Our 2024 NFL predictions are in — can Tennessee Titans overtake wunderkind Texans in AFC South?

The Tennessee Titans enter a new era in the 2024 NFL season.

The previous era of Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard and Mike Vrabel is in the past, with all four making their exits in the last 12 months after playing major roles. Now it's Will Levis, Calvin Ridley, Jeffery Simmons and Brian Callahan leading the franchise.

Levis will begin his first season as a full-time starter on Sunday in the season opener at Chicago. That game also marks the first regular season game for Callahan as an NFL head coach. Ridley and Simmons are veteran stalwarts whose new salaries on their first big contracts belie their importance.

The AFC South is also in transition, as the Texans are the favorites to win the division with a young coach and quarterback who will both be in Year 2. The Jaguars still have Trevor Lawrence leading a talented offense. And the Colts have a high-ceiling QB-coach pairing in Anthony Richardson and Shane Steichen who will also be in Year 2.

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How do the Titans fit into all of that? The Tennessean makes its yearly Titans predictions ahead of the season opener:

Tennessee Titans 2024 NFL predictions: What will be the Titans record this season?

Nick Suss, Titans beat reporter

Titans 2024 predictions

• Titans record: 6-11

• The reason: I really do like the moves the Titans made this offseason. I believe Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan have built an infrastructure that will allow for this team to be a legitimate force in the AFC South and beyond... just not yet. I could be talked into eight wins, maybe even nine if everything falls right. But as of now this team feels more like a collection of interesting talents than a cohesive group, and until we actually see QB Will Levis live up to his franchise-passer potential, this team's projectable future as a contender is all theoretical.

• One bold prediction: Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard will combine for more total yards than Derrick Henry ever had by himself in a single season.

• One NFL hot take: A wide receiver will exceed 2,000 yards and win MVP for the first time ever.

• Titans offensive MVP: Calvin Ridley

• Titans defensive MVP: L'Jarius Sneed

• Top rookie: JC Latham

• Passing yards/TDs for Will Levis: 3,600 yards, 22 touchdowns

• Receiving yards/TDs for Calvin Ridley: 1,250 yards, 8 touchdowns

• Free agent acquisition with most impact in Year 1: Sneed

• Where Titans offense will rank: 18^th in points, 10^th in yards gained

• Where Titans defense will rank: 22^nd in points, 22^nd in yards gained

• How will we be talking about Will Levis at the end of the season? Extension upcoming or an uncertain future at QB1? No one will be talking about the Titans replacing Levis with a first-round quarterback yet, but he also won't be in the conversation among the league's best yet, either. He'll firmly be in the "Yeah, that's a good quarterback, he could probably lead teams to the playoffs someday" zone, but it'll be a little too soon to anoint him as a superstar.

NFL 2024 predictions

NFC predictions

• Division winners: Lions, Falcons, Eagles, 49ers

• Wild cards: Packers, Bears, Cowboys

• NFC title game: Eagles over 49ers

AFC predictions

• Division winners: Bengals, Texans, Jets, Chiefs

• Wild cards: Ravens, Chargers, Dolphins

• AFC title game: Chiefs over Jets

Super bowl prediction

• Chiefs over Eagles

Gentry Estes, columnist

Titans 2024 predictions

• Titans record: 8-9

• The reason: The roster is improved, but it'll likely take time for that to show up in the results. A lot of new Titans players. A lot of new Titans coaches. I think it'll take while to get humming. After a slow start, they'd be capable of picking it up in the second half of the season and finishing near .500, missing the playoffs but feeling good about 2025.

• One bold prediction: Undrafted free agent David Martin-Robinson will finish with the most receptions among Titans tight ends this season.

• One NFL hot take: Ryan Tannehill will be starting games somewhere in the league by season's end.

• Titans’ offensive MVP: Will Levis

• Titans’ defensive MVP: Jeffery Simmons

• Top rookie: JC Latham

• Passing yards / touchdowns for Will Levis: 4,500 yards, 28 touchdowns

• Receiving yards / touchdowns for Calvin Ridley: 725 yards, 5 touchdowns

• Free agent acquisition with the most impact in his first year as a Titan: If not Ridley, Tyler Boyd

• Where Titans offense will rank: 12th in points, 10th in yards gained

• Where Titans defense will rank: 24th in points allowed, 26th in yards allowed

• How will we be talking about Will Levis at the end of the season? Extension upcoming or an uncertain future at QB1? Extension upcoming.

NFL 2024 predictions

NFC predictions

• NFC division winners: Lions, Saints, Eagles, 49ers

• NFC wild cards: Cowboys, Packers, Rams

• NFC title game: 49ers over Lions

AFC predictions

• AFC division winners: Ravens, Texans, Bills, Chiefs

• AFC wild cards: Bengals, Colts, Dolphins

• AFC title game: Chiefs over Bengals

Super Bowl prediction

• 49ers over Chiefs

Nick Gray, trending sports reporter

Titans 2024 predictions

• Titans record: 7-10

• The reason: It’s a cop-out, but there is a lot of wait-and-see built into predicting the 2024 Titans.  I need to see the OL gel, especially on the right side. I need to see Will Levis make it through 17 games. Is the front seven good enough and deep enough to help an expensive secondary? I think there will be some yes and no answers, but there are too many questions for me to think the Titans are ready to compete in the AFC. The September and October schedule isn’t friendly either to a first-time coach.

• One bold prediction: Will Levis will have the most passing yards and touchdowns among the QBs in the AFC South.

• One NFL hot take: The Buffalo Bills will miss the playoffs and will make a coaching move that probably should have been made a season ago.

• Titans’ offensive MVP: Will Levis.

• Titans’ defensive MVP: Harold Landry.

• Top rookie: T’Vondre Sweat

• Passing yards / touchdowns for Will Levis: 4,200 yards, 32 TDs

• Receiving yards / touchdowns for Calvin Ridley: 1,050 receiving yards and 6 TDs

• Free agent acquisition with the most impact in his first year as a Titan: Lloyd Cushenberry

• Where Titans offense will rank: 15th in points, 12th in yards gained

• Where Titans defense will rank: 23rd in points allowed, 18th in yards allowed

• How will we be talking about Will Levis at the end of the season?Extension upcoming or an uncertain future at QB1? There will be talk about a future extension, because I think Levis is going to thrive (by the numbers, at least) in the new offense with all the additions. But if the Titans aren’t in playoff contention into January, as I predict, that will complicate the conversation.

NFL 2024 predictions

NFC predictions

• NFC division winners: Packers, Falcons, Cowboys, 49ers

• NFC wild cards: Lions, Rams, Commanders

• NFC title game: Packers over 49ers

AFC predictions

• AFC division winners: Bengals, Jaguars, Dolphins, Chiefs

• AFC wild cards: Jets, Ravens, Texans

• AFC title game: Chiefs over Bengals

Super Bowl prediction

• Chiefs over Packers

Tom Kreager, Tennessean sports director

Titans 2024 predictions

• Titans record: 9-8

• The reason: Look, this team isn’t good enough to be elite, but GM Ran Carthon has spent enough for this team to be competitive. QB Will Levis will lead the Titans to a win or two they should lose.

• One bold prediction: Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears will combine for more than 500 rushing yards than Derrick Henry runs for with the Baltimore Ravens.

• One NFL hot take: Aaron Rodgers is the NFL MVP a year after missing the season because of an Achilles injury.

• Titans offensive MVP: Will Levis.

• Titans defensive MVP: L’Jarius Sneed.

• Top rookie: JC Latham.

• Passing yards / touchdowns for Will Levis: 3,300 yards, 28 touchdowns

• Receiving yards / touchdowns for Calvin Ridley: 893 yards, 6 touchdowns

• Free agent acquisition with the most impact in his first year as a Titan: Tony Pollard.

• Where Titans offense will rank: 15th in points,12th in yards gained

• Where Titans defense will rank: 18th in points allowed, 15th in yards allowed

• How will we be talking about Will Levis at the end of the season? Extension upcoming or an uncertain future at QB1? We will see promise in Will Levis in his first full season as the Titans QB1. However, we will still see enough questions to have concerns that he is the future for the Titans.

NFL 2024 predictions

NFC predictions

• NFC division winners: Packers, Falcons, Eagles, 49ers

• NFC wild cards: Lions, Cowboys, Rams

• NFC title game: 49ers over Cowboys

AFC predictions

• AFC division winners: Ravens, Texans, Jets, Chiefs

• AFC wild cards: Colts, Broncos, Bengals

• AFC title game: Ravens over Chiefs

Super Bowl prediction

• Ravens over 49ers

Tennessean's Titans/NFL 2024 predictions summary

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 2024 NFL predictions, Super Bowl picks: How Titans will fare this season