Getty Image / Michael Allio
This week, Ran Carthon will be attending his first NFL Combine as the general manager of the Tennessee Titans.
He has a lot of pressure on him to get his first draft in charge of the team right after the team fell short last season.
Unfortunately, it looks like his philosophy on the game could lead to him focusing on the wrong things while he’s at the combine.
Toady he revealed that he believes the key to success is running the football and playing tough defense.
Titans GM Ran Carthon on his philosophy for team building:
“It’s cute and sexy to play Golden State Warriors football in September and October when the weather is good, but the teams that play in January play tough defense and run the football” pic.twitter.com/cutGtyCh9W
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 28, 2023
To begin with, his statement is simply inaccurate. The Kansas City Chiefs don’t win because of their tough defense and ability to run the football. They win because Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t win the NFC because of their run game. They won the NFC because of Jalen Hurts’ versatility and an elite pass defense.
The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t lean on Joe Mixon to win football games. They put the ball in Joe Burrow’s hands.
The 49ers were the only team in either conference championship who leaned on their run game.
Last year’s Los Angeles Rams had Matt Stafford throw for nearly 5000 yards and Cooper Kupp almost break the record for single-season receiving yards.
The Tennessee Titans themselves should be all the proof their GM needs that the run game is not the key to success when it really matters.
The Titans have had a cheat code at running back since Derrick Henry broke out in 2019. In 2019, they went 9-7 during the regular season before making a surprising run to the AFC Championship Game. They lost that game to the Kansas City Chiefs and their superior pass offense.
In each of the following two years, they won a very weak AFC South before opening the playoffs with a home loss each year. In 2022, they failed to make the playoffs in a horrendous AFC South that featured two of football’s worst teams and was won by a 9-8 Jaguars team.
If running the ball was really the key to success in the NFL, the Tennessee Titans wouldn’t have been looking for a new GM this year.