Round 19–16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Titans traded away Brown after the season. In 2022, the Titans suffered their first losing season since 2015 with a 7–10 mark, losing each of their last seven games despite a 7–3 start. In the 2023 season, the Titans finished with a 6–11 record. Following the 2023 season, Vrabel
369-460: A 3-year, $ 21 million deal to play for the Tennessee Titans. During the summer training camp prior to the 2011 season, Chris Johnson did not show up to camp, pending contract negotiations. Johnson felt he was due a considerably larger sum of money. As the leading rusher since 2008 (4,598 yards) he was set to make $ 1.065 million in 2011, under current contract terms. On September 1, Johnson became
492-596: A Titans/Oilers Hall of Fame after the 40th season of the franchise to honor past players and management, with the first class being seven that were all inducted on December 9, 1999. It was changed to Oilers/Titans Ring of Honor in 2008. Bum Phillips , Jeff Fisher and Floyd Reese were inducted in 2021. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson is the most recent inductee. Source: Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Memphis Maniax The team's name and logo were designed to lead
615-459: A Week 1 injury to Vince Young , Kerry Collins took over the starting quarterback position and led the Titans to a 10–0 record before their first defeat at the hands of the New York Jets on November 23. The Titans followed up the 34–13 loss by defeating the winless Lions on Thanksgiving, by a score of 47–10. In week 14, Tennessee clinched its second AFC South title with a 28–9 victory over
738-536: A career year, leading the NFL in rushing yards with 1,540 and tying for the most rushing touchdowns with 16. In the playoffs, the Titans upset the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium winning 20–13 in the Wildcard Round, with Henry rushing for 182 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries. The Titans then beat the heavily favored top-seeded Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium 28–12 in
861-576: A dramatic week 17 "win-and-in" bout against the Texans was a real possibility for the Titans. However, the Titans lost to the Jaguars 38–17, as Mariota suffered a broken fibula in the third quarter, ending his season. The Texans hung on to beat the Bengals 12–10 later that day on "SNF," as Bengals kicker Randy Bullock missed a potential go-ahead 43-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the game. The Texans thus clinched
984-496: A game against the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals , on a 99-yard game-winning drive by Vince Young, culminating in a touchdown pass on fourth down with 6 seconds left from the 10-yard line to Kenny Britt . During the Week 10 home game against Buffalo , Bud Adams was seen making an obscene gesture towards the Bills bench, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (who was also attending
1107-528: A league-worst 2–14 season, and Jack Pardee was fired as head coach after a 1–9 start and was succeeded by Jeff Fisher . The following two seasons, the Oilers drafted quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George respectively, who became franchise players over the next several years. The Oilers respectively went 7–9 and 8–8 in their final two seasons in Houston. After the 1995 season, Bud Adams announced
1230-686: A must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts . They were tied for the final playoff spot with the Cleveland Browns , but they won the tiebreaker and made the playoffs at 10–6. In the wild card round they lost to the San Diego Chargers , 17–6. The 2008 season began with the Titans selecting Chris Johnson out of East Carolina University in the first round of the NFL draft, and subsequently acquired former Titan (most recently Eagle) DE Jevon Kearse and former Falcons TE Alge Crumpler . After
1353-461: A new name. He let it be known that the new name should reflect power, strength, leadership and other heroic qualities. A naming contest produced names such as Tornadoes, Copperheads, South Stars, and Wranglers among others. On November 14, 1998, Adams announced that the Oilers would be known as the Tennessee Titans starting in 1999 . The new name met all of Adams' requirements, and also served as
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#17328513146661476-513: A nod to Nashville's nickname of "The Athens of the South" (for its large number of higher-learning institutions, Classical architecture, and its full-scale replica of the Parthenon ). The team's new logo and colors were unveiled on December 22, 1998. In 1999 , Adelphia Coliseum, now known as Nissan Stadium , was completed and the newly christened Titans had a grand season, finishing with a 13–3 record —
1599-578: A part of the National Football League in 1970 as part of the AFL–NFL merger and have remained a member of the NFL ever since. They played in Houston through the end of the 1996 season. They were part of the AFL's Eastern Division for their first ten years and became part of the American Football Conference upon their joining the NFL. They were placed in the AFC's Central Division, which they were part of until 2002. After
1722-454: A play known as " The Tackle ." In 2000 , the Titans finished with an NFL-best 13–3 record and won their third AFC Central title—their first division title as the Tennessee Titans. They won Central division titles in 1991 and 1993 while still in Houston as the Oilers. The Titans went on to lose their home Divisional playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens . In 2001 ,
1845-476: A potential head-to-head tiebreaker with the Texans, mathematically unable to even tie the Texans in divisional record, and having already lost twice to the Colts, the Titans were not going to win the South on tiebreakers. The only chance for the Titans to win the division was to finish with a better record than the Texans and Colts. However, with the hapless 2–12 Jaguars on tap for the Titans in week 16, it seemed as though
1968-455: A professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee . The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The Tennessee Titans play their home games at Nissan Stadium and are building a new stadium which will be completed in 2027. Originally known as the Houston Oilers , the team was founded in 1959 by Houston oil tycoon Bud Adams , who remained
2091-538: A remarkable beginning for the Titans, as they made a dramatic run to Super Bowl XXXIV. Led by head coach Jeff Fisher and quarterback Steve McNair, the team finished the regular season with a 13–3 record. Their playoff journey included the famous "Music City Miracle" victory over the Buffalo Bills, where a last-second lateral play resulted in a kickoff return touchdown. The Titans reached the Super Bowl but narrowly lost to
2214-464: A row. The 2019 season was the 100th season of the NFL, while the 60th for the Titans. Mike Vrabel returned for his second season and Mariota for his fifth. The Titans opened up the season with a 43-13 blowout against the Cleveland Browns , with Mariota passing for three touchdowns and the defense logging three interceptions. During halftime of the 19-17 Week 2 loss against the Indianapolis Colts,
2337-400: A second-half-comeback, storming back to win 22–21. The playoff run ended in the divisional round, with a 35–14 loss to the AFC #1 seed and eventual super bowl participant Patriots. Despite another 9–7 record & a playoff appearance, this was Mike Mularkey's final season as head coach, with Mularkey and team brass mutually agreeing to part ways after losing 35–14 in the divisional round against
2460-489: A small, navy blue disc on the back of their helmets with McNair's white number nine inside of it. In 2013 , the team wore the navy blue jerseys twice in honor of their 15th anniversary as the Titans. The Titans wore white jerseys for all games in 2014 , for the exceptions of two preseason home games, in which the team wore their light Titans blue jerseys, and a game against the Houston Texans on October 26, 2014, in which
2583-529: A special exemption from the NFL to play one season at the undersized Vanderbilt. The team rebounded that season, and was in playoff contention until losing their last two games for another 8–8 record. The Oilers had gone 6–2 in Nashville while going 2–6 on the road. The Titans have maintained both radio and preseason TV affiliates in the Memphis area. On July 29, 1998, Adams announced that in response to fan requests, he
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#17328513146662706-414: A starter beginning in 2012 was marked by inconsistent play and numerous injuries, which led to his retirement shortly after departing from the team after the 2014 season after a four-year career. After posting a league-worst 2–14 record during the 2014 season, their worst since moving to Tennessee, the Titans drafted quarterback Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL Draft with the second overall pick, who became
2829-467: A winning record between 1981 and 1987, a drought that ended when the Houston Oilers acquired quarterback Warren Moon in 1987. With Moon and Hall of Fame offensive linemen Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews , the Houston Oilers made six consecutive playoff appearances from 1987 to 1993. During the 1992–93 NFL playoffs , the Houston Oilers earned the dubious distinction of being on the losing end of what
2952-588: A winning season in the next six seasons, but in 1967 , a 9–4–1 record returned the team to the AFL championship game where it lost 40–7 to the Oakland Raiders . The Houston Oilers moved into the Astrodome after the season, becoming the first professional football team to move into a domed stadium. After failing to qualify for the AFL playoffs in 1968, the Oilers qualified the following season in 1969, but were eliminated in
3075-522: Is followed by the playing of " Folsom Prison Blues " by Johnny Cash . After every Titans first down at Nissan Stadium, the jumbotron plays a scene from the movie 300 , where the Spartans chant after King Leonidas asks, "What is your profession?" Titans fans simultaneously perform the chant three times, "OOH! OOH! OOH!" The chant debuted in video game form in Madden NFL 22 . In 1999, Adams established
3198-708: Is in Saint Thomas Sports Park, a 31-acre site at the MetroCenter complex in Nashville. The Tennessee Titans played in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, losing 23–16 to the St. Louis Rams . Led by Steve McNair and Eddie George , the Tennessee Titans made the playoffs in all but one season from 1999 to 2003 , but only twice in the next 13 years. From 2016 to 2021 , the Tennessee Titans had six consecutive winning seasons and four playoff appearances. The Tennessee Titans are
3321-690: Is the raccoon mascot of the Titans, debuting in the team's inaugural preseason home game in August 1999 against the Atlanta Falcons . The raccoon is the state animal of Tennessee. T-Rac appears at every game in Nissan Stadium and performs at community events in Tennessee. During every home game's 4th quarter, the stadium plays a video of "office linebacker" Terry Tate , performed by Lester Speight , shouting his catchphrase, "the pain train's coming"! The phrase
3444-658: The 2003 playoffs , winning their wild card game over the Baltimore Ravens and losing in the AFC divisionals to the New England Patriots who went on to win Super Bowl XXXVIII . In 2003 , quarterback Steve McNair won the MVP award, sharing it with Peyton Manning . The 2004 season created an unusual number of injuries to key players for the Titans. Their 5–11 record turned out to be their third-worst record ever since
3567-587: The AFC's #1 seed in the playoffs for the first time since 2008 . However, their season ended with a 19–16 loss to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals , their third-straight playoff loss dating back three seasons. After racing out to a 7–3 start, the Titans suffered a late-season collapse. They ended the season on a brutal seven-game losing streak, their worst losing streak since 2015 . The Titans failed to improve on their 12–5 record from last season . They also suffered their first losing season since 2015 and missed
3690-653: The Cincinnati Bengals (31–23), the Arizona Cardinals (20–10), the Oakland Raiders (34–25), the Cleveland Browns (20–14), and then (coming off of their Week 10 bye), their division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars 31–28. The Titans won at home against the San Francisco 49ers 33–22, but then went on the road and were swept by the Colts 35–3. The Titans defeated the luckless Texans 13–10 at home, but that
3813-570: The Cleveland Browns . In the week 14 game against the Browns, rookie Chris Johnson rushed 19 times for 136 yards and one touchdown and LenDale White rushed for 99 yards and one touchdown. They later clinched a first round playoff bye with a loss of the New York Jets . On December 21, 2008, the Titans played the Pittsburgh Steelers in a contest to decide the number one seed in the AFC. The Titans won 31–14 and clinched home field advantage throughout
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3936-477: The Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, needing a win to clinch the final Wild Card spot in the playoffs, but lost 33–17. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota had been injured with a 'stinger' the week before vs the Washington Redskins , sitting out the last game of the season due to a 'risk of permanent damage', as backup Blaine Gabbert played in his place. The Titans finished the season 9–7 for the third year in
4059-469: The Los Angeles Chargers 19–20 in Week 7, though they notably routed the New England Patriots , Vrabel's former team while playing, 34–10 in Week 10. During a Thursday Night Football game against the Jaguars in Week 14, running back Derrick Henry ran for a 99-yard touchdown, tying an NFL record with Tony Dorsett , and rushed for 238 yards and three more touchdowns in the 30–9 victory. They played
4182-653: The Miami Dolphins and a Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys . It wore all white exclusively in its last year as the Tennessee Oilers. When the team was renamed the Titans in 1999, it introduced a new logo that was a circle with three stars representing the state's Grand Divisions , containing a large "T" with a trail of flames similar to a comet. The uniforms consisted of white helmets, red trim, and either navy or white jerseys. White pants were worn with
4305-470: The New England Patriots . The 2018 season was the first season under new head coach Mike Vrabel , also a welcoming of new uniforms and helmets. After making the playoffs in 2017 for the first time in nine years, the team had high hopes for 2018, expecting to make the playoffs for the second year in a row; the season was not as expected, losing the "important games" to the Buffalo Bills 12–13 in Week 5 and
4428-425: The Pittsburgh Steelers , Baltimore Ravens , and Buffalo Bills . The rivalry with the Jaguars began in 1995 when the Titans were the Houston Oilers. The rivalry was heated in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to the success of both franchises at the time, including a season in which Jacksonville went 14–2 and Tennessee went 13–3. That season, all three of Jacksonville's losses, including the playoffs, came against
4551-543: The Titans collapsed to a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs. In 2002 , the Titans were moved to the newly created AFC South division, as part of the league's divisional realignment caused by the addition of the Houston Texans . Despite starting the season 1–4 the Titans finished the season 11–5 and made it to the AFC Championship Game but lost to the Oakland Raiders 41–24. The Titans went 12–4 and made
4674-609: The United States Football League to them, but that he owned the rights to the league, received royalties from them, and refused to sell. (Ehrhart's claims are somewhat dubious as he never held any ownership stake in the league, the original XFL had an Attitude Era aesthetic which did not match the brands the USFL had, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office has never recognized any claims from any vestige of
4797-430: The 1995 season, Bud Adams announced the move to Tennessee, causing fan support in Houston to collapse for the 1996 season. They intended to play at a new stadium in Nashville, but it would not be ready until 1999 . The largest stadium in Nashville at the time, Vanderbilt Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University , seated only 41,000 — a capacity considerably smaller than the NFL minimum of 50,000 seats. Vanderbilt
4920-399: The 2017 season, the Titans moved on from head coach Mike Mularkey. The Tennessee Titans entered a new era in the late 2010s with the hiring of head coach Mike Vrabel in 2018. Prominent players drafted during the 2019 season included defensive end Jeffery Simmons and wide receiver A.J. Brown , both of whom would later have prolific careers with the team. Under Vrabel's leadership, during
5043-584: The 2017 season, the Titans returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 and won their first playoff game since 2003, overcoming a 21–3 halftime deficit against the Kansas City Chiefs to win 22–21 before being eliminated in the divisional round. The Titans saw their season end in the Divisional Round with a 35–14 loss to the New England Patriots. Despite their postseason success in
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5166-415: The 2019 season, Mariota was benched in favor of offseason acquisition Ryan Tannehill after a 2–4 start and with the emergence running back Derrick Henry , who led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, the team returned to prominence. The Titans reached the AFC Championship Game during the 2019 season and have been regular playoff contenders since then. Mariota, Walker and Casey all departed after
5289-526: The 2019 season. Derrick Henry's historic rushing performances, including a 2,000-yard season in 2020, have solidified the Tennessee Titans as a formidable force in the NFL. Henry was part of a 2020 campaign that saw the Titans win the AFC South with an 11–5 record. The Titans' season ended with a 20–13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round. In the 2021 season, the Titans finished with
5412-525: The 2023 season, the Steelers lead the all-time series 49–32. The Cowboys previously lead the series against the Oilers 18–13. During the Titans' first season in its new stadium, the end zone sections became known as the Flame Pit and fans began wearing head wear resembling flames. Called "Flameheads", the costumes became prevalent during the Titans' successful years of the early 2000s. Flames are tied to
5535-483: The AFC South title (the Colts had also lost earlier that day to the Raiders), rendering the Titans' week 17 game (which they nonetheless won) meaningless for their playoff hopes. The Titans finished the season 9–7, the same record as the Texans, losing the tiebreaker due to record against divisional opponents, by three games (the Titans were 2–4, the Texans were 5–1). The 2017 season was Mike Mularkey 's second full season as
5658-451: The Bills sideline. Adams and Bills owner Ralph Wilson had maintained a friendly rivalry and were the last living original AFL owners at that time. As of the 2023 season, the Titans lead the all-time series 30–20. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Titans and the Ravens began a rivalry, which flared up when former Titans quarterback Steve McNair went to the Ravens. From the realignment of
5781-598: The Bills. In 1993, the Comeback , and the January 8, 2000 Music City Miracle , were two iconic moments in Oilers/Titans history have occurred against the Bills. The Bills and Titans were featured in an AFL legacy game in 2009 as part of festivities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the AFL's foundation. Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $ 250,000 by the league following the 41–17 Titans win in which he obscenely gestured toward
5904-521: The Demons, but did not make the playoffs as the Demons had the better division record during the season. The Maniax were one of two teams to beat the eventual league champion Xtreme, and the only team to beat them twice, going 2-0 vs. their divisional rivals in the regular season; not coincidentally, they, along with the Xtreme and Demons, were the only three XFL teams to maintain the same starting quarterback through
6027-677: The Houston Oilers relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, playing at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee , for one season while waiting for a new stadium to be constructed. The team moved to Nashville's Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998 . For those two seasons, the team was known as the Tennessee Oilers , but changed its name to the Tennessee Titans for the 1999 season , when they moved into Adelphia Coliseum, now known as Nissan Stadium. The Tennessee Titans' training facility
6150-400: The Houston Texans 41-38 on January 3, 2021 in Week 17 to win their first division championship since 2008. In the Week 17 game, Derrick Henry rushed 35 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns, breaking 2,000 yards on the season. Henry became one of only eight players to do so, joining Chris Johnson , and made the Titans the only franchise in NFL history with two 2,000 yard rushers. Henry also led
6273-720: The Houston/Tennessee Oilers became the Tennessee Titans. Numerous key players were cut or traded by the Titans front office during the off season, including Derrick Mason , Samari Rolle , Kevin Carter and others. This was done due to the Titans being well over the salary cap . In 2005 , the Titans took the field with the youngest team in the NFL. Several rookies made the 2005 team, including first round pick, cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones , offensive tackle Michael Roos , and three wide receivers, Brandon Jones , Courtney Roby and Roydell Williams . After losing their first game of
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#17328513146666396-524: The NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger . In 1999, the Tennessee Titans played their most memorable season since joining the NFL, when they made it all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV , but they fell, at the 1 yard line, to the Kurt Warner -led St. Louis Rams . The Titans were originally formed as the Houston Oilers, one of the eight charter members of the American Football League (AFL). They became
6519-432: The NFL in rushing yards once again with a total of 2,027 yards, becoming the first player to win back-to-back rushing titles since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006 and 2007. Henry also lead the league in rushing touchdowns back-to-back with 17, becoming the first player to do so since Marshawn Lynch in 2013 and 2014. A. J. Brown finished with 1,075 receiving yards for his second-straight 1,000 yard season. On January 10, 2021,
6642-561: The NFL's divisions in 2002 to the 2020–21 NFL playoffs , the Titans have faced off against Baltimore five times in the postseason. As of the 2023 season, the Ravens lead the all-time series 14–13. After the move to the AFC Central division, the Titans developed a rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers were the Oilers' primary divisional rival and by the 2020s, the Titans had played them more than any other NFL team. As of
6765-568: The Oilers for all intents and purposes a traveling team that was to play 32 road games over the next two years. Even though this arrangement was acceptable to the NFL and the Oilers at the time, few people in either Memphis or Nashville were happy about it. After numerous attempts to get an NFL team over the last three decades, Memphians wanted nothing to do with a team that would be lost in only two years—especially to longtime rival Nashville. Conversely, Nashvillians showed little inclination to drive over 200 miles (320 km) to see "their" team. At
6888-419: The Oilers wore blue helmets; the helmets were silver from 1966 to 1971 and white from 1975 to 1998. From 1997 to 1998, when it was known as the Tennessee Oilers, the team had an alternate logo that combined elements of the flag of Tennessee with the derrick. The team also wore its white uniforms during home games. In its two years as the Tennessee Oilers, the team wore its colored jerseys for road games against
7011-483: The St. Louis Rams, falling one yard short of a potential game-tying touchdown. In the years following their Super Bowl appearance, the Tennessee Titans experienced mixed success. They reached the playoffs several times in the early 2000s, with standout performances from players like running back Eddie George and defensive end Jevon Kearse. However, the team struggled with consistency and faced multiple rebuilding phases. Following
7134-469: The Titans and the Buffalo Bills began the 2009 NFL preseason in the Hall of Fame Game. Played at Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium on August 9, 2009, the game was nationally televised on NBC . The Titans defeated the Bills, 21–18. In honor of the AFL's 50th anniversary, the Titans wore Oilers' uniforms for the game. In 2009, the team honored former quarterback Steve McNair by placing
7257-481: The Titans claimed the AFC South championship over the Colts due to tie-breaking measures. As of the 2023 season, the Colts lead the all-time series 37–22. While in the AFL, the Houston Oilers was in the same division as the Buffalo Bills, but were moved to the AFC Central division following the NFL-AFL merger. Their rivalry remained strong into the 1980s and 1990s with Warren Moon leading the Oilers against Jim Kelly and
7380-477: The Titans finished 6–10, failing to reach the playoffs. In 2013, after three seasons as head coach, Mike Munchak was fired after finishing the season 7–9. Bud Adams, who was the owner of the Tennessee Titans, died on October 21. The 2014 season was the first for head coach Ken Whisenhunt. The Titans finished the season 2–14, their worst record in Tennessee Titans history, tying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for
7503-406: The Titans hosted the Ravens at Nissan Stadium for their first home playoff game in 12 years. The Titans lost in a low-scoring 20-13 Wildcard Round to the Ravens with Derrick Henry rushing 18 times for only 40 yards and Ryan Tannehill throwing a crucial late-game interception. The 2021 season was the Tennessee Titans ' 52nd season in the National Football League , their 62nd overall, their 25th in
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#17328513146667626-420: The Titans playbook, that is commonly referred to as the " Music City Miracle ": Tight-end Frank Wycheck made a lateral pass to Kevin Dyson on a kickoff return with 16 seconds left in the game and the Titans trailing by one point; Dyson returned the pass 75 yards for a touchdown to win the game. After replay review, the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown. The original play did not call for Dyson to be on
7749-424: The Titans retired the jersey numbers of running back Eddie George and quarterback Steve McNair . After starting the year 2–4, Mariota was benched during Week 6 in favor of backup Ryan Tannehill , who they traded for in the offseason. Tannehill would go on to win the next 7 out of 10 games, with the Titans finishing 9–7. They would make the playoffs following a 35-14 Week 17 victory over the Texans. Derrick Henry had
7872-444: The Titans to a league best 13–3 record and a playoff appearance before being defeated in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Baltimore Ravens. In 2009, following a 0–6 start under Collins, Young returned as starting quarterback and led the Titans to winning eight of their final ten games and narrowly missing the playoffs. The 2009 season was also notable as it was the season in which second-year running back Chris Johnson became
7995-403: The Titans wore seven different uniform combinations, pairing the white jersey with all three sets of pants (white, Titans blue, navy blue), the navy jersey with the white and navy pants, and the Titans blue jersey with navy and Titans blue pants. In a game against the Atlanta Falcons on October 7, 2007, the Titans paired the navy blue jersey with the Titans blue pants for the first time. They wore
8118-427: The Titans wore their navy blue uniforms. Beginning in 2015 , navy blue became the team's primary home jersey color again, marking the first time since 2007 that the Titans wore navy as their primary home jersey. The light Titans blue jersey, which was the team's primary jersey color from 2008 to 2014, became the team's alternate jersey for a second time. On April 4, 2018, the Titans debuted new uniforms that retain
8241-404: The Titans' franchise quarterback for the next four seasons. Although the Titans finished with another league worst record of 3–13 during the 2015 season, Mariota along with multi-Pro Bowl teammates such as tight end Delanie Walker , offensive tackle Taylor Lewan and defensive tackle/defensive end Jurrell Casey , led the Titans to three consecutive winning records of 9–7 from 2016 to 2018. During
8364-406: The Titans' head coach. In Week 17, the team defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 15–10 to clinch one of the AFC wild card slots for the playoffs. It marked the franchise's first playoff berth since 2008. In the wild-card round, the Titans traveled to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs. The Titans looked outmatched in the first half, after which they trailed 21–3. However, the Titans ended up staging
8487-428: The Titans, who played that year in Super Bowl XXXIV. The rivalry cooled when both teams experienced misfortune in the late 2000s to early 2010s, but both teams ended lengthy playoff droughts in 2017 . As of the 2023 season, the Titans lead the all-time series 35–24. The Titans’ rivalry with the Houston Texans is more prevalent in Houston due to the Titans having previously played in the city. The Titans dominated
8610-440: The best season in franchise history. They won their first game as the "Titans," defeating the Bengals before a sold out stadium (Every game since the Titans moved to Nashville has been sold out). They did not lose a game at home and finished one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for the AFC Central title. Tennessee then won their first round playoff game over the Buffalo Bills on a designed play, known as "Home Run Throwback" in
8733-516: The color palette of navy blue, Titans blue and white, with new red and silver elements being introduced. The new helmets are navy blue with one silver sword-shaped stripe through the center and metallic gray face masks. On July 23, 2023, the Titans unveiled the throwback powder blue Oilers uniforms. The Titans share rivalries with their three AFC South opponents, Jacksonville Jaguars , Houston Texans , and Indianapolis Colts . They have historical rivalries with former divisional opponents such as
8856-537: The departure of former head coach Jeff Fisher , Mike Munchak was named head coach of the Titans on February 7, 2011. During the 2011 NFL draft the Titans took Washington quarterback Jake Locker with the 8th pick overall. Meanwhile, 15-year veteran Kerry Collins retired from the NFL in July (unretiring a month later to join the Indianapolis Colts). On July 29, 2011, veteran Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck signed
8979-469: The departures of George and McNair in 2003 and 2005, respectively, the Titans drafted quarterback Vince Young in 2006, who led the team to a playoff berth in 2007. Despite being named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006 and being a two-time Pro Bowl selection, Young's tenure was marred by injuries, inconsistency and clashes with Jeff Fisher. In 2008, Young was benched in favor of veteran Kerry Collins , who led
9102-480: The divisional round by the Oakland Raiders in a 56–7 blowout. Following the season, the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, with the Houston Oilers being assigned to the new American Football Conference (AFC)'s Central division . The Houston Oilers failed to qualify for the NFL playoffs from 1970 to 1977, and posted one winning season in 1975 . In 1978, the Houston Oilers selected running back Earl Campbell with
9225-556: The divisional round, with Henry running for 195 yards on 30 carries and throwing a touchdown. The Titans reached their first AFC Championship since 2002, and the first sixth-seed to do so since the 2010 Green Bay Packers . The Titans would lose, however, to the Kansas City Chiefs , 35–24, at Arrowhead Stadium . The 2020 season was the 61st season for the Titans and the third under head coach Mike Vrabel. The Titans put on one of their best offensive performances in franchise history, led by Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. The Titans started
9348-532: The entire season. NBC officials wanted to move the XFL games to afternoons after the first season (2001) due to dismal ratings, and when, somewhat to McMahon's surprise and disappointment the United Paramount Network ( UPN ) wanted to follow suit, the league was then folded and the team disbanded. Ehrhart would later claim that he was originally approached by the XFL to sell the intellectual property rights of
9471-744: The entire season. The Titans finished the season with a league-high 23 players on injured reserve. (*)Began his tenure in Houston (*) Indicates Player and/or coach began their tenure with the Houston Oilers Bud Adams established the Titans/Oilers Hall of Fame after the 40th season of the franchise to honor past players and management (*) Indicates This Player or Coach Began Their Tenure in Houston Tennessee Titans National Football League ( 1970 –present) The Tennessee Titans are
9594-606: The field and he was only involved due to an injury of another player. The Titans went on to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis, and then defeated the Jaguars in Jacksonville in the AFC Championship Game. The Titans' magnificent season led to a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV , where they lost to the St. Louis Rams when Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of the end zone (preserving a 23–16 Rams' lead) as regulation time expired, in
9717-540: The first overall pick in the 1978 NFL draft . Campbell led the team to three consecutive playoff appearances as a wildcard berth from 1978 to 1980. Campbell led the NFL in rushing yards and won the Offensive Player of the Year Award in each of those three seasons. The Oilers made it to the AFC championships in 1978 and 1979, but were defeated both times by the Pittsburgh Steelers . The Houston Oilers failed to post
9840-466: The first pick in the 2016 draft, which Robinson traded to the Los Angeles Rams. The 2016 season was Mike Mularkey's first full season as head coach. Leading up to week 16, the Titans were tied with the Texans atop the AFC South at 8–6, with the Colts one game behind at 7–7. The Titans had lost to the Texans in week 4, and were scheduled to play them again in week 17. With the Titans thus unable to win
9963-491: The game) fined him $ 250,000. Afterwards, the Titans sustained a defeat against Indianapolis , wins over St. Louis and Miami , a loss to San Diego , and finally a victory in Seattle to end the season at 8–8. Not only did the Tennessee Titans have a great 8–2 finish, but along the way, running back Chris Johnson became only the sixth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards (2,006), surpassing Marshall Faulk 's record for
10086-446: The heat, except in the 2005 , 2006 and 2008 seasons . In 2003, the Titans introduced an alternate jersey that was light Titans blue with navy outside shoulders and sleeves, which was worn with blue pants. Until 2007, they wore the jersey twice in each regular-season game. They always wore the Titans blue jersey in their annual divisional game against the Houston Texans and for other selected home games. Their selection in those games
10209-416: The highest paid running back, agreeing to a four-year, $ 53.5 million contract extension, including $ 30 million guaranteed, with the Titans, ending his holdout. With Hasselbeck starting, the Titans won three of their first four games, but afterwards saw a bumpy series of wins and losses. They finally finished the season 9–7, failing again to reach the playoffs, but remaining in contention to Week 17. In 2012,
10332-508: The injury and walked out on Fisher, causing him to not only be promptly put on injured reserve, but also essentially guaranteeing his release from the team in the offseason. Losses continued to mount for the Titans, until a week 15 win against the Houston Texans kept their season alive at 6–8. Needing a miracle to get into the playoffs, this nonetheless happened with consequent losses against the Chiefs and Colts. The Titans' season ended at 6–10. In
10455-419: The league's worst record, and their worse since 1994 when they were the Houston Oilers. In 2015, the Titans had the second pick of the NFL draft. They selected quarterback Marcus Mariota, one of the best prospects of the 2015 class. It was Ken Whisenhunt's second season as head coach. Whisenhunt was fired on November 3 due to a 1–6 start, and Mike Mularkey was tabbed as the interim head coach. The Titans finished
10578-581: The most yards from scrimmage during a season with over 2,500 total yards. The Titans started 2010 with alternating wins and losses. They crushed Oakland at home in Week 1 and then were beaten, 19–11, by the Steelers in Week 2. In Week 3, Tennessee beat the Giants 29–10 in the New Meadowlands. In week 4, Tennessee lost 26–20 to Denver, and finally won 34–27 in Dallas to reach a 3–2 record by Week 5. The following game
10701-408: The move to Tennessee. A Nashville stadium for the Tennessee Oilers would not be ready until 1999 , so the Tennessee Oilers planned to play two seasons at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee . The team was based in Nashville and commuted to Memphis, Tennessee for games. In Memphis, Tennessee some of the smallest NFL crowds since the 1950s attended games. In the first seven games of
10824-462: The navy blue jerseys with the light blue pants against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . The team paired the Titans blue jerseys with the white pants for the first time in a home game against the Indianapolis Colts on November 14, 2013. In 2008, the Titans blue jerseys became the regular home uniforms, with the navy blue jerseys being relegated to alternate status but not worn until 2013. In 2009,
10947-503: The navy jerseys, and navy pants with the white jerseys. On both the navy and white jerseys, the outside shoulders and sleeves were light Titans blue. In a game against the Washington Redskins on October 15, 2006, the Titans wore their navy jerseys with navy pants for the first time. Since 2000, the Titans have worn their dark uniforms at home. They have worn white at home during daytime contests in September home games to gain an advantage with
11070-432: The next season. That changed after the final game of the 1997 season . The Oilers faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of 50,677 fans. It was the only crowd that could not have been reasonably accommodated at Vanderbilt, however, Steeler fans made up the great majority of the crowd (at least three-fourths, by one estimate). Adams was so embarrassed that he abandoned plans to play the 1998 season in Memphis and secured
11193-479: The only NFL team to have two players rush for 2,000 yards in a season, Chris Johnson ( 2009 ) and Derrick Henry ( 2020 ). After failed attempts to start an NFL expansion team in Houston, Adams founded the Houston Oilers in 1959, as one of the eight charter members of the upstart American Football League (AFL) and a member of its Eastern Division. Beginning play at Jeppesen Stadium at the University of Houston ,
11316-404: The opening game against Pittsburgh resulted in a 13–10 overtime loss and things disintegrated from there as they dropped the next five matches. This losing streak culminated in a catastrophic 59–0 defeat at the hands of New England . After the bye week, it was decided that Vince Young would succeed Kerry Collins as the starting quarterback. The team began recovering and won five in a row including
11439-503: The opposing team. Attendance was smaller than what the USFL's Memphis Showboats had drawn and what the XFL's Memphis Maniax would draw to the same stadium. It appeared that only large contingents of fans supporting the Oilers' opponents kept average attendance from dropping below what it had been for the CFL's Memphis Mad Dogs . Despite drawing crowds averaging barely half of Vanderbilt's capacity, Adams had every intention of playing in Memphis
11562-616: The organization because in Greek Mythology , the Titan Prometheus stole fire and gave it to humanity. The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders represent the team in the NFL. They perform at every home game in Nissan Stadium and regularly do acts with the team's mascot T-Rac . They have 28 members with four captains. They perform a variety of dance moves and high-risk stunts. They attend community events in Middle Tennessee . T-Rac
11685-520: The owner until his death in 2013. The team began play in 1960 in Houston , Texas, as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The Houston Oilers won the first two AFL championships along with four division titles, and joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The Houston Oilers made playoff appearances from 1978 to 1980 and from 1987 to 1993 , with Hall of Famers Earl Campbell and Warren Moon , respectively. In 1997 ,
11808-528: The playoffs for the first time since 2018 after a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the final week of the season. It was the fourth time in franchise history they missed the playoffs after having a first-round bye in the playoffs the previous season ( 1994 , 2001 , and 2009 ). Inconsistent play and a number of key injuries hindered the Titans throughout the season, including injuries to starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill who missed five games, Taylor Lewan who missed 15 games, and Harold Landry who missed
11931-449: The playoffs. Their final record was 13–3, which ties their franchise record for most wins. On Saturday, January 10, they lost their home playoff game 13–10 to the Baltimore Ravens , who had previously won their Wildcard game at Miami on January 4. The playoff game against Baltimore included three red zone turnovers and 12 penalties by the Titans. After their successful 2008 season, the Titans looked to be very promising in 2009 . However,
12054-437: The postseason at 9–7 ended at the hands of New England in a 40–23 defeat. Floyd Reese resigned as the franchise's executive vice president/general manager on January 5, 2007, after thirteen seasons at the helm. He was replaced by Mike Reinfeldt on February 12 of the same year. In 2007, after starting a promising 6–2, the Titans lost four of their next five games to fall to 7–6. They then won their next three games, including
12177-479: The rivalry in the early 2000s, but the series has since evened out in the 2010s. As of the 2023 season, the Titans lead the all-time series 23–21. Since the creation of the AFC South, the Titans and the Colts have been division rivals. In 2011, the Titans swept the Colts after 11 straight losses. In 2018, the Colts defeated the Titans in the last game of the regular season to clinch the final Wild Card spot, eliminating Tennessee from playoff contention. In 2020,
12300-401: The road with the white jerseys from 1972 to 1994, with the exception of the 1980 season , and selected games in the mid-1980s, when the team wore an all-white road combination. For selected games in 1973 and 1974, and again from 1981 through 1984, the Oilers wore their white jerseys at home. Coach Jeff Fisher discarded the light blue pants in 1995. From 1960 to about 1965 and from 1972 to 1974,
12423-471: The road. During the 1998 offseason, Adams appointed an advisory committee to decide on a new name for the Tennessee Oilers to coincide with the opening of their new stadium, which was renamed Nissan Stadium in 2015. On November 14, 1998, the new name of Tennessee Titans was unveiled. The name is a nod to how Nashville is nicknamed the "Athens of the South" for its classical architecture and large number of higher learning institutions. The 1999 season marked
12546-467: The season 3–13, tied with the Cleveland Browns for the league's worst record. After the season, the Titans fired general manager Ruston Webster. Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk announced that the Titans had hired former Buccaneers Director of Player Personnel Jon Robinson for the open general manager job, and were going to take the interim tag off of Mularkey, making him the head coach. The Titans had
12669-477: The season 5-0 for the first time since 2008. They then lost their next three of four and sat at 6-3 before heading into Week 11. The Titans continued their earlier success, however, and won their last five of seven games to finish 11-5. Their 46-25 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 15 gave them their first double-digit winning season since 2008 and their first time not going 9–7 in five seasons. The Titans beat
12792-494: The season on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers 34–7 and then winning their Week 2 home-opener against the Baltimore Ravens 25–10, the Titans began the season 1–1, but quickly fell out of contention. They lost on the road to the St. Louis Rams 31–27 and lost to their division rival, the Colts 31–10. After getting some redemption on the road against their new division rival, the Houston Texans 34–20, they lost five-straight games to
12915-410: The season, there were crowds of less than 27,000, and two games drew less than 18,000 people. For the 1998 season, the Tennessee Oilers played their home games at the stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. That year, the team was in playoff contention until losing their last two games for another 8–8 record. The Tennessee Oilers were 6–2 in Nashville, Tennessee and 2–6 on
13038-425: The sixth player to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season and broke Marshall Faulk 's record for most single season yards from scrimmage. Johnson made three Pro Bowl appearances with the Titans before departing after the 2013 season. Following the 2010 season, Young, Collins and Fisher all departed, and quarterback Jake Locker was drafted in 2011. After spending his rookie season as a backup, Locker's career as
13161-460: The state of Tennessee , and their fourth under head coach Mike Vrabel . After a 34–3 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, the Titans clinched the AFC South for the second consecutive season. This would be the first time since 1960 – 1962 that the franchise would win their division in back-to-back seasons. The Titans finished 12–5, improving on their 11–5 record from the prior year and earning
13284-544: The team moved to Rice Stadium at Rice University in 1965. Led by quarterback George Blanda , who played with the team from 1960 to 1966, the Houston Oilers made it to each of the first three AFL championship games. The Oilers won the first two AFL championships, both against the San Diego Chargers , but lost the 1962 American Football League Championship Game 20–17 to the Dallas Texans , now Kansas City Chiefs , after double overtime. The Houston Oilers failed to post
13407-460: The team was still unable to beat the Dolphins after their bye week, 29–17. In Week 11, at home against the Washington Redskins , the Titans lost Young to a thumb injury in-game and they snapped their NFL-leading interconference win streak at 14 games, losing to Washington 19–16 in overtime. After the game, Young had a highly publicized meltdown in the locker room because he believed he could play through
13530-588: The team's fans into calling the team "The Ax", a shortened form of the word "maniacs". The Maniax Director of Player Personnel was Steve Ortmayer , who had become respected in the pro football world for helping to build the Super Bowl XVIII -champion Los Angeles Raiders . Steve Ehrhart, who had managed both the Memphis Showboats and Memphis Mad Dogs , returned as general manager for the Maniax. The head coach
13653-440: The team's performance. Despite these initial proclamations, it was announced on January 27, 2011, that Fisher and the Titans had mutually agreed to part ways. This ended Fisher's tenure as head coach, a tenure which lasted more than 17 seasons (54% winning percentage), spanned three cities (Houston, Memphis and Nashville), and saw three different incarnations of the team (Houston Oilers, Tennessee Oilers, Tennessee Titans). Following
13776-554: The time, Interstate 40 was in the midst of major reconstruction in the Memphis area, lengthening the normal three-hour drive between Nashville and Memphis to five hours. In Memphis, attendance was even worse than it had been in the team's final season in Houston. The Oilers played before some of the smallest NFL crowds since the 1950s, with none of the first seven games of the season attracting crowds larger than 27,000, with two crowds of less than 18,000. The few fans there were usually indifferent, and often those that attended were fans of
13899-440: The week following the Titans' final loss to the Colts, the generally pro-Young Bud Adams agreed that it would be best for the team to release or trade Young. On January 7, 2011 Adams released a statement announcing he was retaining head coach Jeff Fisher, as Fisher was under contract for the next season. Adams also stated that he hoped to extend Fisher's contract following the 2011 season, but that an extension would be contingent upon
14022-423: The years, this logo remained the same until the team was renamed the Titans in 1999. The logo was originally called "Ol' Riggy", but this name was dropped before the 1974 season . The Oilers' uniforms consisted of blue or white jerseys, red trim, and white pants. From 1966 to 1971, the pants with both the blue and white jerseys were silver to match the color of the helmets. The team commonly wore light blue pants on
14145-683: Was Kippy Brown . At slightly over 20,000 fans per game, the Maniax were in the lower half of league average attendance; this figure was higher than the Mad Dogs had drawn, and comparable to that of the NFL's Tennessee Oilers during their lone season in Memphis, but lower than the Showboats. They were in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme , San Francisco Demons , and Las Vegas Outlaws . They finished tied for second place at 5-5 with
14268-497: Was a MNF rout of Jacksonville (30–3). In Week 7, they beat Philadelphia 37–19 in a come-from- behind win that included scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Kenny Britt had a break out performance with 225 reception yards, 3 touchdowns and 7 receptions. However, after a loss to the Chargers in Week 8, they were the only team to submit in a claim for the recently waived Randy Moss . Even after this widely publicized claim,
14391-469: Was also unwilling to permit alcohol sales. At the time, the state had two football stadiums that met NFL capacity requirements. The state's largest stadium, the University of Tennessee 's Neyland Stadium in Knoxville , was quickly ruled out. Playing at Neyland would have put a transient NFL team in direct competition with the long-established Tennessee Volunteers for ticket sales, and with 102,000 seats it
14514-469: Was changing the Oilers' name to coincide with the opening of their new stadium and to better connect with Nashville. He also declared that the renamed team would retain the Oilers' heritage (including team records), as had all other relocated teams except the Browns/Ravens, and that there would be a Hall of Fame honoring the greatest players from both eras. Adams appointed an advisory committee to decide on
14637-469: Was fired as head coach. Former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan was hired to be the team's head coach prior to the 2024 season. Prominent departures that occurred during or after the 2023 season included Henry, Tannehill and two-time First-Team All-Pro safety Kevin Byard . When the team debuted as the Houston Oilers in 1960, its logo was an oil rig derrick . Except for minor color changes throughout
14760-468: Was representative of the organization's ties to Houston and the AFL. On November 19, 2006, the Titans introduced light Titans blue pants in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles . In December 2006, they combined the Titans blue pants with the Titans blue jersey to create an all Titans blue uniform. Vince Young appeared in this uniform in the cover art for Madden NFL 08 . During the 2006 season,
14883-535: Was their last win of the year, as they lost their remaining three games to the Seattle Seahawks (28–24), the Miami Dolphins (24–10) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (40–13). Their record for the season was 4–12. In 2006, The team finished at 8–8, a definite improvement over the previous year's mark of 4–12. The year saw Vince Young lead the team to an 8–5 record as the starting quarterback. That span also included six straight victories. The team's chances of making
15006-468: Was then the biggest comeback in NFL history when in the divisional round, the Houston Oilers' third-quarter 32-point lead against the Buffalo Bills turned into a 41–38 loss in overtime. This remains the largest blown lead in playoff history. After the 1993 season, Moon was traded to the Minnesota Vikings and Munchak retired to begin a coaching career. The following season, the Oilers finished with
15129-477: Was widely acknowledged NFL games in Knoxville would have been all but impossible to sell out in time to avoid local blackouts on television. As a result, Adams announced that the renamed Tennessee Oilers would play the next two seasons at the 62,000 seat Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis . The team would be based in Nashville, practicing there and commuting to Memphis only for games. The arrangement thus made
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