No offense to the Titans, but ...
This is better?
The Titans split ways with offensive coordinator on Monday for lack of offensive progress. After kicking four field goals against lowly Jacksonville to let the Jags hang another loss on Tennessee last weekend, it sounded sort of logical.
Not enough offense; get rid of the guy in charge of it.
But then what do you say this Monday when getting the offense even within sight of four field goal attempts during a 24-10 loss seemed like a dream. When your most potent offensive play is to send your quarterback of the future — the one still nursing the bum shoulder — scampering out amongst the linebackers. Is that a sane solution?
No offense to Jake Locker. The second-year pro has shown he’s willing to sacrifice his body, even a bit too brazenly willing to do so, but Locker wasn’t drafted to run the wishbone option to Chris Johnson. He was drafted to throw the ball, to pass to receivers and leave the running to Johnson.
This wasn’t new Titans.
It was vintage Titans.
No offense to Dowell Loggains — the quarterback coach elevated to offensive coordinator this week — but this is a drop-back passer with OK speed that was scrambling in plays reminiscent of Steve McNair and the rare upside days of Vince Young.
There were flashes of the way Adams must envision that this team should play. The uppity drive that saw Locker throw down the field multiple times and ultimately connect with Kenny Britt for the score. That’s what puts points on the board for Tennessee.
No offense to Bud Adams, but it appears not even octogenarian NFL franchise owners can threaten or scare this team into stability. Not even fear of a Marlin-esque house cleaning, much less a coordinator change, seems to bring that unifying spirit.
I guess they’ve all seen Major League and Bull Durham.
And no offense to coach Mike Munchak, but the Titans went from schizophrenic game-by-game existence where every game was a mystery as to what face of the franchise would show up or not, but on Sunday it was a drive-to-drive guessing game which Titans offense was coming on the field. The one that couldn’t catch. The one that couldn’t hold on to the ball. The one that couldn’t run. Or the one that could torch a one-loss team on big play after big play.
So if Sunday was about making the Titans better, it still had something missing.
No offense.
Marcus Fitzsimmons is sports editor at The Daily Times. Follow him on Twitter @TDT_Sports. He wrote from Nashville.
