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The Fisher Administration: Behind Tennessee’s Real Titans
Published: June 4, 2009
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Jeff Fisher is the reason that the Titans have found success over the years in the NFL. He may not have the breakaway talent, and may deal with heartbreaking injuries, but still leads his players to victory.
Jeff Fisher has more than 100 wins in the span of his 11-year coaching career and ranks fifth among head coaches, alongside other greats like Tony Dungy. He has led the Titans to four playoff appearances and a Super Bowl slot.
But who supports Fisher in his meticulous strategy and morale-boosting techniques?
This year, two new staff members join Fisher on the coaching staff, including Earnest Byner, a running backs coach with experience with the Washington Redskins. This will be a fantastic opportunity for Chris Johnson and LenDale White to hone their skills by learning from an expert who coordinated superior running backs like Clinton Portis for Washington.
Chuck Cecil has moved up to the position of defensive coordinator.
Jeff Fisher got his start on the defensive end. Fisher handled defensive backs with the Eagles, becoming the youngest defensive coordinator in NFL history in 1988. The two will be an unbeatable pair on the defensive end. Everyone knows that Jeff Fisher’s experience and expertise on the field make him an elite leader.
But that’s not always the case.
Interestingly enough, five people on the staff have NO pro experience, and some don’t even have any college play experience either. It goes to show that sometimes knowledge of the game can supersede years of play.
Take Craig Johnson. He’s a quarterbacks coach with no pro playing experience at all. His contract was extended three years ago, and the former Wyoming quarterback from Rome, NY has shown that he has what it takes to coach the big-leaguers in Young and Collins.
The 58-year-old Alan Lowry doesn’t have pro experience either. As the special teams coach for the Titans, he has proven you don’t need to play in the NFL in order to NFL’s leaders. Craig Hentrich’s punting average is 53.3 yards.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger doesn’t have experience on the pro field, but was a college coach for 15 years, and knows exactly how to be an effective coordinator.
The only problem with him? Flip-flopping.
In politics, everyone hates a flip-flopper, who moves back and forth between sides on an issue. Heimerdinger coached the Titans from 2000-2004, then moved to the Jets, then re-joined the Broncos (who he had coached earlier), and then came back to the Titans in 2008.
The guy is talented, but again, as a fan, I just want him to stick with his Titans!
I want the 11-year loyalty of Jeff Fisher.
Regardless, there is no doubt that the precision, passion, and expertise of the Titans’ coaching administration have led team in becoming one of the greatest threats to every other team in the NFL.
Adjusting The Playbook: The 2009 Tennessee Titans
Published: June 3, 2009
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No one likes to leave things up to chance, but there are question marks written all over this season for the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans playbook is up in the air with Vince Young’s chances at starting. As a quick, young, quarterback, Young is expected to be more agile than co-quarterback Kerry Collins, who is nearing 40.
So can the Titans risk losing Young by not letting him start, and having Collins injured while he attempts a decent running game if the team is unable to rely on rookie receivers?
Based on last year’s figures, the team is averaging just over 23 points a game, not necessarily a record-breaking per-game point score.
But as division champs, they were ranked seventh overall in rushing yards at 137 yards. The passing game suffered at 27th in the league last year. In addition, the team ran for twice as many touchdowns as they passed for last season.
Chris Johnson had an average of almost five yards per attempt to go along with nine touchdowns. LenDale White is right behind him with 773 yards and 15 touchdowns. These are the men who need the ball, and the Titans coaching staff has to recognize that, and design plays that feed them.
New running backs coach Earnest Byner, formerly of the Washington Redskins, has an excellent track record and will push the talented Johnson and White to their greatest potential.
Last year’s passing plays fell short, as wide receiver Justin Gage gave decent, yet inconsistent performances.
The classic mistake here is to focus too much emphasis on new wide receiver Kenny Britt, who is a rookie and should be forced to prove himself reliable before becoming the focal point of the Titan playbook.
Even learning the playbook can be difficult and pressure-filled for a rookie, and that’s without performing it. Jeff Fisher told a Tennessee newspaper, “Their (rookies’) minds are spinning right now because of all the information we’ve given them.”
The biggest change may be the movement from a passing game to a running game, and the key use of talented running backs.
I’ve called Jeff Fisher the best coach in football for a reason. Considering he concentrated on defense in his early coaching career, he will put his skills to the test to compensate for the loss of Albert Haynesworth in the defensive line.
Fisher will be aided by new defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil, formerly of the Detroit Lions, a team with a historical record of having the worst defense in the NFL.
Ouch.
The defensive end of the Titans isn’t promising right now, and the playbook will need to utilize Kyle Vanden Bosch, the sack leader for the team, to step into Haynesworth’s gap.
The 2009 Titans will be all about settling on a quarterback, improving their defense, meticulously training new receivers, and knowing their strengths, as they currently lie in running backs.
Assessing the 2009 AFC South
Published: June 3, 2009
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If football was tennis, then the AFC South would be quadruplet Williams sisters—evenly matched, talented, and ready.
Competition is steep in the AFC South for the 2009 season.
The Colts will return as a perennial powerhouse with Peyton Manning at the helm. The Colts are widely favored to win the division on a yearly basis, but the Tennessee Titans have proven themselves as division champions last year, and will likely come back strong.
The Texans are an up-and-coming young team that will show off an elite wide receiver in Andre Johnson, and Garrard will lead the Jaguars with an all-star defense.
The Titans and Colts are the two playoff contenders entering the 2009 season, but there is no team that should be written off.
In my opinion, Jeff Fisher is the best coach in football. He rarely has stand-out, superstar talent, but his conservative playcalling allows the team to minimize turnovers and stay in games.
Their style is to stick close to their opponent. That means they rarely break away with scores well into the thirties, but they don’t let their competitors do so either.
Once the Young-Collins issue is resolved, the team will be solid, counting on an impeccable performance from new wide receiver Kenny Britt, and a step up from Justin Gage. The thing they need to watch out for is holes in the defense after losing Albert Haynesworth—a devastating loss for the team.
Although the Colts are a powerful team, the loss of Tony Dungy will surely affect the team’s play to some degree. A shift in regime usually means a shift in morale, and often a change in strategy. But since quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell will take over, Manning won’t have a major alteration in play.
Manning is the smartest quarterback in the NFL—a master of changing plays at the line of scrimmage and confusing the defense. Sometimes I think he doesn’t even need a coach. The Colts are the biggest competition for the Titans, and one of the most competitive teams in the league.
They were 12-4 last year, and there is no doubt that they’ll make the playoffs. The addition of UConn running back Donald Brown was a smart choice to fill the team’s holes and will lead them to an even more successful record.
While still a talented team, the Jacksonville Jaguars have hurdles to jump in improving their 5-11 record from last year. They’ll be sporting new uniforms and two new offensive tackles—Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton.
Last year they beat the Colts at home during the regular season, but inconsistent play would not permit a winning streak that would last very long, and the team is reeling from a violent incident that left offensive lineman Richard Collier paralyzed last year. The Jags would play well in another division, but when paired with elite Colts, there just isn’t a margin for error.
Finally, the Texans are just too young to make great strides this year. They will use this, their eighth season, to try to improve their 8-8 record from last year, but even Hilary Duff’s planned appearances won’t help the team. She’s a reminder of what they are—talented, perhaps, but young and unpolished.
According to recent practice reports, they appear to be focusing on defense, perhaps hoping to align themselves with the great defenses in this division. But Matt Schaub lacks the game experience to compare with Manning and Collins, leaving the Texans too short for playoff likelihood.
The division’s near-equality in talent and administration means that teams will have to play a tight football game. But like it or not, injuries matter. Whichever team stays the healthiest will play the best, but it’s a question mark throughout the season.
Keep your eye on the Jags as a dark horse if crisis strikes on the Colts or Titans, but be prepared to see those two battle it out for the division championship.
