Bleacher Report - Articles by Bryan Hollister

With Vince Young in the Limelight, Johnson Quietly Closing on Record

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:54:53 -0500

He dodges. He stutter-steps. He fakes left, then darts right.

And before you know it, Chris Johnson has eluded you, passed you like you are standing still, and scored. Sometimes from deep in his own territory.

So why isn't he front-page news?

Because he plays on the same team as Vince Young, that's why.

Young's unbelievable resurgence in leading the Tennessee Titans on an unprecedented comeback from an 0-6 start is certainly newsworthy; not only did doubting football fans not expect him to be able to do it, but no one could have guessed the Titans would be one game back of contending—seriously contending—for a wildcard spot at this point.

Yet here they are, and Vince Young is rightfully basking in the glow of the limelight.

But he hasn't shouldered the burden alone. Chris Johnson deserves at least some of the credit.

While the Titans were losing, he was the lone bright spot in a cloud of controversy. With two noteable exceptions against Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, Johnson rushed for right at or over 100 yards a game, averaging 99.3 yards per game for the first six weeks.

In his last five games, however, he has turned up the wick, picking up better than 130 yards in each contest and averaging—averaging —an astounding 160 yards per contest.

Unprecedented, to say the least. Record-setting at best.

For those of you counting, thats 6.5 yards every time he touches the ball. His closest competitor averages 4.7 yards a carry. Not shabby, but not enough.

Johnson also has three rushing touchdowns of over 85 yards, and six touchdowns overall of 50 yards or more, including a 69-yard reception. In one season.

In total yards, he is ahead of where Eric Dickerson was at this point in the season when the rushing record of 2,105 yards was set in 1984 (for the record, Johnson wasn't even born then). He has also tied Dickerson and former Oiler great Earl Campbell as the only three players in history with six consecutive games with 125 yards or more. I would expect that record to fall next week against Indianapolis.

In fact, let's go ahead and call that a record too; no other running back in the Super Bowl era has had five consecutive games at better than 130 yards per game, at least as far as I can find out.

Want another record? He is the only player in league history to have six consecutive games of 125 yards while averaging five yards or better per carry, besting the great Jim Brown by one. So far.

The only fly in the ointment is that Dickerson averaged 131.6 yards per game in his record-setting season; at the moment, Johnson is sitting at only 126.9 yards per game.

In order to take the title, he will need nearly 142 yards per game over the next five weeks, and that is just to tie the record, not break it.

However, with five games left on the schedule against defenses that rank no better than 12th against the run, this is not an unmanageable task. With defenses having to account for the scrambling abilities of Vince Young, Johnson should have lanes aplenty to run through.

And of course, there is his blazing speed to account for. A 4.2-second 40-yard-dash? Please. The only way you catch him is if he lets you.

All in all, the best thing that could happen to Johnson is for Vince Young to continue his success, at least for the next five weeks. With all the attention elsewhere, he is likely to slip under everyone's radar and make off with Dickerson's mantle.

Then we could have yet another Music City Miracle to go along with the first two, and possibly the one where Tennessee runs the table on the season and makes the playoffs.

Wouldn't that be a season for the ages?

NFL's Changes in Post-Concussion Treatment a "Headache" for Players

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:22:34 -0500

In Tennessee, Arizona Cardinals' backup quarterback Matt Leinart faced off against a Tennessee Titans squad led by his college nemesis Vince Young, and lost.

In Baltimore, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Dennis Dixon, who had previously completed a grand total of one pass in the NFL, met "Joe Cool" Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens in primetime and lost.

Why is this an issue worthy of writing about, you ask?

Both Leinart and Dixon found out they were starting after Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger found out Saturday that they were scratched due to post-concussion symptoms that prevented them from playing.

Warner woke up Saturday morning with dizziness and fuzzy vision, and Roethlisberger was complaining about headaches. Once the coaching staffs of each team found out, it was over. Warner didn't even dress; Big Ben was relegated to third-string emergency status.

Enter Leinart and Dixon, neither of which had any idea they would be starters, and therefore had no preparation for the games they were about to play in.

Now, don't get me wrong: I am neither advocating that either starter should have been in the game, nor am I stating beyond a shadow of a doubt that the games would have ended any differently if they had. I am also not implying that Leinart or Dixon would have fared any better had they been given opportunity to get more reps in practice.

They are backups for a reason, after all.

What I am saying is this: the NFL's increased—might I add long overdue—attention towards and impending changes to their treatment of players exhibiting post-concussion symptoms is something that teams are going to have to prepare better for.

There is nothing that can substitute for the speed and stress of a game, but getting time with the first team in practice is crucial to the game plan. In Dixon's case, for example, Pittsburgh could have thrown in a few more wrinkles that would allow him to utilize his skill set better.

It also would have given him more opportunity to get his reads down, and he might not have thrown a pick to a big, slow, lumbering defensive end who dropped off in zone coverage in overtime.

In Leinart's case, he could have used the week to get his timing down and might have been able to connect on more of his longer pass attempts.

But one thing is certain: the rest of the offense for both teams would have been prepared for the decision and any adjustments that needed to be made could have been handled in practice instead of the locker room just prior to the game.

Concussions have long been a little-talked-about issue, the 500-pound gorilla in the living room that no one wanted to acknowledge. Players have played with their bells rung for years, and none of them thought twice about "shaking off the cobwebs" and getting back in the game.

But thanks to advances in technology, as well as a better understanding of the workings of the human brain, the issue isn't quite as taboo as it once was. Players are monitored closely following concussions, and if they can't pass the battery of post-concussion tests, they sit. Period.

The players don't like it too much, but it looks like they are going to have to live with it. The onus is now on the coaches to ensure that when a player suffers a concussion in a game, they know and understand that there are going to be changes in how it is handled. Backups are going to have to be ready to go and coaching staffs are going to have to make sure they get the preparation necessary.

In short, everyone is going to have to suck it up and live with the changes.

Ironically, that's just what the new treatment of concussions will allow them to do down the road.

Live with it.

OMG!: Vince Young Drives for 99, Tennessee Titans Win Fifth Straight

Bryan Hollister — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:43:43 -0500

Chris Johnson had another 150-plus yard effort in the matchup Sunday afternoon between the Tennessee Titans and the Arizona Cardinals, including an 85-yard rush for a touchdown in the second half.

But if you watched the same Titans game I did, then you're probably thinking, "Big, fat, hairy deal; did you see that catch?!?!?"

The catch I am referring to, of course, is the game-winning catch reeled in by rookie wide receiver Kenny Britt. After starting on their own one-yard line, the Tennessee Titans, led by resurgent quarterback Vince Young, drove 90 yards to the Arizona nine-yard line. With time running out and a touchdown needed to win, they looked like they were facing their first loss in the last five games.

They had already had to convert on 4th-and-long twice in the drive, both times on laser-accurate passes by a surprisingly efficient "Pocket Vince." In fact, Young had played well in the pocket all day; He really had no choice, as the Cardinals had done a fabulous job of keeping him there the entire game.

Arizona had him there again, 4th-and-goal from the nine-yard line, with four seconds remaining in the game.

Then it happened.

For only the second time in the game, Young escaped the pocket, scrambled out, and then threw a high dart to the middle of the end zone.

Enter Kenny Britt. Elevating high above the five players surrounding him, Britt hauled in the pass, took a hit on the way down, and tucked the ball away securely to score the final touchdown of the game with no ticks left on the clock.

The stadium erupted, as it should have.

Britt's reception to score the game winner was sweet redemption from the previous series. After catching a 53-yard bomb from Young, Britt was blindsided, fumbling the ball and appearing to put a dagger in the heart of the Titans hopes of a come-from-behind win.

But Vince Young and company would have none of it. After the defense gave them one more shot (no thanks to punt returner Kevin Kaesviharn, who seems to have developed an aversion to catching punts), the offense took over at the one-yard line. Playing like a seasoned pro, Young calmly stood in the pocket on the Titans 99-yard final drive and continued to prove to his detractors that he is more than just a scrambler.

He's still young and he will still make mistakes from time to time, but with each passing game, Young learns just a little bit more about what it means to be a professional quarterback.

His decision-making improves with each series. His accuracy is vastly improved. His pocket presence is beginning to take shape. That defensive coordinators find it necessary to contain him there lends credence to his ability to gain yards with his legs.

And it would seem that keeping him inside might not be as detrimental as one might think; Young threw for 387 yards and a touchdown against Arizona Sunday.

With this win, the Titans pull that much closer to pulling off the improbable: a 10-game streak to finish out the season and make the playoffs.

But with Chris Johnson running around like wildfire, and Vince Young continuing to step up his game, the improbable is beginning to look possible.

With Four Straight and Counting, Titans Set Sights on Improbable Goal

Bryan Hollister — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:44:21 -0500

If there's one thing I know about football, it is this—the improbable occurs with striking regularity.

In both individual accomplishments and team achievements, improbable events pepper the NFL history books. Memory alone conjures up the 1972 Dolphins undefeated season, going 14-0 in the regular season then 3-0 in the post season, a record that still stands.

Or how about the Immaculate Reception, a play that John Madden disputes to this day, to give the Steelers a victory over the Oakland Raiders and send them to the 1972 AFC Championship?

Individual accomplishments, you say? Rocky Bleier comes to mind, the scrappy Steelers running back who fought back from injuries received in combat during the Vietnam War to become a starting running back in Pittsburgh, winning four Super Bowl Rings.

Or maybe you're into recent events: How about Teddy Bruschi, the New England Patriots linebacker who suffered a stroke in 2005, only to return the next year and play until 2008? Or the erstwhile Detroit Lions, who did the seemingly impossible in losing all 16 of their games last year?

The point is, the improbable happens all the time.

So I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that the Titans aren't out of the running for the post season just yet.

Considering that they are only two games out of the wildcard race with six games remaining, I'd go so far as to say they have a better than average shot at it.

It won't be easy; their next two opponents are the defending NFC Champion Cardinals and the currently undefeated Colts—both teams that they have lost to more than they have beaten.

While Arizona may only be 7-3, they have a deadly combination in Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald that could cause considerable trouble for the Titans secondary.

As for the Colts, they have Peyton Manning.

In Indianapolis.

In prime time.

On Christmas.

Sheesh.

Indianapolis also leads their division and is looking to guarantee themselves a playoff spot. So are Arizona and San Diego.

As for the other three, Miami is still in the hunt, and at 5-5 they need every game, just like the Titans do. A loss to Tennessee would prove costly in the tie-breaker. And vice versa.

Seattle has seven losses; while 9-7 was good enough to make the playoffs last year, it took Arizona winning the division to do it. Seattle won't be so lucky. But they can make plenty of noise as a spoiler.

We'll leave St. Louis alone because it isn't polite to speak ill of the dead.

All things considered, though, this is not an unmanageable task for the Titans. Herculean, maybe, but not impossible. Improbable, yes, but not out of the question.

They do still have Chris Johnson, arguably the best running back in the league. He is a threat to both run and catch the ball, and he shows no signs of slowing down a lick.

And as evidenced in the game against Houston, game-planning against him seems to have no effect on his ability to slip defenders and pick up big yards.

LenDale White can still shove it up the middle in goal line situations. Kenny Britt is developing into a stellar receiver. Bo Scaife is making himself known to defensive secondaries.

What else? Oh yeah—that Vince Young guy.

So far, Young has come out and improved every week, gaining more comfort in the pocket with each passing game, yet still able to swing outside and make defenses react to him being on the move. And when he does move, most times he makes it count.

On top of all that, four of Tennessee's six games are at home in front of what is sure to be a friendly crowd for Vince Young and Company.

That is, as long as they keep winning.

But who knows? Stranger things have happened.

Vince Young Works To Silence Doubters As Titans Win Four Straight

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:21:14 -0500

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.

Tennessee Titans' Chris Johnson Could Set Record and Salvage Season

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:00:11 -0500

With Tennessee Titans running back Chris "I'll see you in the end zone" Johnson rapidly piling up yards this season, there has been much speculation as to whether or not he will eclipse the 2,000 yard mark. Through nine weeks Johnson is averaging just over 121 yards per game.

With seven games remaining on the schedule, this average will put him at 1,939 yards, just shy of the goal.

But when you consider his last four games, three of which are wins, the numbers look a little different: 155 yards/game, including 128 yards in an otherwise horrendous game against New England.

That's quite a pace, but somewhat unrealistic. His current production, however, suggests that he might come in somewhere between the two extremes, meaning that if he averages 138-140 yards/game for the remainder of the season, he has a legitimate shot at eclipsing the mark set by Eric Dickerson 25 years ago.

However, there is nothing that says he will maintain this pace: as the season wears on, running backs wear down from the abuse of going full blast into defenders in search of downfield yardage.

Not to mention the fact that teams, particularly those with playoff aspirations, tend to turn up the wick as the regular season closes.

But Johnson is a little different. First of all, he has unreal speed. Once he gets free, he has a gear that no one has been able to match, easily outrunning defenders while making it look like he isn't even trying.

Secondly, he isn't known for grinding out short yardage between the tackles; LenDale White is responsible for carrying the majority of that load. When Johnson does run up the middle, he either slips through whatever hole he sees and gets gone, or bounces it back outside when there aren't any running lanes.

Forcing the issue inside is not his bailiwick, he knows it, and he plays the game that way.

Still, 2,000 yards in a season is not an everyday, or every season, accomplishment. In fact, only five running backs have managed the feat in their career; the pre-felony O.J. Simpson set the mark first with 2,003 in 1973; Eric Dickerson, the current record holder, put up 2,105 in 1984; Barry Sanders and Terrell Davis made back-to-back forays into the realm in 1997 and 1998, rushing for 2,053 and 2,008 yards respectively; and Jamal Lewis made the most recent showing in 2003, putting up 2,066 yards, coming the closest to knocking Dickerson off his perch.

The Titans seem to be on a roll of late; whatever spark it was Vince Young provided to Tennessee has seen them win three straight, and Johnson has been an integral part of each of those wins. With each passing week he seems to grow stronger, and if possible, faster.

And considering that a 10-6 record might have a shot at the playoffs, the Titans may be one of those teams playing for all they are worth in the last few weeks of the season. If this comes to pass, Johnson will be critical to the effort.

Still, the fact that only five men have ever broken the mark indicates that Johnson has his work cut out for him. Considering that this goal may become a driving force for the Titans as the season wanes, defensive coordinators are sure to game-plan against allowing Johnson the requisite yardage to join the rather elite group.

The Titans are capable of reeling off 10 straight wins: They did so last year en route to a 13-3 record. Of course, they started their run at the beginning of the season last year, but 10 straight is 10 straight no matter where it occurs in the season.

The catch-22 is this: Tennessee will need Chris Johnson to maintain his current production in order to have a chance at 10-6. And Tennessee realistically needs to run the table to give Johnson a chance at the record.

This won't be easy: Tennessee's next seven opponents have allowed an average of only 112 rushing yards per game through week 10, well below the mark Johnson needs to pass Dickerson.

However, their next game is against Houston—in Houston , mind you, which will be a homecoming of sorts for Vince Young.

If Young plays well in front of at least a marginally friendly crowd, Johnson surely will have as good, or better, a game as he did against Houston in week two, rushing for 197 yards in a losing effort.

In fact, only one team of Tennessee's remaining opponents have a defensive rushing average under 100 yards. If he stays fresh, Johnson is likely to eat those defenses alive.

If he does, and that's a mighty big IF , we will be crowning a new single-season rushing king at the end of the season.

And who knows? it might just be enough to salvage what many have already deemed a lost season for the Titans. On top of becoming the new rushing leader, Johnson just might wrest an MVP award out of the deal.

They'll need considerable help, to be sure; they are currently seeded 12th of 16 teams in the AFC.

But stranger things have happened. And who doesn't like a storybook ending?

Vince Young-Chris Johnson Combo Too Much to Handle, Bills Fall To Titans

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:07:21 -0500

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.

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 in 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. 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.

Titans' Chris Johnson Shines, Defense Rallies To Lead Tennessee To Second Win

Bryan Hollister — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:31:08 -0500

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?

Titans Victorious: Defense and Rushing (Not Quarterback Change) Key

Bryan Hollister — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:29:55 -0500

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.

Vince Young: A Talented Quarterback, but Ultimately Flawed

Bryan Hollister — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:15:48 -0400

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?

Titans Players Both Past and Present Try to Reverse "Terrible" Curse

Bryan Hollister — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:05:40 -0400

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.

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

Bryan Hollister — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:35:39 -0400

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.

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

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:51:41 -0400

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.

Tennessee Titans Back to Work After Bye: "Success" Still Elusive

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:03:51 -0400

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.

Open Letter to Steelers Kicker Jeff Reed: It's TACKLE Football!

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:56:06 -0400

As if his off-field antics weren't enough to warrant a speedy departure.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, after a slow start to the season, had rebounded nicely and were sitting on a 10-point lead over the undefeated Minnesota Vikings at Hienz Field Sunday, when troubled kicker Jeff Reed kicked the ball deep to Percy Harvin.

Then it happened.

Harvin found a seam and hit it hard, running towards the left sideline on what was looking to be a very good return. Reed was in perfect position to make it just that, a good return.

Instead, Reed did the unthinkable.

With Harvin in front of him, Reed sidestepped him, extended his arms, and executed a perfect playground shove, which did little more than get Harvin even further outside so that he could finish the return for the touchdown.

The kicker's job, for those who don't know, if that after he kicks the ball (which requires a herculean amount of skill and training), is to play safety; he is the last line of defense between a stop and a score.

If he isn't going to actually dirty his uniform and tackle anyone, his job is to position himself in such a way as to turn the runner back inside where the rest of the special teams are, in hopes that someone with some intestinal fortitude will actually tackle him.

Even the announcers were flabbergasted.

All three called the play horrible.

All three called the play inexcusable.

All three couldn't stop re-running the play, as if they thought that if they ran it again, it would not have actually happened.

On-field reporter Tony "the Goose" Siragusa acted like he wanted to walk down the Steelers sidelines and chew Reed a new one.

But it did. It did happen. Oh, how it happened.

Not surprisingly, Reed was shown later on the sidelines sitting starkly alone, which is better than he deserved. With one sissy move, he had swung the momentum away from the Steelers and back into the waiting arms of Brett Favre and the Vikings.

Yeah, I gave him heck for re-un-retiring, but Favre is still not the guy you want to give momentum to in the fourth quarter when trailing by less than a touchdown.

Fortunately for Reed, the Steelers defense was feeling it's oats Sunday, and put a stop to the Vikings comeback hopes thanks to an 82-yard interception return with 1:15 left in the game.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the defense stepped up and saved Jeff Reed's behind, and possibly his job, by cutting the Vikings' comeback hopes short at the end of the fourth quarter.

There are plenty of kickers around the league who would jump at the chance to play for the Steelers.

Between missed kicks, miffed kickoffs, drunken escapades, and now this, Reed is on his way to costing the Steelers big time in a clutch situation later this season.

Coach Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers adminstrative staff need to look long and hard at whether they want to continue keeping the potential liability that Reed is on the sidelines; or jettison him for someone who has a bit more sense, a lot more composure, and actually understands that if you are the last guy betwen the kick returner and the goal line, you TACKLE HIM .

Or at least slow him down a little bit so someone else can tackle him.

Titans' Jeff Fisher Told a Joke, Fans and Players in Tizzy They Need to Get Over

Bryan Hollister — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:23:57 -0400

I have three words for Titans fans who are calling for coach Jeff Fisher's head—and Titans players who act like he just kicked their dog—after a joke he made at a charity function Tuesday:

GET...OVER...YOURSELVES .

On Tuesday, following the Titans embarrassing 59-0 no-show of a game against the New England Patriots, Jeff Fisher appeared at a charity for Rocketown, and was introducing former Colts head coach Tony Dungy, widely held throughout the NFL as being one of the classiest, most respected, genuinely nicest guys around.

Fisher, dressed in a coat and tie, innocently asked the audience if they were as hot as he was. He was so hot, in fact, that he had to strip out of his coat, tie, and shirt, revealing—much to the delight of those in attendance—a No. 18 Peyton Manning jersey.

As he walked back up to the microphone he stated, "I just wanted to feel like a winner."

Titans fans lost their minds.

How dare he make light of the situation in Nashville? Does he not have any respect for his team, his players, his town, the fans? Is he so smug that he thinks he is infallible, and everything he does is above reproach?

Is he not the least bit worried that making light of the serious situation in Nashville could cost him his job?

I say again...GET OVER YOURSELVES .

Titans players acted like someone had called them a bad name during PE. LenDale White was particularly emotional in his response, even going so far as to say that no one has quit on the team, and that if he found out about it, there would be trouble.

REALLY get over yourself, LenDale.

Keith Bulluck and Jevon Kearse both were noncommittal in their comments, with both of them looking as if they might break down at any moment.

"It is what it is" was Bulluck's response. Is that the same way you feel about the performance you and the other 52 players put on last week, Keith? It is what it is, and let it be?

Jevon Kearse, if we will remember, was a healthy—A HEALTHY—scratch two weeks ago. Healthy players who are contributing to a team's success do not get scratched from the roster. So maybe his view of things is a little skewed.

Fans have their knickers in a twist, talking about how insensitive it was, how he should have thought before he acted, blah blah blah. As if they think Fisher is not aware of what is happening in Nashville.

If ANYONE is hyper aware of what is going on, it is Fisher. He has NEVER in his coaching career been exposed to this type of thing, and no one seems to be able to give him an answer. Not the players, not the coaches, NO ONE.

Fact is, he made a joke. And it was damned funny at that. If the Titans players want to feel like winners, then they need to STEP UP and start playing football. Stop acting like the whole world is against you, stop acting like you don't know how to play football, get out on the field and EARN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WE ARE PAYING YOU .

Here's a thought, Titans players: if you had done your job this season, then Coach Fisher wouldn't have had any fodder for a joke, now, would he? If you had even won a single game, and lost the rest of them in close contests, then the joke would not have been so funny, and yes, so biting, would it?

But you haven't. Instead you have played like a bunch of rank amateurs. The way you have played this year, you almost DESERVED the whipping you got in Foxboro. There has been more than enough time to adjust to the coaching change, and more than enough time for the DC and OC to get their heads straight and figure out how to put points on the board while keeping the other team from doing the same.

Fact is, NO ONE in Tennessee, including Coach Fisher, deserves to feel like a winner right now, because you AREN'T. Right now, with a couple of notable exceptions, you are all losers on the football field.

Period.

So if Coach Fisher wants to inject a little levity into a worthy cause, then so be it. If it ticks off a few players and makes them play harder, forces them to address their shortcomings on the field, then all the better.

If it goes the other way, and the players decide to "get even" by giving up, then all I have to say is, "Sticks and stones."

We learned way back in kindergarten about that one. So grow up.

Ben Roethlisberger: Give the Dangerous Steelers QB Respect or Call Him Rodney

Bryan Hollister — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:28:01 -0400

Nobody expected a lot from the kid out of Miami University in Ohio when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2004 draft. Granted, he had set every major passing record at the school in his three years as the starting quarterback and even led the team to an unbeaten record, a top-10 ranking, and a victory over Louisville in the 2003 GMAC Bowl.

But Miami University is a run-of-the-mill Mid America Conference college, not known for producing a slew of top notch NFL players. It's two most prominent luminaries are—were—John Pont and Bob Hitchens, both of whom made their names in the college coaching ranks.

Besides, the Pittsburgh Steelers had the resurgent Tommy Maddox, who had taken over for the failed Kordell Stewart just a couple of years earlier. "Tommy Gun" was doing just fine in the role of starting quarterback.

But Maddox went down to injury in the second game of the 2004 season, and Ben Roethlisberger, who the Steelers had intended to build slowly, was forced under center, having been elevated to the second string role due to an injury to perennial backup quarterback Charlie Batch in the preseason.

Week in and week out from that point on, he was criticized at every turn.

It'll never work, detractors cried. He's too big, too slow.

He isn't accurate. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.

He moves around too much; he's gonna get sacked, then hurt, and then it will all be over for him.

He holds the ball too long; his receivers can't run around out there forever.

But a funny thing was happening: He kept winning.

Sure, everyone talked about how he was just managing the game. That excuse is bandied about by detractors who have nothing better to cling to when the target of their criticism one-ups them by defying their predictions.

In fact, Big Ben, as he quickly came to be called, won every game he started in the regular season that year: a perfect 13-0 rookie record. During that run, he bested such luminaries as Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, and Eli Manning, putting on such an impressive display that he was selected as the Rookie of the Year, marking the first time in 34 years a quarterback had been given that award.

He had a slight hiccup in the playoffs, losing in the AFC Championship game, but hey, he was, after all, a rookie.

The very next year he led the Steelers to an 11-5 record, which earned them a sixth seed in the AFC playoffs. Working under the obligation of a promise he made to star running back Jerome Bettis at the end of the previous season, Roethlisberger took the Steelers to the Super Bowl, an improbable feat from the last seed in the playoffs.

Sure, his performance in his first Super Bowl leaves quite a lot to be desired; his 22.6 passer rating was a historical worst for a winning quarterback. But as a fabulous game manager, Big Ben came up, well, big when he had to, converting eight times on third down to keep drives going, and even scoring one of Pittsburgh's three touchdowns.

At 23 years old, he became the youngest quarterback to earn a Super Bowl victory.

Still, his detractors pointed out, he didn't really do anything to help the Steelers win. In fact, they said, he almost lost it for them. And he still runs around with the ball too much. He won't last long at all in this league.

Except, dang it all, he has.

After nearly killing himself during the offseason in a motorcycle accident, Roethlisberger's performance was noticeably off during the following year, with the Steelers going 8-8 in 2006.

The 2007 campaign was significantly better; Pittsburgh ended the year with a 10-6 record, and Ben had his most prolific passing year of his career, with 32 touchdowns and a 104.1 passer rating for the year.

Unfortunately, the Steelers came up two points short of advancing past the first round of the playoffs, losing to Jacksonville 31-29.

Then 2008 rolled around. Roethlisberger still had his detractors, but some of them were beginning to sing a different tune. Yes, he holds onto the ball for a long time, but if he got a little better protection up front maybe he could get rid of it from the pocket.

Yes, he keeps getting sacked, but he's huge and makes more guys miss; he can get out of situations that would cripple other guys.

He's still slow, but he doesn't have to be fast because one guy can't take him down.

In what is becoming typical Roethlisberger fashion, he set out to prove his critics wrong. With strong support from the running game—the exact opposite of what the Steelers reputation has been for years—a stifling defense, and a rookie head coach, Ben led the Steelers to a 12-4 record and No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

When the Tennessee Titans imploded against Baltimore, the road to the Super Bowl went through Pittsburgh.

This time they didn't squander home field advantage as they had in the past. This time, opponents came to town and left disappointed.

This time, Pittsburgh played the AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh, completed a three-game season sweep of the Baltimore Ravens, and went on to defeat the Arizona Cardinals in one of the most exciting, high-flying, back and forth Super Bowl battles in NFL history.

Big Ben redeemed his prior appearance in fine fashion, going 21-of-30 for 256 yards, his sole touchdown coming with 35 seconds remaining in the game, a six-yard fade to Santonio Holmes that ended up being the game-winning score.

Oh, and his rating? A more than respectable 93.2.

Not bad for a kid from Miami, OH.

This year's campaign has been more of the same, including a 419-yard effort against the Cleveland Browns, who used to be a fierce rival for the Steelers. Apparently someone has taken the bite out of the dog this year.

Roethlisbergers' record going into his sixth season speaks for itself, and what it says is that the guy wearing No. 7 deserves to be considered one of the best.

One hundred and eleven touchdowns.

Twenty come-from-behind victory drives.

A career passer rating of 90.9 (best among Steelers quarterbacks, including Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw).

Two Super Bowl wins.

Thirty-two games with passer ratings over 100.

Ten games with 300+ passing yards

Two games with 400+ passing yards.

Fifty-five wins in his first five seasons.

How much more do people want? When will it be enough? When will he get the respect he is due?

Is he a little arrogant? Sure he is; he has spent six years in the NFL hearing people talk about how he'll never be able to sustain his success, all evidence to the contrary. I'd get a little snippy about that, too.

Does he do some things he shouldn't on the field? Absolutely. Show me a quarterback who doesn't.

Fact is, he has performed at or above the level of most quarterbacks throughout the history of the NFL in his first five years in the league. And he's only getting better. For the next few years, he will be able to continue to play at his current clip. Another Super bowl—or two—is not out of the question.

All you haters out there, it's time to let go of the hate. this guy is good, and if your team traded for him next year you'd start dreaming about the Super Bowl.

It's okay, you can admit it. We won't be too hard on you.

We are Steelers fans, so we will be a little tough. But that's just our way of welcoming you into the fold.

Worst Team in Football? Tennessee Titans Defy Logic with Colossal Slide

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:34:59 -0400

Somebody tell me Vince McMahon is behind this.

A professional wrestling script is the only logical reason I can come up with for why the Tennessee Titans have gone, in the span of one season, from a team that was a legitimate challenger for the Super Bowl to arguably the worst team in football right now, a team that will be lucky to have the same personnel and staff come next season.

Notice what I said: not the best team not to win a game.

The...worst...team...in...football .

The jokes have already started around Nashville:

How do you keep a Titan from coming in your house? Put a goal line in front of your door!

The Tennessee Titans have been listed by Las Vegas bookies as seven point underdogs against the bye week.

Richard and Mayumi Henne have been hired to coach the defense; they evidently know something about disguising coverage . They will be introducing the new Falcon defensive scheme against Jacksonville, with balloon coverage on passing downs.

Fort Collins, CO police have declared the Titans season a scam and criminal charges are expected to be filed.

And finally....

Somewhere Pacman Jones is smiling and making it rain .

And this is from fans .

Damage control is in full bloom: Jeff Fisher and Bud Adams have both spoken publicly about Fisher's job, with Adams stating that he will not be making any changes midseason, and Fisher is attempting to simultaneously take responsibility for the breakdown and declare his eagerness to get back to work on Tuesday.

Comes off a little bit overzealous, if you ask me.

Fisher has already stated that putting Vince Young back in as starter if opportunity arose is not out of the question, but to hear former Titans wide receiver Drew Bennett talk about it, that would be the worst thing to do; according to Bennett, Young doesn't have the mentality to lead this team when they are winning, much less at 0-6 and headed for disaster.

Skills he has, said Bennett, but VY had his shot and he blew it by demonstrating an unhealthy propensity to pout and break down mentally when faced with adversity.

To paraphrase Gloria Stienem, it seems that Bennett feels the Titans need Young like a fish needs a bicycle.

I mean, come on; 20 of 22 starters returned from last years 13-3 team. Albert Haynesworth, who is currently enjoying the monstrosity of a contract he wrangled out of the Redskins, and rewarding them with sub-par, mediocre play; and Justin McCariens, who is currently a free agent with little prospect of being picked up, are the only two players not to come back.

Neither is truly missed, but the team is playing like they were the keys to victory last year.

The offense stayed under the tutelage of Mike Hiemerdinger, the architect of the Titans "miracle" year of 1999, and a decade later, the offense that helped the Titans go 13-3 in 2008.

Oddly enough, there has been nothing, absolutely zip, from or about defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil, who took over the suffocating defense from Jim Schwartz when he departed to Detroit and promptly turned it into a sham of a unit.

But even that is a little unfair; Cecil was the defensive backs coach last year, with the same crew of corners and safeties he has—or at least had, before injuries starting taking them out one by one—this year. Did they all of a sudden forget how to communicate?

Doubtful.

No, the Titans problems go much deeper than simple communication issues between coaches and players, or even between players and players. Communication problems don't just crop up out of nowhere.

Something happens in the relationship that makes it hard to get your point across, nearly impossible to read and react properly to the other person, and makes you shake your head and say publicly "I don't know what is going on, but there's no reason to point fingers because this is a team problem" while privately pointing the finger at the other guy for screwing things up.

Sounds almost like a marriage going down the tubes.

Maybe the team should spend the bye week in the Dr. Phil house and get their issues out in the open.

Because whether they deny it or not, they have issues.

Kerry Collins can say all he wants that he has seen this before and knows how to handle it, but that doesn't mean he has it under control. In fact, Collins' record should indicate to him that when this starts happening, he needs to have his real estate agent on speed dial.

Vince Young, for all his considerable athletic prowess, just isn't cut out to be a top tier NFL quarterback. Sorry, all you kool-aid-drinking VY fans out there, but facts are facts. If he were the answer, then his two appearances in the last two games would have showcased more than throw, almost get intercepted, hand off, hand off, kneel.

Either the Titans don't trust him to handle things even when it doesn't matter any more, or they are so worried about the effect of failure on Young that they are being overly protective, but either way, he won't get to achieve his NFL dream, folks; at least, I fear, not in Tennessee.

Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, and Justin Gage have dropped more passes than they have caught; I don't care who you have throwing it, if the receivers can't—or worse, won't —catch the ball, then it may as well be Joe Schmuckatelli off the street throwing it.

Britt can be excused to a point because he is a rookie wide receiver expected to produce big time for the Titans, and Nate Washington can be given the slightest bit of slack for having to deal with the obvious culture shock he is experiencing, but Justin Gage shouldn't be dropping passes like he is.

For that matter, none of them should; they get paid too much money to not be reeling in everything thrown their way.

The defense has two rookies on the corners that look like they just learned about American Football last week, and still have that "new helmet smell" around their locker.

I have never seen more dumbfounded looks on a football field than I did in Sunday's humiliation in my life. Every time a pass was caught, these two guys acted like it was the first time they had ever seen it happen.

And I used to coach 12-year-olds, so I know confused when I see it. If you want dumbfounded looks, that is the place to find them.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my boys, every one of them. But they were 12. Dumb looks are considered an art form at that age. In the NFL, they should be as rare as an eagle on a municipal golf course.

Keith Bullock just looks sad, legitimately sad, like he is mourning the loss of a favorite pet. He is too shocked to allow even a little bit of emotion to show in his interviews, and you know, just know , he is ready to rip someone's head off and do unmentionable things to the corpse.

Again, nothing at all has even been mentioned about Chuck Cecil.

But what caused the breakdown? Who said what or did what, or didn't do what, that has caused this utter and complete collapse?

Is there a possibility that all the talk about a "Terrible Towel Curse" has had some negative effect on the Titans? After all, there are those who would gladly point out corroborating evidence of other teams who have disrespected the Steelers symbol, only to pay dearly for it.

Don't get me wrong; I truly don't believe that Myron Cope's ghost is haunting the Titans sidelines wreaking havoc at every turn, but athletes are some of the most superstitious people on the planet.

And the mind is a powerful thing.

Could it be that the Titans have subconsciously decided that they screwed up big time with their rather unsportsmanlike antics last December, and the guilt is so overpowering that their play is affected before they even take the field?

Could they be secretly questioning themselves while at the same time displaying all the confidence in the world while on the practice field, thus masking the fact that they are just not feeling it?

Once again, my limited experience in youth leagues has shown me that there is a marked difference between practice and play; practice can look amazing, with everyone blocking, running, and covering exactly as they are supposed to.

But come game time, they act like they don't know which end of the football is up.

Is it too far-fetched to think that this is exactly the phenomenon affecting the Titans? Have they gotten it in their heads that they are gonna lose, and just go through the motions?

Their on-field attitude would certainly confirm that.

Whatever it is, they have an extra week to find a good headologist to help them figure it out. For those wondering, the difference between headology and psychiatry is that while a psychiatrist might try to convince the Titans that their problems were all in their head, a headologist would acknowledge the problems and provide them with the tools to address them. (Who said science fiction is useless? Terry Pratchett fans will know what I'm talking about .)

The Titans have only had three losing seasons since coming to Nashville. Oddly enough, they haven't been able to string more than two winning seasons together since beginning play on the east bank of the Cumberland River. And as recently as 2005, they went 4-12.

So it could be worse. But it couldn't be much more surprising.

Oh, did I point out that there hasn't been much talk at all about Coach Chuck Cecil?

Tennessee Titans Achieve New Heights in Reaching All-Time Lows

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:38:40 -0400

From the look on his face, even Tom Brady couldn't believe what was happening—and he was the one who was doing it.

Facing a Tennessee Titans defense that was short key players, staffed by rookies on the corners, and reeling due to its 180-degree turn from the dominating unit of a year ago, Brady led the New England Patriots to—for lack of a stronger term—a 59-0 victory against the Tennessee Titans in Foxboro Sunday afternoon.

Yes, you read that correctly. 59-0.

In conditions that should have leveled the playing field somewhat—thanks to global warming, it was snowing in New England...scratch that, it was a blizzard—the differences between these two teams could not have been scripted any further apart.

How bad was it? Well, at the risk of angrily smashing my keyboard as I recall the events of this afternoon, let's compare, shall we?

Kerry Collins threw 12 passes. He completed two of them, one in each half. Nine of them were dropped by receivers, and seven of those hit the receiver right between the numbers.

If he can't throw any more accurately than that, and make his receivers catch the ball, then I say give him the hook permanently.

By contrast, Tom Brady's receivers, playing—gasp!—in the same weather, didn't drop a single pass in the first half until 55 seconds remained on the game clock. In that half, the Patriots scored 45 points, with 35 of them coming in the second quarter.

All of them passes.

That were caught because someone wasn't where they were supposed to be.

Except one, which was actually a well-covered play, albeit man-to-man coverage of Randy Moss in the red zone by a rookie . Nice call, coach.

That's five passing touchdowns in a quarter. Never been done before in the NFL.

Not even when the passing game was new, and defensive backs didn't know how to cover receivers yet.

Brady finished his work early in the third quarter, going 29-for-34 and 380 yards, with six touchdowns. Did I mention that he threw five touchdowns in one quarter?

Brady also had a pass play go for over 40 yards, something he hasn't accomplished since 2007. He was two yards short on a second touchdown; in fact, of his six touchdowns, four of them went for 28 yards or more.

Answer me this: Who here thinks it is good practice to allow Wes Walker or Randy Moss get wide open at the second level with Tom Brady throwing the ball?

The funniest part of every catch made by the Patriots was that after each catch, the Titans defensive backs—all of them —looked dumbfounded. They held their hands up, shrugged their shoulders, and looked around as if to say, "I don't know what just happened. How did he catch that? Who was supposed to cover him? Why didn't anyone help me?"

Pitiful.

New England's rookie backup quarterback came into the game, completed 9-of-11 for 52 yards, and ran for a touchdown.

Vince Young threw two passes, one of which was an interception, and handed off the rest of the game. Then knelt down on the last play. Way to see what he can do for the organization.

Kerry Collins and Vince Young both threw an interception apiece, Young fumbled once and Collins fumbled twice. Add drops by Nate Washington, Ahmard Hall, and LenDale White—who was carted off the field shortly after the drop—and the Titans dropped the ball an astounding eight times, five of them resulting in turnovers.

New England didn't cough it up once.

Tom Brady was within spitting distance of a perfect passer rating: 28-for-34, 380 yards, six touchdowns. Zero interceptions. 152.8 passer rating.

Tennessee had not one, but two quarterbacks with 0.0 ratings. Actually, that's not entirely true: Collins somehow ended up with a 4.9 rating, but considering the fact that he had -7 yards passing, I think someone did the math wrong.

New England punted the ball one time in the game.

Tennesse's punter had more punts than the Titans had passing yards. But even Reggie Hodges contributed to the mayhem, shanking a punt for 21 yards as the second quarter was winding down.

Chris Johnson, for his part, did everything he could to keep hope alive. His 128 rushing yards was just three yards shy of Lawrence Maroney's effort for New England. But even Johnson's hard running wasn't enough to stem the flow of blood.

I'm even glad that the Tivo stopped early, because I felt like I was gawking at a car accident with fatalities. There was carnage everywhere, wreckage littered the entire scene, and watching the events unfold made me feel green around the gills.

All in all, the Titans put on arguably one of the worst performances, on both sides of the ball, that the NFL has seen in a long time.

Largest margin of victory in the NFL since 1970, the year the AFL and NFL merged.

Most passing touchdowns by a single quarterback in a quarter since 1950.

Worst start by the Titans organization since 1984.

Most points scored by one team in a half since 2002.

Suffice it to say, the Titans have some questions that need answers over the next two weeks, and some of the answers could be far-reaching.

Who will be the starting quarterback when the Titans take the field next?

Will Chuck Cecil and/or Jeff Fisher have a job at the end of the year?

Will the Titans put feelers out into the free agent market or the trade arena to see if there are any veterans who can bolster their defense?

Are blackouts imminent in Nashville when the Titans play at home for the rest of the year?

These questions and more face the Titans players and staff when they return to Nashville. How they respond over the next two weeks will determine whether they turn it around, or whether Tennessee pulls a repeat of Detroit's disastrous 2008 season.

I for one, know which way I am leaning right now. As my friend Chris Sharp jokingly (?) pointed out, the Titans are playing so badly at the moment, they face the bye week as seven-point underdogs.

Somewhere in Michigan, Lions fans are suddenly taking a keen interest in the Titans' remaining schedule. An 0-fer for the Titans this year makes it not quite so lonely in Detroit.

Tennessee Titans' Decimated Defense Gives Slim Hope Of Turning The Tide

Bryan Hollister — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:11:04 -0400

Winless.

0-5. That's a zero and a five. Cero y Cinco.

No matter how you say it, the Tennessee Titans are on the worst slide their franchise has seen in recent memory. Going back to the end of the 2008 season, Tennessee has lost seven straight, and things don't look to get any better this week against the New England Patriots.

Not helping matters are the mounting injuries on the defensive side of the ball, a defense that is little more than a shell of last year's dominant unit.

In five games this year the Titans have given up 1,900 yards of offense, over 1,500 of it through the air. Tennessee was three weeks further into the season last year before they allowed that mark to be eclipsed, and they didn't give up a 300-yard passer—one of only two on the year—until Week Nine.

This year, the only quarterback not to go over 300 yards has been rookie Mark Sanchez.

We won't even begin to talk about points.

Tom Brady may not be back to full speed yet, but he has got to be chomping at the bit knowing what he will be facing in the upcoming contest.

The litany of injuries to the Titans defense is chilling; nine players are dinged up, with five of them starters.

Starting cornerback Nick Harper, out with a broken arm.

Backup safety Vincent Fuller, doubtful with a bad forearm.

Starting cornerback Cortland Finnegan, questionable with a bad hamstring.

Starting defensive end Jevon Kearse, questionable with an injured foot.

Backup linebacker Colin Alred, questionable with a bum shoulder.

Starting safety Michael Griffin, questionable with a bad neck.

Starting defensive tackle Jason Jones, questionable with a bad shoulder.

Backup linebacker Stanford Keglar, questionable with a sore hamstring.

Only backup defensive end Jacob Ford and starting linebacker Stephen Tulloch, with ankle and knee injuries respectively, are listed as probable, but the fact of the matter is they still are listed with the injuries.

Any more injuries to the linebacker corps and someone gets activated from the practice squad.

As it stands, Tom Brady and the Patriots will face two rookie cornerbacks, Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty, and may have safety Kevin Kaesviharn at free safety.

While Kaesviharn isn't a rookie, his resume isn't exactly rife with highlight reel moments and hall of fame numbers.

The only statistic that the Titans have been able to maintain from last year is their rush defense; they are currently ranked third in the league. However, this is small consolation facing a team that relies on the air game; the Titans are taking the league's 31st-ranked pass defense into Foxboro to face the league's sixth-ranked passing attack.

the Titans' only true hope of getting off the ball, so to speak, is to put up big numbers offensively. They are ranked in the top ten in rushing, and while their 208 yards per game only ranks them 21st in passing, it matches them up well with New England's pass defense.

But not so fast.

With the Titans' postseason hopes realistically shot, there may be changes in their offensive makeup. While head coach Jeff Fisher has already stated that Young will be Kerry Collin's backup this week, he has alluded to the fact that starting Young is not out of the question; if Collins struggles, don't be surprised to see Young under center in the second half or sooner.

The Titans have shown they are capable of putting points on the board; they have also shown they are capable of holding teams to low numbers. They have also demonstrated a propensity for colossal blunders, either getting burned deep on defense or coughing up the football on offense.

Make a blunder against Tom Brady, and he will make you pay.

However, Brady has displayed a penchant for hesitation this year, understandable considering the injury he is recovering from. If the Titans can muster enough gumption to pressure him, they might stand a chance.

If not, then they go into the bye week at 0-6, with questions as to how they will proceed with the rest of their season.

For Vince Young fans, a loss this Sunday will be the clarion call for Collins' departure and Youngs reascension to the throne. While it is doubtful that a win will quiet them much, it will signal that Kerry Collins still has a grasp of things under center.

Either way, Collins or Young under center is not the question that realistically needs to be asked. What needs to be asked is just what the Titans intend to do to get their suffocating defense back. Defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil has had more than enough time to figure out what is wrong; now he needs to demonstrate he knows what to do to fix it.

Another poorly contested game on defense, and calls for his head are sure to begin echoing in Nashville.

With Injuries Afoot in Tennessee, Jevon Kearse Latest Casualty of Titans Defense

Bryan Hollister — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:31:20 -0400

Jevon Kearse was witnessed leaving the Tennessee Titans' training facility Thursday in a walking cast, the result of an injury to his foot during the day's practice in preparation for the upcoming contest against the New England Patriots.

Not the sort of thing you want to see from an already ailing, reeling Titans' defense.

Coach Fisher would not elaborate on Kearse's status; when asked about the extent of the injury, he stated, "We are checking him out. It's his foot. I don't know at this point."

Kearse, the 11-year veteran who has played most of his career in Nashville—he spent a brief interlude with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2004-2007—is the latest casualty on a Titans' defense that can ill afford to lose anyone else.

If he is unable to go Sunday, Kearse will join fellow starters Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper on the sidelines, with Safety Michael Griffin a probable scratch due to a neck injury.

Ailing but likely to play are defensive tackle Jason Jones, who is part of the rotation the Titans have employed this year to replace Albert Haynesworth, and safety Vincent Fuller; both saw limited action in Thursday's practice, but should end up listed as probable for Sunday's contest.

Considering that the Titans' defense has already allowed four of five passers to eclipse 300 yards this year, any more personnel losses on defense could be the nail in the coffin for their season.

Already effectively out of the running for the playoffs with five straight losses, the Titans have little more to hope for than to salvage a record over .500; a win against the Patriots this weekend, however unlikely, would go a long way in bolstering the increasingly waning confidence of the team and its fans.

NFL Weekly Whip Around: Week Five Musings

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:54:52 -0400

What a catch.

A full 360-degree turn in the air, catching the ball halfway through the rotation, then falling into the end zone for what should have been called a touchdown.

The fact that the referee overturned it—incorrectly, in my opinion—did not diminish the spectacular-ness of the catch.

However, this was just one occurrence of many that served to make this weekend special. Well, as special as any other weekend in the fall; it is, after all, football season, and we are well into it by now.

And with that, I bring you this week's installment of the whip around the league. There is something here for everyone, I am sure.

A little magic, a little razzle-dazzle, and as always, a thing or two to make you go, "What the #$%#?!?"

Albert Haynesworth Watch 2009

Well whaddya know: The big guy actually contributed a little this week, recovering a fumble in the opening minutes of the game that led to a Clinton Portis touchdown run.

Didn't make much difference, because the winless Carolina Panthers were able to rally in the second half to get their first win of the season over the lackluster Washington Redskins.

I understand that Dan Snyder is none too happy with his team at the moment.

Tackling Fundamentals 101, Part One: The Tackle

When did tackling the ball become a valid method of bringing a ball carrier down? I don't have the time, the inclination, or the space available here to start naming names, because I wouldn't want to leave anyone out.

Just pick a team highlight reel and you will see it, because it was all over the league this week: defenders with their heads down trying to knock a ball carrier over with a poorly placed shoulder shot—poorly placed because they couldn't see where it was going.

Other offenders are guilty of trying to hit the ball with their helmet, completely foregoing any attempt to wrap the ball carrier up. Others look to be playing patty cakes with the ball carrier in a struggle to gain control of the ball.

But the worst offenders don't even try to make contact: they try to swing around behind the ball carrier and swat at the ball as he runs past, with the typical result being that the ball carrier picks up additional yardage, occasionally scoring because the defender was more worried about a highlight reel play than good ol' fundamental tackling.

What ever happened to squaring up on a runner, making him commit, then getting your head across his body, your shoulder pad in his kidney, and plowing him into the ground? When did that become taboo?

And what ever happened to proper pursuit angles?

Tackling Fundamentals 101 Part Two:

Things being what they are, when are ball carriers going to get back to proper ball carrying? When are they going to figure out that defenders have only one thing in mind—to knock the ball loose—and start carrying the ball accordingly?

At first I thought I was just being nit-picky. Then I counted.

Last week there were a total of 51 fumbles. Let me say that another way: FIFTY-ONE fumbles. It doesn't matter how many of them resulted in turnovers, the ball was dropped by a ball handler 51 times!

If we consider for just a moment that this week was a typical week in the ball-handling department, then we can say that through week five there have been 255 fumbles. I can't look, I'm afraid I might be right. Someone else do that research and get back to me please?

I thought this was professional football; did I miss something?

Quarterbacks Are Football Players, Too

Look, I know that quarterbacks can find themselves in "compromising" situations. It takes guts to stand back there and throw the ball knowing that there is a possibility of being plowed by a guy you never saw coming.

And I get it, I really do; diving at the quarterback's knees is a dangerous move, and should be penalized.

BUT, when a defender just happens to brush the quarterback's legs on the way down after being blocked, is obviously doing everything he can to avoid hitting the quarterback in the knees, and doesn't even make the quarterback break stride as he flings a 30-yard pass downfield, calling a penalty is a bit much.

If we're gonna play that way, just put them in a red jersey and let's be done with it.

Attention, Chicago, Kyle Orton Was NOT Your Problem

Probably the most surprising team at 5-0 is the Denver Broncos, led by the quarterback that Chicago rejected. Now, I'm not saying that Kyle Orton is putting up Hall of Fame numbers, but he is coming up big in clutch situations.

He did so again this week, going the distance—and then some—against none other than Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, defeating them 20-17 in overtime.

Something tells me Denver isn't missing Jay Cutler.

Bullies Don't Win, and Winners Don't Bully

Yeah, I know it sounds a little passe, but it applies.

The "bad boys" act coming out of Baltimore is getting old. Ray Lewis built his career around being recognized as the biggest, baddest, nothing-sticks-to-me linebacker in the game (for those of you who are quicker than others, yes, that was a reference to the shooting incident after the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta).

But nowadays the facade is wearing thin.

For the second week in a row, Baltimore has been penalized for plays that were nothing more than one guy trying to intimidate another, resulting in losses for the Ravens against Cincinnati this week and New England last week.

The shot against Chad "Ochocinco" in Sunday's game smacked of nothing less than aggression for the sake of aggression.

Time to grow up, Ray. Lead by example, fine; just pick a different example.

Lesson Learned

When Mike Singletary took over in San Fransisco, he had a message for his players: no more showboating, no more individualism. They were a team, and they would play—and act—as such.

Dre Bly forgot the message, but he was reminded in a big way Sunday.

After picking off a Matt Ryan pass at the beginning of the third quarter, Bly did his best—or worst, depending on who you ask—Dieon Sanders impression as he jogged towards the end zone for what should have been a touchdown.

Wide receiver Roddy White had other plans, though, and caught Bly from behind, knocking the ball loose and taking the wind out of San Fransisco's sails.

Bly got the message: in a press conference Monday, he apologized to his team, his coach, his fans, and I think even his mother.

It's All Over But The Crying

At the conclusion of the week, four teams sat at 0-5, with an additional four teams at 1-4.

Buffalo, Cleveland, Tennessee, Oakland, Kansas City, Detroit, Tampa Bay, and St. Louis all saw any playoff hopes they may have had go up in smoke this week. For the winless teams the odds were bad enough last week: only 15 percent of teams that have started 0-4 have ever made the playoffs.

But 0-5? I don't think anyone even thought to keep that statistic.

As for the 1-4 teams? Twelve wins is what the benchmark will be for the playoffs. Unless one of these erstwhile teams finds the mojo necessary to run off 11 straight, they are looking ahead to the draft next year.

Kings of the Mountain

On the flipside of the coin, five teams sit at 5-0 after week five. Well, almost: New Orleans was off this week, but with the way they are playing, expect that mark next week.

Barring a colossal meltdown, the Colts, Broncos, Vikings, Giants, and Saints all seem destined to make postseason appearances this year.

Changes "Afoot" in Pittsburgh

Under the tutelage of Bill Cowher, the Pittsburgh Steelers built a reputation as a smashmouth, run-first team. Under Mike Tomlin, things are a little different. They can still run the ball, but Ben Roethlisberger is the man in Pittsburgh.

Through five weeks he has nearly 1,500 yards passing, eight touchdowns, and a passer rating of 102.6.

Doubters beware; he's only gonna get better.

He Really Needs to Straighten out His Priorities

Quite a bit of talk was to be had this week concerning Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer being on the sidelines a mere three days after his wife of over 25 years passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.

It was such an emotional win for the Bengals that he was awarded a game ball after the victory, then gave a touching speech about how his wife loved everyone on the team, etc. etc.

Call me cynical, call me cold, but this is not a feel-good story to me. His wife...of 25 years...had just died...and he thought it prudent to be at the game. There was no word of there having been a funeral, no word of any memorial service, he just up and went to the game.

Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I just don't understand that to be a professional football coach, you must be selfish enough to put everyone and everything in your life second to football.

If that's the case, then I am glad I am not a professional football coach.

How Do You Spell Exciting? W-I-L-D-C-A-T

Call me crazy, but I think Miami is on to something with their Wildcat offense. Particularly now with Chad Henne under center. Jon Gruden summed it up nicely: I haven't had so much fun watching a Monday Night game in a long time.

It took them a while, but it is beginning to look like the Dolphins have figured out how to make the Wildcat work in the NFL. They completely snowed the Jets defense Monday, to the point that Rex Ryan called their performance "embarrassing."

Rex has never been one to mince words, mind you, but the Miami offense looked electric. Can they sustain that all season?

Honest, I Really DID have a 3.5 GPA in College!

This week's indication that being a football player requires a bit of brawn and a bit of athleticism, but not, necessarily, a heavy dose of "common" sense: Seattle Seahawks' fullback Owen Schmitt's pregame routine of smashing his helmet into his bare, unprotected forehead resulted in a gash being opened on his skull, which made for some pretty gruesome highlight reel shots of his face covered in blood.

Not to worry, Owen; the concussion you sustained means you probably won't remember much about the incident.

Monday Night Magic

Along with the emergence of the Wildcat as a potentially legitimate offensive scheme, Monday Night Football saw two rookie quarterbacks put on a show that is usually reserved for contests between much more seasoned quarterbacks.

Okay, Henne isn't technically a rookie, but it was only his second start ever in the NFL, and he was drafted last year. Close enough for me.

Henne of the Dolphins and Sanchez of the Jets put on an epic show in Monday night's contest, leading their respective teams to a combined 35 points in the fourth quarter alone.

Not the kind of thing you would expect out of two guys who are supposed to be adjusting to life in the big leagues.

And there you have it folks; another exciting week in the books. No doubt there were items of interest I missed, but I am, after all, relegated right now to watching the Titans implode, and must rely on highlight reels and interviews to pass judgement on the week's events.

If I missed your favorite moment, please let me know.

Until next week, enjoy!!

From Terrible Towel to Terrible Team: Tennessee Titans Continue Fall from Grace

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:39:44 -0400

Pictured here is the last game that the Tennessee Titans won, all the way back in December 2008. This was the same game, mind you, that was to decide who was the likely top seed in the AFC playoffs, not to mention being a grudge match from way back.

The Titans and the Steelers used to share a division, and games between the two franchises have always been a knock-down drag-out affair. This one was no different: smash-mouth football of the finest degree, resulting in a Titans win to catapult them to a 13-2 record and the recipient of home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Then a strange thing happened. LenDale White (pictured above), swooning with celebratory glee, committed, in the eyes of many—particularly the Pittsburgh Steelers and Steeler Nation—an unspeakable, unforgivable act.

He, along with Keith Bulluck and a couple of other Titans, defaced one of Myron Cope's official Terrible Towels, arguably the most recognizable team symbol in sports and THE first rally towel ever to be used by sports fans.

The following week they were decimated—not beaten, decimated—by the Indianapolis Colts. Big deal, supporters cried; it was a meaningless game and they were already preparing for the playoffs.

Okay, maybe.

Then came the divisional game against Baltimore, led by a rookie quarterback and coached by a rookie coach. In their previous meeting, Tennessee had prevailed 13-10 in Baltimore, but this was Nashville, and this was the playoffs. The rookies didn't stand a chance.

Except they did stand a chance, and they took advantage of it. With maddening efficiency and unflappable cool, Joe Flacco led his Ravens over the Titans by a score of...13-10. Same score, different result for the Titans.

Supporters claimed the "Any Given Sunday" defense, used by players and fans who know their team lost a game they had no right losing but lost anyway. They typically don't point out the mistakes made that led to the loss, the superior play of the opponent, or the fact that they simply blew it in critical moments (Alge Crumpler, anyone?).

The Titans were one-and-done for the playoffs, and got to watch their nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers, go on to win Lombardi trophy No. 6.

In comes the 2009 season. First up: The World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, a game that many, including yours truly, considered to be the AFC Championship that never was.

Tennessee had returned 21 of 22 starters, had a dynamic new defensive coordinator, and had publicly put the Terrible Towel incident behind them.

We know this because every time they were asked about it, they reminded us that they had put it behind them and did not consider it a factor in their game preparation.

Maybe they should have, considering the result.

Once again, the teams engaged in a slugfest. When the dust had settled, Ben Roethlisberger had thrown for over 350 yards, and the Steelers had prevailed 13-10 in overtime.

No sign of a Terrible Towel being stomped at the game, but a curious thing happened in the days leading up to it: Leland Statom, a local weatherman, made a display of publicly stomping a Terrible Towel during a midday newscast.

Oops.

Maybe there really is something to this karma thing.

How else do you explain what has happened to the Titans since then?

It got worse from there, with the Titans dropping every game they have played in the 2009 season. Now they sit at 0-5, with people calling for Kerry Collins to be replaced by Vince Young and Jeff Fisher to be fired.

Funny thing is, none of those three names is the problem OR the solution. Or maybe they are.

Fact is, pinpointing any one person as the cause or the cure is actually rather difficult.

Sure, Collins has thrown six interceptions. He has also accounted for six touchdowns, one of them a rushing touchdown.

Vince Young came into the game against the Colts and looked completely lost. Sure, blame it on lack of preparation, but for all those clamoring for him to be in the game, he got in the game and didn't even complete a pass.

He is not the end-all-be-all that everyone wants to make him, plain and simple.

Sure, Alge Crumpler is continuing his fumbling ways, but he has also hauled in some great catches.

Yeah, Kenny Britt isn't exactly lighting up the highlight reels, but he is just a rookie, and on a struggling team like this, he is going to struggle more than most.

Nate Washington has been hot and cold, but so has Justin Gage.

The defensive secondary is most suspect; they have allowed four of the five quarterbacks they have faced to gain 300+ yards through the air. But which defensive back do you point the finger at? Cortland Finnegan? Nick Harper? Chris Hope? Vince Fuller? Rookies Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty?

Fact is, they have all made boneheaded mistakes, and they have all made great plays.

Well, how about the linebackers? They must be dropping the ball, right?

Not necessarily. In fact, the linebackers and the front four have held opponents to under 100 yards per game rushing, so they are pretty solid up front. Of course, they can't cover a pass to save their lives.

Then it must be new defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil, right? He's calling bad plays, sending in the wrong coverage at the wrong times. Gotta be Chuck's fault.

Again, not so fast. He calls the plays, but he can't do much about a deep safety biting on a play-action fake and allowing a receiver to run by him deep for a wide open reception and touchdown.

Injuries are already taking a massive toll on the defense: Finnegan is hamstrung by a hamstring injury, Bulluck by a knee problem, Harper by sore ribs, and Jason Jones and Nick Harper are both out long term, Jones with a bum shoulder and Harper with a broken arm sustained in Sunday's loss to the Colts.

But all of these guys started the season healthy.

Whatever it is, the Titans are now in salvage mode. They have little chance of making the playoffs, even if they run the table, which, at their current level of production, is almost a laughable concept. Eleven wins will not make the playoffs. Too many teams are playing high level football to allow for that.

Even teams that are currently at 3-2 are running the risk of missing the big show if they lose one or two more games.

The only option they have is to try and end up with a somewhat respectable final record. The last thing they want is to be this year's Detroit Lions.

Throw a rock in Nashville, and you will hit someone who knows what the Titans need to do to fix the problem. Put Vince Young in, they will say, and all will be well. He should be the starter anyway, they bellow; all Collins does is manage the game.

This would be the fan whose knowledge of what it takes to manage a football game from under center has been gleaned from too many late night sports radio shows.

Throw another rock and you will hit a different fan with a different answer. Fire Fisher! He's too stubborn to admit he screwed up! This is all his fault!

This same fan would have likely gotten into a fistfight with anyone who dared to impugn the good name of Jeff Fisher, the football genius, who coached the Titans to 10 straight wins and a 13-3 record last year.

Fans are notoriously fickle, no matter the town.

Even within the Titans organization, people are at a loss. Coach Fisher sounded more deflated in his last press conference than he did after the Titans lost the Super Bowl after the 1999 season.

Regardless of the questions, one thing is certain: the Tennessee Titans have fallen from grace harder than any team in recent memory. And no one can explain why.

Yeah, I know it's not really the towel, folks. But as far as explanations go, it's as good a one as any right now.

Vince Young Can't Resuscitate the Titans, Tennessee Looking for Season's Killer

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:43:23 -0400

Someone charge the paddles, stat. The Titans' organization appears dead and in severe need of resuscitation.

But at least we have one question answered. Maybe.

Down 31-9 at the end of the fourth quarter, Vince Young finally entered the huddle for the Tennessee Titans and did very little.

He handed off a few times, ran for a first down, and almost threw two picks in three failed passing attempts as the Tennessee Titans ran their record to 0-5, effectively ending any hopes they may have harbored of making the post-season this year.

No word yet on whether this move will be permanent. But if the Titans go 0-6—or rather, when—against New England next week, it may as well be.

For all you Vince Young Kool-Aid drinkers out there, I don't think I am being overly harsh and judgmental about your savior. This game may not be any indication of his ability to make this team competitive, but next week, or whenever he plays again, will tell the tale.

I've seen this storyline before, but I'm going to save that for another rant later: just too much to put in a recap of an awful game.

So enough about poor Vince; he's just trying to make a buck, right? He is as much as canonized in Texas, so it is understandable that he would be a little confused, even ticked off, by the treatment he has received since throwing what amounted to a preschool tantrum last year and getting his butt benched.

What is really ailing the Titans, now that it appears they might (or might not) have figured out their quarterback problem?

It's not the turnovers, although Alge Crumpler may need extra protection around town for a while. He keeps dropping balls and he is going to be persona non grata in Nashville.

It's not the interceptions, although Collins is minus-one on touchdowns vs. interceptions this year (but if you count the one he ran in, and I do, he is dead even).

It's not the running game, although Dash sure could use the Smash from last year. Maybe LenDale White should pack the weight back on.

Let's look at the numbers again, shall we? I realize we have been over this before, but maybe, just maybe, if we go over it again, I can get you to see what I see.

Of course, that usually doesn't work with my sometimes intractable teen-agers, either, but hey, you can't fault a guy for trying.

Offensively, the Titans ranked 21st overall last year, with 176.2 ypg through the air and 137.4 ypg on the ground, putting them 27th and 7th respectively.

This year they are ranked 10th overall, with 221.5 ypg through the air and 137 ypg on the ground, ranking them 16th and 6th respectively.

I don't know what math everyone else is using, but all of those numbers—with the exception of .4 yards rushing, so I'm not gonna split hairs—look like improvements over last year.

What about points, you say? Well, let's look at those too.

Last year, the Titans averaged 23.4 points per game for the entire season. Through the first five weeks they averaged 23 points per game, this year a mere 16.8. So that must be the problem, right? Collins and Co. can't punch it into the end zone!

Not so fast, partner.

Let's look a little deeper. While the Titans obviously scored more points last year than this year, there is a glaring omission in the comparison: the points differential.

Last year the Titans scored 115 points through their first five games while holding their opponents to 56. That's a positive differential of 59 points.

This year?

The Titans have scored 84 points, while their opponents have scored—are you ready for this?—139.

I'll let that sink in for a minute.

Okay, have you caught your breath yet? Yes, that is a negative differential of 55 points, almost the exact number of points that they held opponents to last year.

Even more appalling, they have given up 83 more points this year than last year, almost the exact number of points they have scored themselves this year.

It's almost eerie how it is working out, ain't it?

This is not, I repeat, NOT a Kerry Collins problem. True, he has had receivers drop more passes than nearly every other quarterback in the league this year.

In fact, after the game against Indy, he probably leads all quarterbacks in the "receivers dropping perfect passes" department.

This is not a Chris Johnson problem. Young Mr. Johnson is showing no signs of a sophomore slump, even having such a stellar game against the Texans that his shoes from the game have been enshrined in Canton.

This is not a Mike Heimerdinger problem. Coach Dinger is the same guy who ran the offense during the Titans miracle season in 1999; he is the same guy who ran the offense last year when the Titans went 13-3 (only to leave the playoffs early partly due to an Alge Crumpler fumble—ahem—and unflappable Baltimore quarterback in Joe Flacco).

Hmmm...

You know where this is going. You all are smart enough to see it, but you are so enamored with the idea of Vince Young saving this organization you refuse to allow yourselves to admit it.

This is a defense problem.

Remember those numbers we went over a few paragraphs ago? Well, let me add some more for good measure.

In 2008, the Titans numbers were stellar: 293 yards per game overall, seventh in the NFL in total defense, 93.5 yards on the ground and 199.8 yards through the air per game. In 16 games last year they gave up 300+ yards passing only twice—once to Aaron Rodgers and once to Ben Roethlisberger—both in games that they won.

This year, four of the five quarterbacks they have faced have gone for over 300 yards.

Do I have to remind you of their record?

Yes, I know they had two rookie cornerbacks. They also had two veteran cornerbacks and two veteran safeties through the first three games this year.

Again, do I need to remind you of their record?

Last year, the Titans were ranked seventh overall on defense. This year they are a dismal 22nd, ranked just behind the Detroit Lions for yards given up per game.

The Lions have a ready excuse; they are the Detroit Lions, and lost all their games last year. No one expected them to do anything this year, so everything is a bonus.

Tennessee led the NFL with a record of 13-3, and should have gone to the AFC Championship, possibly the Super Bowl, had it not been for a terrible ball-handling game against Baltimore.

They have no excuse.

But, somewhat like my teen-agers, they are doing it anyways. They know and admit that it shouldn't be happening, but they have no more answers than those asking the questions.

They put forth effort occasionally, and show flashes of their old selves every now and then, just as they did this week against Indianapolis.

But eventually something else takes their attention, they stop giving 100 percent, and the end result is a big fat F.

Vince Young is not the answer, although this might be the perfect time to put him in and see just how well he has learned to deal with adversity, because there is a season full of it ahead.

Even Coach Fisher knows this is all wrong. In the post-game interviews, he sounded more tired than he ever has. The fact that this season is obviously getting to him speaks volumes.

Is there any chance the Titans can lure Jim Schwartz back next year?

NFL Weekly Whip Around: Week Four Lessons, Tidbits, and What The *^%$?

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:56:46 -0400

Well, another week of professional football is in the books, and like the first three weeks it did not disappoint. We learned a few things, had our eyes opened about a few things, and shook our heads on a regular basis.

All part-and-parcel of what is becoming one of the more memorable NFL seasons in recent memory.

The format has changed a little this week. I am combining another series, the Albert Haynesworth Watch 2009, into this series in the interest of brevity.

Also, instead of a litany of lessons learned, a combined list of lessons, interesting occurences and facts, and questions that tend make you go "what the...?!?" will all be provided here for your enjoyment. Some weeks will have more lessons than others, while other weeks, naturally, will have more questions.

And, of course, there will be some weeks—like this week—where points of interest, at least to me, will take center stage.

So, without further ado...enjoy!

Let's start things off with a "bang," shall we?

Albert Haynesworth Watch 2009

Apparently Big Al's injured "glute" kept his production to a minimum. He didn't show up on the stats sheet at all against Tampa Bay. Maybe he should have just sat this one out and rested. Of course, that would involve using the injured glute, but hey, he could always use a pillow.

Boy, that $100 million is really looking like a bargain. Yesiree.

Quarterback most likely to be replaced before mid-season

Either Jason Campbell of the Redskins or (audience participation moment: insert your choice for quarterback here. Please remember to provide solid justification, or I will make fun of you in front of everyone). Seriously, folks, to "squeak" out a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as poorly as they are playing, is just ridiculous.

Worst 0-4 team of the week

The Tennessee Titans, without a doubt. In weeks one through three, one or two plays would have made the difference in a win or a loss. But to get utterly destroyed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, an interdivision rival, says a lot about the current character of this team.

The defense seems to have already given up, and the offense isn't far behind. Johnson and Collins are doing what they can to keep it together, but one more loss and there will have to be wholesale changes on both sides of the ball.

And possibly on the sidelines.

In a funny little ironic twist, the Titans are running their "Code Blue" promotion this week for the home game against Indianapolis. Code Blue, for those of you who don't know, is the hospital emergency code for an immediate response to an adult in need of resuscitation, usually from a heart attack.

How fitting.

Record most likely to never be broken

Brett Favre has now played against, and beaten, every team in the NFL.

Don't see that happening again for a loooooong time, if ever.

Smartest rookie play of the week

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez had this to say about his performance against the high-flying New Orleans Saints: "If I have to take ownership of this loss, I'm willing to do that, because this team played well enough to win and it was my mistakes that cost us the game."

Way to go, kid. You have already figured out how to deal with the fickle Jets press. Had you NOT owned up to "your" mistakes, then the ripping would have commenced.

Instead, you stepped up, took accountability—never mind that you were playing against Darren Sharper, arguably one of the best cover safeties in the league, or that your offensive line kept putting you in a position to make throws you otherwise wouldn't have—and by doing so actually endeared yourself to the New York/New Jersey press.

Stupidest rule of the week

Some of you might think I'm going to pick on the roughing the passer ridiculousness. But you would be wrong.

Instead, I want to know what bonehead thought it would be jolly good fun to require that the only person on offense who could advance a fumble inside of two minutes is the person who fumbled the ball? Was this really an issue? Did we have an epidemic of players intentionally fumbling balls inside of two minutes in hopes that one of their teammates would be the first to pick it up and score?

Or is this just a case of them deciding we needed yet another rule to maintain the status quo?

Most unlikely division leader at 4-0

The Denver Broncos.

Kyle Orton was not supposed to be able to lead this team very far; his departure from Chicago was one of the happiest days in Chi-town since Barack Obama became president. He was supposed to be a total bust.

Instead, he has been surprisingly efficient, with nearly 1000 yards passing, five touchdowns, a 97.6 passer rating, and most importantly, no turnovers.

Not bad for the guy who was the reason for all Chicago's problems. I'm partly hoping for a Chicago-Denver Super Bowl so the issue can be put to rest as to who the real problem child is...

Most unlikely division leader NOT at 4-0

All hail the San Fransico 49ers.

Who would have thought that this team would be so solid? Yes, they lost to Minnesota. So have the other three teams that went up against the Favre Factor this year.

But Mike Singletary has done something special in San Fran, something that needed to be done for a long time. He kicked the prima donna complex out of the organization. Even erstwhile draft pick Michael Crabtree seems to have gotten the message that holding your breath and throwing a tantrum until you get your way isn't going to fly with this particular coach.

Shaun Hill is doing what he is asked to do under center, which is make smart plays and not turn the ball over. The injury to Frank Gore isn't going to help, but the way this team operates, they will pick up the ball and charge on.

Most surprising performance of the week

Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker was out due to turf toe, forcing the Steelers to rely on second-year running back Rashard Mendenhall. Up until week four, he had gained all of 45 yards this season and had a career total of 113 yards. He also had Coach Mike Tomlin in his ear telling him he better straighten up or he was most likely going to be reiding the pine for a long, long time.

Apparently he got the message: Mendenhall ripped off 165 yards with two touchdowns on the ground, and threw in an additional 26 yards receiving as he helped lead the Steelers to victory against the nemisis San Diego Chargers.

If the lesson sticks, look for Pittsburgh to be tough for the rest of the season, with or without Willie Parker.

If you can't tackle, 'em, rob 'em

An "A" for effort goes out to Jacob Hester of the Chargers and Clay Matthews of the Packers, who stripped the ball away from Stefan Logan of Pittsburgh and Adrian Peterson of Minnesota, respectively. Unfortunately, these "heads up" plays weren't enough, as both San Diego and Green Bay fell to their opponents.

Best move of the week

This is a toss-up between Hakeem Nicks of the Giants and Brandon Marshall of the Broncos.

Nicks took a short pass from Eli Manning that he turned into a 56-yard touchdown reception, thanks in part to his slamming on the brakes so hard at the two-yard line that he threw up rooster tails, and the defender pursuing him ran headlong past him out-of-bounds.

For his part, Marshall took a deep out from Kyle Orton, cut left into the middle of the field, then cut back to the outside and eluded five Cowboys defenders to score the game-winning touchdown for the Broncos.

And there you have it, folks. If things continue this way throughout the season, we are likely to see teams in the playoffs—deep in the playoffs—that haven't been there since before the AFL and NFL merged.

I'm all for it.

Titans are 0-4 for Goodness Sake, Another Loss and Things Turn Really Bad

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:01:11 -0400

(Author's note: Kudos to my friend Richard Rodgers for the title idea. I am nowhere NEAR that creative on my own.)

Uninspired.

Lackadaisical.

Confused.

Out of touch.

Unable to communicate.

Lost.

Deflated.

All of the above terms have been used in recent weeks to describe the mounting disaster coming out of Nashville, Tennessee. And all of them point to a central question:

What in the world is wrong with the Tennessee Titans?

The team with the best regular season record in 2008, the team that reeled off 10 straight wins to start the 2008 season, the team that boasted one of the top defenses in the league in 2008, sits at 0-4—staring 0-5 right in the face with the red-hot Indianapolis Colts coming to town next week—and no one can explain why.

Is it the coaching? Defensive Coordinator Chuck Cecil is in his first year at the position, but it's not as if he is unfamiliar with a defense. He was, after all, one of the most feared defensive backs of his day, and until last year was the Titans' defensive backs coach.

And he is working with the same bunch of guys he had last year—with a couple of new faces mixed in, of course—so he isn't having to figure out who can do what.

Offensively, Mike Hiemerdinger is in round two with the Titans. It was coach Dinger that helped coach the Titans to their Super Bowl berth following the 1999 season, where one step was all the difference between a win and a loss.

Head Coach Jeff Fisher takes a lot of heat from fickle fans who need someone to blame. The same man who last year was hailed as a brilliant mind, one of the top coaches in the league, is now hearing calls for his head—changes must be made, fans say, and the best place to start is at the top.

I couldn't agree more, actually, but I would go a level or two higher than Jeff Fisher to start making changes, if you catch my meaning. Coach Fisher is one of the top coaches in the NFL; it's not his fault if the guys on the field don't do their job, right?

Is it the defensive players? After all, they are the ones at the point of attack. If they don't execute, then opponents score. But it isn't as if they are getting blown off the ball.

Sure, they had their worst game against the rush playing Jacksonville, giving up 137 yards on the ground—it took six different players to accumulate that number, but they did so nonetheless.

However, even with the Jaguars topping 100 yards rushing, the Titans are still holding opposing teams to an average of fewer than 80 yards per game.

Their passing defense is a different story: In three of their four contests, they have allowed opposing quarterbacks to eclipse 350 yards through the air. That's got to be the problem, right?

Hang on a second. In two of those contests, the difference was a field goal. So it isn't like they are giving up touchdowns every other pass. A lot of the yards come after crossing routes against a zone defense (although they have been beaten a few times deep), and tackling, not necessarily pass coverage, seems to be at issue.

Jacksonville sure put a hurting on them, though, possibly taking advantage of the fact that the Titans are reeling from what is happening to them.

But then again, the players can only run the plays that are sent in, right?

Is there a quarterback controversy brewing that the Titans have somehow been able to keep under wraps? Coach Fisher publicly announced yet again, after the Jaguars game, that Kerry Collins was their starter and gave them the best chance to win.

Really, coach? The best chance?

A look at the numbers, oddly enough, seems to confirm this assertion. Although he is only averaging 228.5 total yards per game through the first four games, Collins is averaging almost 11 yards per pass, and he is dead even on touchdowns versus interceptions. (Yes, he ran one in, but I'm counting it anyways.)

He needs to work on his release, though. A blind man could see when and where he is about to throw the ball. A little tweaking there might help bring the interceptions under control, and could bump up the other numbers.

Vince Young may have paid his dues in the eyes of his supporters, but Coach Fisher obviously thinks he still has a lot to learn.

Are the receivers slacking off? There sure do seem to be a lot of dropped passes. Nate Washington seems intent on showing everyone in Nashville why he was the No. 3 receiver in Pittsburgh, cutting routes wrong and dropping passes that should stick to his hands like Velcro.

But Justin Gage is doing okay and Kenny Britt is showing that he has the potential for a long and illustrious career in the NFL, no matter who he plays for. Even Bo Scaife and an aging, but still capable, Algee Crumpler are hauling in bag passes at key moments.

They all, however, are dropping big passes at key moments, too.

Is it the running game? Well, all seems to be in order there. Chris Johnson is making defenses respect his ability. After a slow start against Pittsburgh, Johnson is a couple carries away from eclipsing 500 yards, averaging an astounding 6.2 yards per carry.

Yes, I know he had an unbelievable game against Houston. Fine. Take out that game and he is still averaging 4.3 yards a carry. Not too shabby.

But he only has 69 carries through four games—not nearly enough considering what he is able to produce.

LenDale White, on the other hand, has rather quickly become almost a non-factor in the offense. He has a flash every now and then, but overall he is not providing what he should to the running game.

What it boils down to is that the Titans have a whole lot of questions but no answers to their problems. If they don't find some quickly, they are looking at a massive fall from grace, and one of the longest seasons in their history.

I know football fans in general, and Nashville fans in particular. A more fickle bunch of fans only exists in New York, or more correctly, New Jersey, in the form of the athletic supporters who follow the Jets.

I haven't checked, but I would bet that at least one local paper has raked Golden Boy Mark Sanchez over the coals for daring to play like a rookie.

No one is being ripped too badly in Nashville yet, but I promise you the claws are being sharpened. If the Titans drop one more game, it's going to be a free-for-all.

Figure it out, Titans, and figure it out soon. The fans are still with you so far, but disenchantment looms large on the horizon. A win next week against the Colts would go a long way in smoothing things over and getting back on track.

Tennessee Titans:"Hopefully, We Can Turn This Thing Around" Against Jaquars

Bryan Hollister — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:02:34 -0400

That's how Titans running back Chris Johnson ended the line of questioning that asked him what he thought the team's problems were and what it was going to take to get them back on track.

Coming from the one guy on the Titans' sideline who is doing everything he can to help his team succeed, the words above sound a little desperate.

Most of his answers were standard fodder for such an occasion: according to Chris, Tennessee is only one or two plays away from a 3-0 record, they just need to execute better, be more consistent, blah, blah, blah.

But at the end of the interview, he spoke what was really in his heart, revealing, intentionally or otherwise, the feeling of desperation and despair that is undoubtedly beginning to creep into the Titans locker room:

"Hopefully we can turn this thing around."

Indeed.

But what will it take? What do the Titans have to do in order to get back on track and back to their winning ways of last year?

You are in luck, sports fan: I just happen to have a few ideas.

No. 1: Catch the Ball

The Titans spent big money in the off-season to acquire Nate Washington from the Pittsburgh Steelers, citing his experience and leadership as primary reasons for signing him.

The Titans apparently overlooked one very important point: experience does not always equate to top performance.

To be sure, Washington is a capable receiver. CAPABLE, but not necessarily top tier. True, he has a couple of Super Bowl rings; so does the 53rd player on any Super Bowl team roster.

Doesn't mean he did anything much to help them acquire the ring.

Yes, I know it is a team game, but let's be real here; would it make any sense to sign a player off the practice squad based solely on the fact that he was on a Super Bowl-winning team?

No, it doesn't. And no, I am not comparing Washington to a practice squad guy who is probably thanking his lucky stars that he still has a shot at making the big time (at least, he still thinks he has a shot).

Simply put, Washington's production has not solidified him amongst the upper echelon of NFL receivers. Particularly last week, he dropped way too many balls that a receiver of his supposed caliber and "experience" should be allowed.

Justin Gage has also let a few balls slip through his grasp, passes that should have been caught.

It doesn't matter who is under center; if the receivers aren't producing, then it may as well be me throwing the ball.

But Washington and Gage are not alone in the fumble-fingers department.

Two words for you: Ryan Mouton.

Enough said.

No. 2: Keep the OTHER team from catching the ball.

Okay folks, here is the crux of the issue. In two of their first three games, the Titans gave up more than 350 yards through the air.

They got beaten deep nearly a dozen times, and when they weren't getting beaten deep they were playing a soft zone underneath and getting eaten alive.

This must stop, and it must stop NOW.

If Tennessee is going to have even an outside chance of making the postseason—heck, if they even want to break .500 this year—they need to fix their pass defense immediately.

Stop pointing fingers; Every team in the league runs some variant of the same plays, so everyone knows who is supposed to do what. The trick is to do your thing better than the other guy does his thing.

And if you don't, you don't get to blame your teammates for not backing you up, or your coach for calling the wrong play.

If you want to coach, then take off the helmet and get your behind on the sidelines.

If you want to play, then shut up and play.

Are we listening, Nick Harper?

No. 3: Get the inside running game going

Okay, Chris Johnson is good....real good. But he isn't capable of running in the middle with much effect and consistency; he makes hay on the edges wheren he can outrun everyne in the stadium.

Normally, this would make a team's running game one-dimensional, but the Titans are in luck. They have a backup plan in LenDale White.

Or they did, until he came off the Tequila.

With a few exceptions, LenDale has not produced as needed in the trenches. As one of my readers so eloquently stated, his lost weight has him looking less like Smash and more like Ash because he keeps getting blown up at the line (Thank you, Tony Tucker).

I don't know what it's gonna take; an extra helping of dinner, more work on the leg machine, maybe get back on the Tequila. Whatever it is, White needs to do it quick so he can take some of the load off of his counterpart and his quarterback.

Speaking of quarterbacks...

No. 4: Publicly put the quarterback question to rest

With the Titans' 0-3 start has come rumblings that some changes need to be made. Coaching changes, play-calling, players; everyone has an idea about who needs to go and who needs to go in.

The Vince Young Kool-Aid drinkers are up in arms saying that Collins can't lead this team anymore, and Young needs to be given his shot, since it was, after all, his position in the first place, and Collins is an interloper.

They are right, to a point. It WAS Young's position. It was his to lose.

Which, by means of his injury and petulant behavior, he did.

Collins has not performed poorly enough to lose the position—a case I make here—and Young has not done anything notably spectacular to win the job back.

Put it to rest before it becomes toxic to an already stressed locker room.

No. 5: Keep stuffing the run

The Titans' run defense is the only thing that seems to be going right for them. Opponents have been held to an average of less than 60 yards/game in their first three outings. This is a good thing, and one that needs to be built upon.

It is important that this state of affairs continues to allow the rest of the defense to make the adjustments they need to make the turn.

If the run defense goes awry, then the Titans are staring down the barrel of a Detroit Lions-like result.

And THAT is a scenario I don't think any of us, even the most die-hard anti-Titans fan, wants to see any time in the near future.

Sounds simple enough, right?

NFL Weekly Whip Around: Lessons Learned in Week Three

Bryan Hollister — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:08:37 -0400

Yes, I see the picture; I picked it.

I'll eat crow in a minute, just hold your horses.

Well, sports fans, here we are three weeks into the NFL season, and lo and behold, there was more to learn.

We learned, for example, that Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is the real deal, and that if he keeps it up, he has a long fruitful career ahead in the NFL.

We learned that the football gods do NOT hate the Detroit Lions, seeing as they were allowed to prevail over the Washington Redskins to end a 19-game losing streak.

We learned that, much to the chagrin of his detractors—including yours truly—and to the utmost delight of his supporters, Brett Favre is still...well, Brett Favre.

Carolina should have figured out by now that whatever magic Jake Delhomme was able to muster last year to get the Panthers to the playoffs is long gone, as is his ability to be effective as a starting quarterback.

Maybe, after a few years of languishing in backup roles, he can have a renaissance season a la Kurt Warner in a few years, but the important thing is to get him out from under center now.

Speaking of renaissance men, we learned that Kurt Warner is no Brett Favre, even if he DOES have the likes of Larry Fitzgerald to throw to.

It should have come to our attention by now that the Super Bowl Slump might just be a real phenomenon; with both the Steelers and the Cardinals at 1-2, it's hard to argue against it.

Since we mentioned Pittsburgh, we are learning that Tyrone Carter is a decent backup safety, but that's as far as his talent goes.

And Hines Ward is a mean little bugger who will just as soon hit you as look at you. Let's channel all that energy into playmaking, shall we??

Not new this week, but continuing to be confirmed, is the fact that there are no longer such things as lucky bounces; in fact, it's beginning to look like defensive backs are setting themselves up to be in position just in case a ball gets tipped.

And they are getting tipped a lot.

We—and when I say we, in this case I mean San Fransisco—have learned that giving Brett Favre time to throw a bomb at the end of the game is a bad idea, because Brett Favre does not play by the regular rules; he has a special "Brett Favre law of averages" that says if you are down by four in the last minute of the game and you heave a ball downfield as you are being knocked to the ground, the odds are 80/20 that your guy will catch it and score.

As opposed to every other normal quarterback in the league, who would have better luck teaching a mule to type than to expect to complete a pass in that scenario.

Except maybe Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger, all of whom seem to have some sort of special access pass to the Brett Favre Law.

And if you throw in a tipped ball and a "lucky bounce", you can add Mark Sanchez to that list.

But I digress.

Even though the Texans lost to the Jaguars, we learned that Matt Schaub might actually be a better quarterback than people give him credit for. After a slow start in week one, he has reeled off two straight 300-yard passing efforts, has seven touchdowns to his two interceptions, and at his current clip, is one game away from eclipsing 1000 yards passing.

By comparison, the Golden Child of Minnesota has 566 yards passing—no interceptions (but trust me, they are coming), and only five touchdowns.

I'd say the comparison is fair, even if Houston is 1-2.

With yet another quarterback going down to injury, we should be learning that there is considerable logic, no matter how much we dislike it, behind rules meant to protect the passer.

Terrell Owens learned that he isn't as crucial to the Bills' offense as he might like to think; he had no receptions in last weeks game, ending his streak of 187 straight games with at least one reception. You'd think that a guy who was a critical member of the offense would see the ball at least once.

Then again, the Bills lost, so maybe he IS that important, and they need to utilize him so they can get some W's.

We discovered, quite painfully, that glow in the dark lime green is a HORRIBLE color for an NFL team.

Seriously, Seattle, what where you guys thinking?

While we are on that game, we learned that Devin Hester is one bad mamajama, but he shouldn't dance in public...ever.

Finally, it should be obvious by now, but a couple of teams still have yet to learn that the ball must be caught and controlled on kickoffs and punts. Calling for a fair catch is fine, but you must catch the ball.

And once you catch it, hold on to the blasted thing!

Once again, football fans, I don't have access to every market, so if I missed your favorite lesson of the week, please feel free to leave it in the comments for all to learn from. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Until next week, enjoy!

With Tennessee Titans Woes Worsening, Is it Time For Vince Young to Step In?

Bryan Hollister — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:32:08 -0400

Three down and 13 to go, and oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The Tennessee Titans, the same team who opened the 2008 season 10-0 on the way to a league-best 13-3 regular season record, currently share an 0-3 record with the likes of the St. Louis Rams, the Cleveland Browns, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Miami Dolphins.

Even last years' winless Detroit Lions are one better than the Titans this year. How bad is that?

Yes, we all know the season is still just beginning. Every other team in the history of the NFL who has started 0-3 has said that.

Only five of them have ever made the playoffs. Not good odds, even for the most clueless of gamblers.

The long and short of it is, the Titans have big problems. And if they don't find some answers to their questions soon, they can kiss any postseason hopes goodbye.

But what, exactly, are the questions?

Offensively, the Titans don't appear to be having any success. Passes are being dropped, and the tag-team attack of LenDale White and Chris Johnson has, for the most part, been all dash, very little smash.

They have been close to winning, to be sure; two of their three losses were by three points, and one of those was in overtime. Still, close doesn't cut it: all three Titans games have gone into the "L" column.

Kerry Collins at times looks like he is unravelling, throwing balls low or behind his receivers, sometimes missing them entirely.

And there is no doubt that Vince Young is chomping at the bit to get his starting position back.

But not so fast, folks: is VY really the answer? Are the Titans really that bad offensively?

The fact that the Houston game was a bit over the top not withstanding, the Titans are managing 210 yards passing/game, and thanks to Chris Johnson's highlight reel performance against Texas, they are sitting at 151 yards rushing/game.

Subtract the Texas game, and the numbers are still over 100 yards/game on the ground. Not bad production for this offesnive unit.

In three games last year, the Titans scored 72 points. This year, 58. Hey, maybe we're on to something.

Again, not so fast: Last year they outscored their opponents 72-29. This year, they have been outscored 71-58.

This is not, contrary to what it may look like, an offensive problem.

Consider these numbers: 179 yards/game passing, 85.67 yards/game rushing, seven interceptions, two fumbles recovered, TO differential of +4.

Like those numbers? These are the Titans numbers on defense...from last year.

This year's numbers aren't quite so cuddly: 297 yards/game passing, 60.67 yards/game rushing, three interceptions, two fumbles recovered, TO differential of -3.

Does anyone else see it?

The Titans do not have an offensive production problem; sure they could use some work in getting Collins and his receivers a little more in synch, but Coach 'Dinger has done this before, and he'll get it straightened out.

Ryan Mouton might want to invest in a little stick 'um spray, though, or his special teams position is likely to go away.

The Titans do not have a defensive line problem. Contrary to all the naysayers who claimed that the loss of Albert Haynesworth to the Redskins would spell doom for the Titans front four (Didn't Washington just lose to the Lions? Thought so...), Tennessee has actually improved upon their run-stopping performance from last year.

Sorry, Mr. Young—and all the VY kool-aid drinkers out there—but a change under center is NOT what the Titans need; in fact, it is probably the LAST thing they need.

If Collins had gone from being a quarterback who threw for 300 yards and three to four touchdowns every week, to a quarterback who couldn't complete a pass and wouldn't know what the end zone looked like if you gave him a personal tour, then yeah, I might say that Vince Young's time had come.

If Collins had digressed from Peyton Manning-like performance to looking like the guy who is so bad that he backs up Jake Delhomme, than I would be jumping up and down saying, "Give VY a shot!"

If Kerry Collins was not running the offense exactly the way it is designed to run, and running it pretty well, then I'd call for his head just like the rest of you kool-aid drinkers out there.

But he didn't, he hasn't and he is.

Kerry Collins is getting along just fine. In fact, he's doing more than fine: he is performing better than he did last year after three games, not counting week one when he came in to relieve an injured Vince Young.

210 yards/game with four passing touchdowns this year against 170.67 yards/game with only two touchdowns last year means Collins has his game well in hand.

Let's put the blame, and the solution, where it belongs: squarely on the shoulders of a defensive coordinator who might be in over his head, and a defensive backfield that is making mistakes I would expect my 11-12 year old recreation league team to make.

Almost 300 yards/game passing? Are you kidding me? Just how exactly is Vince Young supposed to help that? He isn't, unless you think he would make a better cornerback than Nick Harper—which is potentially worth considering, as an aside—or a better safety that Vincent Fuller.

Otherwise, he's best left on the sidelines calling in the plays.

And can someone, ANYONE, please explain to me why coaches think that backing the defensive pressure off at the end of the game is going to result in a positive outcome? Why, when pressuring the quarterback all day resulted in putting you ahead?

The prevent defense might have worked back in Coach Cecil's day, but quarterbacks are bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter these days. If you think that playing to protect a lead is a viable defensive strategy against the current crop of quarterbacks, then you have no business coaching professional football.

Defensively, this year's Titans secondary does not resemble the one from last year. the names on the jerseys are the same, but the performance couldn;t be more different.

They are giving up too much yardage through the air, and way too many big plays. By allowing their opponents to put up big numbers, they are putting pressure on their offense to perform in a manner that it isn't set up to.

Kerry Collins is not, and has never been, a quarterback capable of regularly putting a team on his shoulders and winning games with his arm.

He has the ability to do it on occassion, but that's not his baliwick.

Kerry Collins beats you by not making mistakes, taking advantage of the occassional big play, and otherwise patiently marching his offense downfield to score on you after wearing you out for 80 yards and 10 minutes.

And let's be honest, folks; given his history, do we REALLY want to put the burden of winning on VY's shoulders? Are we really so ready to forget his meltdown last year? Or his petulant attitude from the pre-season?

What happens if the Titans put him in, and things don't get better immediately? Who do we blame then?

Maybe that IS what it will take to call attention to the actual problem; there are already rumblings that maybe it's time to see if VY can't make a difference. Maybe, just maybe, he could be the sacrificial lamb so that the real issue of slipshod pass defense can be identified.

It was pretty easy for me to identify it, but what do I know? I'm just an average, everyday fan who doesn't have any credentials to back up my assertions.

So ask for VY if you want, but he isn't the answer.

Stopping oponents from passing at will is.

Anybody thirsty? I just whipped up a big batch of cherry kool-aid.

Albert Haynesworth Watch 2009: Week Three

Bryan Hollister — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:10:07 -0400

Finally we get some action from the big guy.

Big Al appeared to have awakened, at least for a few plays, as he was able to wrangle a sack and two solo tackles against the hapless Detroit Lions.

Um, wait a minute....

Did I say "Hapless?" I meant to say HAPPY.

Yes, folks, despite the efforts of Big Al in the trenches this week, Detroit, led by rookie quarterback Matt Stafford, prevailed over the Washington Redskins, putting last year's O-fer behind them.

If only...

Nah, won't go there. Stafford and company played well, even though Haynesworth appeared ready to justify his bloated contract.

Maybe, JUST MAYBE, I'm being a little hard on the guy. After all, one man can't singlehandedly win a football game, can he?

I will say this: one man can most assuredly influence whether or not his team wins. And in Big Al's defense he is, after all....on defense, and not responsible for scoring points.

I'm sure that for 'Skins fans, just keeping the other team from scoring would be enough.