Honeymoon Is over for Mike Munchak: How the Loss to the Colts Has Fans Doubting

On the heels of a crushing loss to the winless Indianapolis Colts, the honeymoon for first year head coach Mike Munchak is officially over.

With three games left in the season, the Titans entered the game with viable hopes of making a run to the playoffs. For the moment, one has to wonder whether this team can win another game.

No doubt there is plenty of blame to go around. A lackluster running game, the inability to convert third downs, penalties, questionable play calling, poor tackling and turnovers were all on display.

You know—the things that usually cost you games. Titan fans are asking one question—why did Mike Munchak choose to channel Jeff Fisher today? 

Titan fans remember a few years ago when Fisher, in the face of a flailing team, on more than one occasion opted to stick with an ineffective veteran QB over his younger talented signal caller.

The results were not pretty. Perhaps Munchak was trying to avoid the dreaded QB controversy, but his decision today may have sparked exactly that and more.

It's clear that the Titan script for Jake Locker's early career called for the young QB to sit for a year and perhaps more behind the veteran Hasselbeck.  However, Locker's stellar play when given the opportunity and Hasselbeck's ineffective play over the past month have fans questioning that script.

On a day when playoff hopes were hanging in the balance, Munchak inexplicably went with the injury hampered Hasselbeck over the young gritty QB.  Hasselbeck was ineffective from the start when he appeared hobbled after a simple hand off on the team's first offensive play.

His only attempt more than 25 yards downfield was a wounded duck into triple coverage that was easily intercepted in the end zone.

Once again the young QB was called upon with the team facing a double digit deficit late in a game.

In the eyes of Titan fans, Munchak failed in his main responsibility to his team and to the fans—putting the best player on the field, the player that gives his team the best chance to win. 

The Titans' loss may have ended any realistic playoff hopes today, but the greater loss may be the loss of confidence that many Titan fans have in their first year coach.