Vince Young Works To Silence Doubters As Titans Win Four Straight

Sometimes people just plain misread things.

Such is likely the case when people insisted that Vince Young was not going to be the answer for the Titans in their previously abysmal season. 

And yes, that includes yours truly. But you just can’t argue with results.

With a performance that was patient, calculated, and electrifying, Young led the Titans to their fourth straight victory Sunday, after they began the season losing six straight.

Call it a fluke if you want; but from where I stand, he appears to be getting better every week.

Granted, he had help as Chris Johnson put on another clinic in his pursuit of NFL rushing glory, racking up better than 150 yards on the ground against a Houston defense that set out to shut him down and force Young to win the game with his arm.

Predictable, but apparently laughable.

What the Texans didn’t, or more correctly couldn’t, account for were the 73 yards that Young added on the ground, with two notable exceptions. Almost every time he took off he picked up, or nearly picked up, a first down.

If that’s not sustaining drives, I don’t know what is.

But the important thing is, he had plenty of other opportunities to run and didn’t.

Instead, he stood calmly in the pocket, sometimes stepping up into it, and made throw after critical throw. When he did leave the pocket, he was just as likely to throw it as run it, as he did on his 13-yard strike to Kenny Britt for the Titans’ first score of the game.

Problem was, the Texans had to respect his ability to gain yards on the ground, which opened up opportunities downfield.

Apparently the option is still, well, an option in the NFL.

Young knows he still has detractors. When asked about how he felt about all the people who said he couldn’t do it, or the people who said that he doesn’t have what it takes to make it as an NFL quarterback, he smiled, looked directly at the camera, and with a little laugh said, “I love y’all too!”

Then he jogged away, happy with his results.

Young hasn’t lost yet this year. He hasn’t had to face fickle fans demanding better performances for their dollar. But after seeing him handle the interview at the end of the game, it appears, on the surface at least, that he just might be better prepared for it whenever the Titans do lose again.

At least I hope that’s what it looks like. I could be misreading that, too.

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Vince Young/Chris Johnson Combo Too Much to Handle; Bills Fall to Titans

So this is what everyone’s been hollering about for the last few weeks.

At times he stood in the pocket and threw.

At times he scrambled out, extended the play, and threw.

At times he tucked the ball and ran, picking up critical yards and first downs.

And through it all he looked less like the confused, out-of-synch former college star that his detractors see; and more like the Vince Young everyone keeps crowing about, leading the Titans to a 41-17 victory over the visiting Bufallo Bills.

He isn’t quite there yet, folks, but it appears that he is getting the hang of this football thing.

Granted, he had plenty of help from other key players: Chris Johnson, the Titans’ lightning-fast running back, racked up 132 yards rushing and, just for kicks, threw for 100 yards receiving.

It’s been 12 years since a Titans running back has had as many consecutive 100-yard rushing games as Johnson has strung together this year; and it’s been almost 50 years since a Titan—or an Oiler, for that matter—has pulled the “double-triple”, gaining 100 yards rushing and receiving in a game.

In fact, Johnson is only the second player in franchise history to achieve the mark, the last one coming courtesy of the infamous Billy Cannon in 1961.

The defense stepped up big as well; the big men up front held the Bills to less than 90 yards on the ground, looking like the Titans unit from the 2008 season.

As for the defensive backs, where does one start? Vincent Fuller jumped a route on Trent Edwards for a pick-six just before the two minute mark in the fourth quarter, adding seven points to a 10-point Titans lead.

Roderick Hood pitched in two minutes later when he was in perfect position to snag a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass that slipped right through “superstar” wide receiver Terrell Owens’ hands, taking the ball 31 yards for the final score of the game—and serving notice to future opponents that these Titans are back, and they are ready for some football.

But this week, Vince Young truly began to show that he has something more than a few short passes and the option to contribute.

First came his 38-yard laser to Kenny Britt at the end of the first quarter. Not only was it one of his longest passes of the year, it was near perfection, hitting Britt in stride as he went deep down the left side of the field.

He followed that up two plays later with a strike to Nate Washington over the middle, standing firm in the pocket and delivering the ball like a seasoned pro.

Throw in a couple of well-timed scrambles for 14 and 12 yards apiece, and what you have is a young quarterback who looks like he is grasping how big of an opportunity he has to show how much he has matured, how much he has grown, and just what he can bring to the table.

He still got a little greedy early, throwing into coverage and being rewarded with an interception. And he put the ball on the ground twice, which is not what we want to see out of the emerging star.

But overall, this was his best game since his return, and if he continues to grow and improve like he has over the last three weeks, even his detractors will have to recognize his abilities and admit they were wrong.

I’m not saying it yet, mind you. But I have considered the possibility.

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Titans’ Chris Johnson Shines, Defense Rallies to Lead Team to Second Win

Opposing defenses beware: Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans is a running back to be taken very seriously.

Due largely to the stellar performance of Johnson, the Titans earned their second win of the season, prevailing 34-27 over the San Fransisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on Sunday afternoon.

Johnson’s 25-carry, 135-yard effort on Sunday was peppered with highlight reel moments as he cut, weaved, and utterly outran the Niners defenders, including an overturned 81-yard romp that, had the coaches been on the ball and gotten the kicking team on the field before San Fransisco could challenge the play, would have resulted in a three-touchdown effort instead of just two.

He contributed in the passing game as well, hauling in three passes for 25 yards, even attempting a pass in the first half that would have resulted in a touchdown had he completed it.

NFL defenses, meet the most recent iteration of “Slash.”

Except this time, it means he will slash your defense to bits if you let him get up a head of steam.

Which takes about one-half of a step.

The Titans’ defense made another respectable showing, holding Frank Gore to under 100 yards and picking San Fransisco quarterback Alex Smith three times, once in the first quarter and twice in the fourth, with the last pick by Cortland Finnegan coming off of a “lucky” bounce that resulted in a return for a touchdown.

They still gave up almost 300 yards through the air, which has got to change if they expect to maintain this momentum. But with Finnegan back from injury, and both Chris Hope and Michael Griffin playing smart at the safety positions, they are showing signs of turning the corner very soon.

LenDale White, for all his bluster, was a mere afterthought in the running game, handling the ball a paltry four times for three yards, including getting stuffed at the goal line on third-and-barely before relinquishing the ball to Johnson on the next play, who promptly ran around the left side for his second touchdown of the game.

Speaking of afterthoughts, how about that Vince Young?

While 12-of-19 for 172 yards doesn’t completely stink up the stat sheet, it doesn’t exactly impress. Of course, anyone listening to the TV broadcast would think differently; the broadcasters went out of their way to heap their praises on him, waxing on about how much he has improved and matured, and how he seems to be getting the hang of the game.

I certainly would hope so, considering what he is being paid to do just that.

Sure, he ran for a touchdown on a designed quarterback scramble. Which, for those who may be a little fuzzy on the concept, is a play that just about EVERY quarterback in the league has run at one time, or another.

Successfully.

Even the big, slow, lumbering ones.

Sure, he didn’t throw any interceptions, which appeared to impress the broadcast crew to considerable extent, but he also threw ZERO touchdowns.

And his effort on third down, while not completely inept, wasn’t exactly spectacular. Four-of-12 on third down is NOT what I would call an awe-inspiring ability to “keep drives alive”.

That is what the kool-aid argument is, isn’t it? That he has the ability, with his athleticism, and rushing ability, to “keep drives alive?”

Thought so. Nice run on third-and-five to pick up two yards in the fourth quarter, by the way.

To summarize, Chris Johnson put on another game-winning performance in his already league-leading rushing season, the defense showed that they appear to understand the concept of not letting the other team score more than their own team, and Vince Young didn’t completely stink, nor did he do anything to cause the Titans to lose.

I suppose, by some estimations, this counts as a successful outing for the Wunderkind.

After all, if his supporters are happy with him simply not losing, then who am I to judge?

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Titans Victorious: Defense and Rushing, NOT Quarterback Change, Key

So the Titans were able to get a victory, their first of the year, against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars this week.

Who gets the credit?

Before we determine that, let’s look at some numbers so we can put our emotions and opinions in perspective, shall we?

Player No. 1’s numbers look like this: 15-of-18 for 125 yards, one touchdown.

Player No. 2’s numbers look like this: 24 attempts for 228 yards, two touchdowns.

Now, if you didn’t already know I was taking about the Titans, which player would you say contributed more to the victory?

Anyone who said player No. 1 is an intractable bore.

Yes, Vince Young will be credited with the Titans’ first win of the season, although he didn’t do much more than—dare I say it?—manage the game. Going 15-of-18 for 125 yards is a pedestrian effort by ANY standard. For most quarterbacks this side of high school, that would be considered an off game.

Young, however, gets to look at those numbers and think he did something special.

“Wait a minute!” you cry. “Vince was able to threaten to run, and that was what made the difference!”

Really? Well then let’s do another numbers comparison.

Player No. 1: Three attempts, 22 yards, longest run of 12 yards. Average of 7.3 yards per carry.

Player No. 2: 12 attempts, 30 yards, longest run of eight yards. Average of 2.5 yards per carry.

Which player, based on average yards per carry, looks like the more dangerous runner?

Player No. 1, you say? If you didn’t, you should: 7.3 yards per carry is nothing to sneeze at. But those were David Gerrard’s numbers, and it didn’t seem to matter much.

“Wait a minute!” you exclaim. “Vince ran it 12 times, so he obviously is a bigger threat to run the ball!”

Really? At 2.5 yards per carry, I would let him do that all day. First-and-ten, second-and-8 (they round UP, guys), third-and-5, fourth-and-two. How many times are they gonna go for it on fourth-and-two?

Not too many. Three-and-out, punt.

Besides, if the quarterback is having to run all the time, what does that say about the pass protection, or the receiver’s ability to get open for a pass? Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy for the Titans, happy for the Titans fans who spend good money to see their team compete.

But the difference in this game was NOT who was under center.

The difference in this game was not solely the fact that Chris Johnson ripped off 228 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, although that didn’t hurt. But he’s been running past defenders all year, and the Titans were 0-6 before today.

No, the difference is that the defense actually remembered how to play football .

For a while there it didn’t look like Tennessee would pull it off, despite Johnson’s stellar performance and Young’s expert management of the game. Maurice Jones-Drew ripped off two 80-yard touchdown runs, and it looked like that was going to take the wind out of the Titans’ sails.

But apparently the specter of losing again after being trounced—and rightfully blamed, I might add—by New England 59-0 was too much for the defense to bear, and they stepped up their game.

Or maybe the curse was actually lifted; either way, Tennessee’s defense began to play with some heart, and it showed.

Stephen Tulloch’s hit on David Gerrard in the third quarter made my chest hurt.

Cortland Finnegan remembered how to play the Cover-2 zone, and picked Gerrard off early in the fourth quarter to put a stop to a potential scoring drive.

Kyle Vanden Bosch got his first sack of the year—yes, of the year —as part of a four-sack effort put on by a suddenly inspired defensive unit.

And again, Vince Young’s performance was more “don’t screw up” than “go out and win it for us”: he threw his last pass with more than five minutes left in the third quarter, his longest pass was 18 yards, and all in all he did a tolerable job of proving that he knows which way to turn when handing the ball off.

So let’s not crown him the future of the organization just yet; I’m sure all the kool-aid drinkers out there are rushing to buy their VY jerseys right now, but keep a little perspective, folks.

Chris Johnson is far, and away more valuable to the Titans organization right now that Young is. Until he shows he can put the team on his shoulders and win with his arm and his legs, instead of dumping short passes over the middle, scrambling a few times, and handing off for 75 percent of the game, Vince Young is nothing more than an efficient snap receiver and hand-off specialist who happens to be able to run and throw a little bit.

In short, after Sunday’s performance, he is as worthy of the tag “game manager” as Kerry Collins, or any other quarterback, ever was.

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Vince Young: A Talented Quarterback, but Ultimately Flawed

Poor Vince.

As we all should know by now, Vince Young has once again been handed the reins to the Tennessee Titans offense as they prepare to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team they have already lost to during their 0-6 slide and the same team that started all the problems for Young last year.

Or, at least, the same team that exposed his problems.

I am sure we all remember the game, where Young threw two interceptions—the second one booed loudly—before inexplicably removing himself from the game with just over four minutes left to play.

He was limping like his leg was bothering him, but in all likelihood it was more the injury to his ego that took him out.

Because you see, Young does not like to lose. And he sure doesn’t like to be held responsible for a team’s poor performance.

Unfortunately, this was not something he had much exposure to prior to his NFL debut.

Going into the contest with Jacksonville, his supporters proclaim he has changed, that he grew up after being benched by coach Jeff Fisher and forced to watch as the Titans were successful without him. They say that he has been patiently waiting for his shot to return to the forefront of attention and prove to the world, so to speak, that he is a different Vince Young.

Of course, his petulant attitude during the summer, when he as much as demanded to be played or traded, would say otherwise.

But honestly, it’s not his attitude that is going to be his biggest problem.

His biggest problem is going to be his inability to adjust, his unwillingness to change. That is what will ultimately end the career of Vince Young.

Some supporters want to compare him to Donovan McNabb—a big, strong agile quarterback who has the ability to make plays with his legs as well as his arm.

Some have even gone so far as to invoke the name of Randall Cunningham, the former Eagles quarterback who was such a prolific runner that he often led his team in both rushing and passing yards.

OK, maybe I’m remembering Tecmo Randall, but you get the picture.

I’m more inclined to compare him to Kordell “Slash” Stewart, who had a flash of success in Pittsburgh before his performance and production took a nosedive, resulting in a career that saw him lose three starting positions with three different teams before ultimately being released in 2005, never to be considered by another team again.

Their careers are so strikingly similar, it almost seems scripted.

Both wear No. 10 in honor of their mothers: Stewart’s mother died of lung cancer when he was 10; Young’s mother’s birthday is June 10.

Both played in college systems that were designed around their particular abilities; Stewart played in an option-heavy system in Colorado, and Young’s ability to run precipitated a change in Texas from a traditional I-formation system to a three-wide shotgun formation, which ostensibly gave the Longhorns more “options” in play selection but ultimately could have been called “Let Vince Run.”

Which he did, amassing over 3,000 rushing yards in his three years as a quarterback—he was redshirted his freshman year so he could “learn” the playbook. He did have considerable success passing in his senior year, throwing for just over 3,000 yards and ending the season as the top-rated college quarterback. 

Stewart was also a prolific runner in college, racking up nearly 1,300 yards rushing. He had a bit more success throughout his career passing, racking up over 2,000 yards each of the three years he was a starter.

But both quarterbacks were seen as a double-threat during their college days.

In their first full seasons as starting quarterbacks in the NFL—Stewart in 1997 and Young in 2007, 10 years apart—they led their respective teams to playoff berths before both fell short of making it to the Super Bowl.

Both quarterbacks invoked declarations of “revolutionizing” the quarterback position with their ability to run and pass as defenses struggled to defend against them.

Following their respective first playoff seasons, both quarterbacks struggled to repeat their performances, because NFL defensive coordinators did figure them out. Young made it one game before injury and fan fickleness prompted his ouster; on the other hand, Stewart was able to hang on for two seasons, going 7-9 in 1998 and 6-10 in 1999 before being replaced by Kent Graham the following year.

And it is here that Stewart’s career truly becomes a harbinger for Young’s future.

Stewart regained his starting job after the Steelers started 1-3 in 2000. He was able to rally the team to a 9-7 record that year, barely missing the playoffs. The following year he led the Steelers to a 13-3 record, earning them a playoff berth, quieting the naysayers who had proclaimed that he wasn’t capable of leading the Steelers to victory, and taking the Steelers to the AFC Championship game.

But they lost the game, thus beginning a three-year odyssey that resulted in Stewart’s ultimate departure from professional football. Stewart struggled again in the 2002 season, and after throwing an interception in the end zone against the Cleveland Browns three games into the season, he was permanently replaced by Tommy Maddox and cut the following year.

Young is taking over for a team that is in the throes of a horrendous losing streak. While it is unlikely that the Titans will finish 9-7, it is mathematically possible. Next year, who knows? The Titans could again go 13-3 and make the playoffs.

The question is, does Vince Young really have the ability to adjust? Will he remain a one-dimensional quarterback, or will he develop into a well-rounded leader?

The jury is still out on that question. Some say he did it at Texas, so he can do it in the NFL, but that is an apples-to-oranges comparison. College teams are rife with players who graduate and go on to have wonderful careers in other fields; the NFL is populated by players who are at the top of their game.

So far, VY hasn’t shown that he intends to play any differently than he did before losing his job. And there’s the rub.

Young’s college success hinged on him being allowed—even expected—to win the game with his legs. NFL defensive coordinators may get taken in by that at first, but they will adjust. Once that happens, and it will happen quickly , mind you, will Vince be able to settle in to learning a passing system?

Or will he run his way right out of the NFL?

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Titans Players, Past and Present, Try to Reverse “Terrible” Curse

I hate to say I told you so, but…actually, I lie. I really don’t mind at all saying I told you so.

Athletes, especially professional athletes, are superstitious.

The Tenessee Titans are winless since Dec. 21, 2008, in a slide that has even the most well-informed pundit completely bamboozled. On a team that returned 20-of-22 starters from their 13-3 season a year ago, any number of things have gone wrong to turn a preseason favorite into a winless cellar-dweller.

They even added talent on both sides of the ball that was supposed to help them get over the hump, all to no avail. Not only are they losing games—badly, to say the least—they are losing players left and right to injury.

Now, I’m not the first to make mention of the curse of the Terrible Towel—those with short memory spans will note that the Titans’ losing streak began the week after LenDale White, Keith Bulluck, and other Titans stomped, kicked, spit on, and otherwise defaced the Pittsburgh Steelers’ well-known fan symbol, and have to this point been completely unapologetic.

I was but one voice in a cacophony of voices, both serious and jesting, that pointed out the connection between The Stomp and The Slide.

It would seem, however, that attitudes are beginning to change, at least publicly.

At the urging of former player and teammate Brad Hopkins, long a fan favorite in Nashville, both Keith Bulluck and LenDale White magnanimously autographed a Myron Cope “Official Terrible Towel” and shipped it via overnight delivery to the Allegehany Valley School in Pittsburgh, the organization that benefits from the sale of the towels.

No word, of course, on whether it is the actual towel that was stomped, or a stand-in.

Either way, it is quite a gesture from both Bulluck and White, both of whom have downplayed their actions until this event.

According to Thom Abraham, who hosts a sports talk show with Hopkins on a Nashville radio station, Bulluck even asked how he could do more to contribute to the organization.

“The players were happy to do it, especially for the charity,” Abraham was quoted as saying.

Said Hopkins, “We can’t figure out what is wrong with this organization, so we figure it had to be the towel.”

I told you so. There, I said it.

Realistically this is wishful thinking, of course, but at this point the Titans will likely take anything they can get—within reason—to turn this season around.

For example,  Jeff Fisher made the expected announcement of the switch to Vince Young after Thursday’s practice, citing that it was an “organizational decision” with the team being at 0-6.

“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if we were 3-3,” Fisher said.

Ironically, Jacksonville is the last team that Young started against before being booed by Nashville fans over interceptions, and sustaining an injury to his knee that got him pulled from action. Kerry Collins has started all but one game since then.

It is also ironic, or at least highly coincidental, that Bulluck and White decided to try and ward off The Curse on the same day that Young was announced as the starter.

So the question is this: If the Titans win this week, who gets the credit?

Vince Young for his stellar play in providing the spark the Titans have been looking for?

Or Keith Bulluck and LenDale White, for the acceptance of their misdeed and attempt to atone for it?

I ask you, Titans fans…how superstitious are you ?

Oh, yeah: I told you so.

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For the Tennessee Titans, Success Might Hinge on “Wild” Use of Personnel

The Tennessee Titans go back to work this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that has already beaten them once this year.

In the midst of an 0-6 slide, with a wide receiver corps that seems to have forgotten how to catch the football, a defensive backfield that seems to have forgotten how to defend against the pass, and a front seven that is having problems getting to the opposing quarterback, they now have a quarterback controversy.

But it doesn’t have to be a controversy.

Bear with me for a moment while I elucidate on an idea given to me by a very good friend over the weekend; a friend whose football background is more extensive than mine, and whose only NFL flaw is that he is a San Fransisco 49ers fan.

In order for this idea to make sense, you must also pretend for a moment that Javon Ringer isn’t injured, possibly bad enough to keep him out for a few weeks.

Now, to the idea.

Vince Young is an extremely mobile quarterback; not exactly accurate when scrambling, but most assuredly fleet of foot when running the ball.

Chris Johnson is arguably the fastest running back in the NFL, if not the fastest player in the league.

LenDale White still has the ability to crash the line for good chunks of yardage.

Jevon Ringer showed us in New England that he can be a slippery running back.

Lastly, Kerry Collins can still throw the ball, and if absolutely pushed to do so, can run the ball, albeit slowly and usually in a straight line.

So the question is: Why isn’t Tennessee running the Wildcat? 

I know it sounds nuts, but throwing the ball obviously isn’t working real well right now. Receivers are dropping too many balls to make the Titans passing game a serious threat.

Why not utilize the talent available in an unconventional way?

I would put money on it generating almost double the offense we are currently seeing.

The only hitch is the defense; as Miami proved against New Orleans last week, putting up points isn’t enough. You have to keep the other team from putting up more .

Against Jacksonville this shouldn’t be an issue, although David Gerrard did go for over 300 yards against the Titans’ secondary in their last meeting.

Let’s be honest here. Vince Young’s strength is not in his arms, it is in his legs. For all his “play me or trade me” talk in the preseason, his two appearances this year haven’t exactly struck a chord of confidence in his passing abilities.

But he can still run.

As for Chris Johnson: How many times have we seen him turn the corner, hit the jets, and make defenders look like they were jogging? And do it without seeming to exert any effort at all, a la Usain Bolt?

If LenDale White can put his ego aside for just a minute, he would see who the better running back is. But White is not without his abilities; he is still a big enough back to pound runs up the middle, and he needs to lean on that skill to get him to the next level.

Jevon Ringer (yes, I know he is injured, but just pretend , okay?) appears to have a set of skills similar to Johnson, just in a lower gear. Imagine LenDale White and Vince Young lined up behind center, with Ringer and Johnson split out on either side running across the backfield.

Who do you focus on?

Kerry Collins is slower than a seven-year itch, so no one would expect him to run out of the Wildcat formation. When he is in, the play would have to be a pass.

Which is exactly why running Collins out of the Wildcat would work, at least once or twice a game. And he would still have the option of slinging one deep once defenders started cheating on him.

Even wide receivers Justin Gage, Nate Washington, and Kenny Britt could get in on the action. All three are speedy receivers who can get around the corner and down the field on a reverse.

Look at it this way; what would it hurt? the Titans are already at 0-6, and the attitude in the locker room is going to get real sour real quick if that doesn’t change.

At least by running the Wildcat the Titans would be demonstrating that they are willing to go to any extreme to put on a show for their fans.

And ultimately, that is what it is all about, isn’t it?

And Chris, just kidding about the Niners. Seems like Mike Singletary does know what he is doing out there after all.

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Tennessee Titans Owner Bud Adams Speaks; As if Things Aren’t Bad Enough!

Well, he’s gone and done it now.

Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams has come out publicly in support of starting Vince Young over embattled quarterback Kerry Collins, citing the need to “find out how well he can do.”

Adams also stated that he has wanted Young in the game for some time, since “Kerry has been having his problems out there.”

Has Bud even been watching the games?

Collins is not the one having the problems.

The wide receiver corps is having problems catching footballs; one half of the running game is having problems holding onto the football and hitting the holes; the entire defensive backfield is having problems remembering how to play football, for crying out loud. 

But Kerry Collins can only put the ball in the receivers’ reach and hope they can pull it in; Kerry himself, though, has not been having problems out there.

Bud also backed up his support of Young with the assertion that, “Vince has won a lot of games for us.”

Vince has also lost a lot of games. And he has demonstrated a propensity to act out when things get tough.

Fans in Nashville are fickle, and the VY haters will be merciless. How will he react this time if he throws two interceptions, and the boos start raining down again? 

Head coach Jeff Fisher has managed to avoid any quarterback controversy all year long, solidly stating his intentions each and every week that Kerry Collins was the starting quarterback and would remain so.

But this week, after Papa Bud inserted himself into the equation, Coach Fisher is mysteriously noncommittal.

Prediction: Fisher will start Young, and the first time he screws up, he will yank the cord and put Collins back in.

Jeff Fisher is anything but a pushover. If he is like any other successful coach in the NFL, the one thing he cannot stand is to be told how to coach.

By anyone. Even the owner .

Unfortunately, the NFL is rife with owners who think they know better than the men they hired to coach their teams. Bud Adams, Al Davis, Jerry Jones, even Dan Snyder all fall into this category.

I’m sure there are more, but these names stick out prominently.

One other thing that sticks out about these owners is that once they begin meddling, the end of the road for the particular coach with whom they are interfering is looming on the horizon.

If the coach in question does not respond properly—i.e. do as he is told and like it—then said coach is looking for a new job.

While Al Daivs is unique amongst owners as having also been a coach of the team he owns, he is still the owner, and not the guy on the sidelines with the players.

The owner is the guy who fronts the money for player paychecks, not the guy who has to tell the player he is being fined for actually tackling someone on the football field.

The owner is the guy up in the luxury box during the game, schmoozing with deep-pocketed fans, not the guy in the locker room having to keep the players’ minds on the task of playing football, sharing the successes and shouldering the blame—publicly at least—for the failures.

The owner is the guy who checks in at the practice facility to “see how things are going,” usually in a suit and tie and never out in the sun for too long; not the guy out on the practice field with the players, sweating in the sun, freezing in the cold and the rain, pouring his heart and soul into trying to make the team right.

In other words, the owner is the guy who needs to sit back and let the coach he hired do the job he has been hired to do; if he’s unhappy with him, replace him, but don’t undercut his authority publicly.

That is one sure way to make a bad situation worse.

If there are any doubters, one need go no further than a former Houston Oilers fan, any Oilers fan, who remembers why the Oilers left Texas.

Something will come up about Adams micromanaging and meddling in coaching affairs, instead of keeping a respectable distance from day-to-day operations he has no background in.

Granted, he does own the team, and can do what he wishes. But if he wishes to remain in the good graces of his newly-adopted town of Nashville, Tennessee, he would do well to remember the lessons learned in Houston.

Wait a minute, I forgot. Multimillionaire oil barons don’t learn lessons; they give lessons.

Pay attention, class, Bud Adams is about to give a lesson in stupidity.

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Tennessee Titans Back to Work After Bye: “Success” Still Elusive

Pay close attention football fans, because I am about to elucidate very deeply and philosophically:

There are no…moral …victories…in professional football.

I’ll give you a moment to compose yourselves.

All better? Good, let’s move on.

NFL players are athletes at the top of their field who are paid grotesque sums of money to perform to the limit of their abilities for 17 weeks out of a 52-week calendar (or more, depending on the playoffs).

These salaries are paid by the grotesque amounts of money that fans spend on tickets, concessions and sports memorabilia to watch their favorite team perform at its highest level on Any Given Sunday.

Or Saturday. Possibly Thursday and, for the lucky ones, Monday night. But I digress.

Therefore, any assertion that the Titans can come back from the bye week and achieve a modicum of success by showing marginal improvement in their play is nearly laughable.

Unless, of course, you are a dyed-in-the-wool Titans fan looking for something, anything, to justify your continued patronage of the organization. Then the slightest glimmer of hope would be enough to say, “Hey, they’re getting better!”

Otherwise, it stinks as a philosophy. Because as it stands, they can’t really get much worse.

What the Titans need to do is figure out where the breakdown is and duct tape it back together well enough to last through this season. If that means shuffling the coaching staff a little bit, then so be it. (This does not include head coach Jeff Fisher, who is more hamstrung in decision-making than most would believe; a loosening of the strings would be in order, though.)

If that means going out and finding a few old defensive backs who have been put out to pasture but still have some life left in them, fine, go get them.

If this includes replacing Kerry Collins with Vince Young to at least find out if Young can handle the pressure of the situation, get him in there and let’s see if he can stay afloat. 

At the very least they can find out what his market value is.

Maybe buying the receivers special “receiver” gloves—the kind with the butyl rubber coating that is one molecule shy of being “stick’um”—to improve their ball-catching abilities would be a wise investment.

While they’re at it, they could send someone to the liquor store to pick up a bottle of tequila for LenDale White.

They definitely need to get the ball to Chris Johnson more; all he has done is run his tail-end off all season.

He can’t do it alone though, so the rest of the team is gonna have to step up.

No one truly expects the Titans to run the table and make the playoffs this year; right now, that sounds as silly as suggesting that they can make themselves feel better by losing close games instead of blowouts the rest of the season.

They can, however, make it known that their troubles are behind them and put all the teams on the remainder of their schedule on notice: when you come to play us, you’d better bring your “A” game, because the silliness is over.

Next season may bring a whole new lineup to the table, but this season there is little choice but to work with what you have.

Like a good friend of mine said recently, it’s time to put on the big-boy pants and go to work.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Tennessee Titans Back to Work After Bye: “Success” Still Elusive

Pay close attention football fans, because I am about to elucidate very deeply and philosophically:

There are no…moral …victories…in professional football .

I’ll give you a moment to compose yourselves.

All better? Good, let’s move on.

NFL players are athletes at the top of their field who are paid grotesque sums of money to perform to the limit of their abilities for 17 (or more, depending on the playoffs) weeks out of a 52-week calendar.

These salaries are paid by the grotesque amounts of money that fans spend on tickets, concessions and sports memorabilia to watch their favorite team perform at its highest level on Any Given Sunday.

Or Saturday. Possibly Thursday and, for the lucky ones, Monday night. But I digress.

Therefore, any assertion that the Titans can come back from the bye week and achieve a modicum of success by showing marginal improvement in their play is nearly laughable.

Unless, of course, you are a dyed-in-the-wool Titans fan looking for something, anything, to justify your continued patronage of the organization. Then the slightest glimmer of hope would be enough to say, “Hey, they’re getting better!”

Otherwise, it stinks as a philosophy. Because as it stands, they can’t really get much worse.

What the Titans need to do is figure out where the breakdown is and duct tape it back together well enough to get through this season. If that means shuffling the coaching staff a little bit, then so be it. (This does not include head coach Jeff Fisher, who is more hamstrung in decision-making than most would believe; a loosening of the strings would be in order, though.)

If that means going out and finding a few old defensive backs who have been put out to pasture but still have some life left in them, fine, go get them.

If this includes replacing Kerry Collins with Vince Young to at least find out if Young can handle the pressure of the situation, get him in there and let’s see if he can stay afloat. 

At the very least they can find out what his market value is.

Maybe buying the receivers special “receiver” gloves, the kind with the butyl rubber coating that is one molecule shy of being “stick’um,” to improve their ball-catching abilities would be a wise investment.

While they’re at it, they could send someone to the liquor store to pick up a bottle of tequila for LenDale White.

They definitely need to get the ball to Chris Johnson more; all he has done is run his tail-end off all season.

He can’t do it alone though, so the rest of the team is gonna have to step up.

No one truly expects the Titans to run the table and make the playoffs this year; right now, that sounds as silly as suggesting that they can make themselves feel better by losing close games instead of blowouts the rest of the season.

They can , however, make it known that their troubles are behind them and put all the teams on the remainder of their schedule on notice: when you come to play us, you’d better bring your “A” game, because the silliness is over.

Next season may bring a whole new lineup to the table, but this season there is little choice but to work with what you have.

Like a good friend of mine said recently, it’s time to put on the big-boy pants and go to work.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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