You just knew this was going to happen sooner rather than later. The Titans find themselves 0-6 going into their game Sunday with Jacksonville. The team is at a crossroad and decisions have to be made now. This is not a team that is bad and getting worse. It is a team that has hit rock bottom as the losses have mounted. Players are playing like they have given up and the supposed leaders have not made enough noise to make a difference. The coaching staff is making bad decision after bad decision.
Now the owner is stepping in to try and salvage the season his way, sink or swim. Bud Adams has been a bit more vocal this past week or so about the quarterback position. He has told Fisher that he wants Young in the starting lineup as soon as this Sunday at home. Now this puts Fisher in a bind because he appears to favor Kerry Collins, though he has not committed to that so far this week. Does he listen to his boss or to his gut? Is his job on the line if he defies Adams or will he be trusted to make the move on his own? The fans and some media are wondering if it is the right time for Young.
What does the team have to lose if they believe the season is shot? Young cost a good sum of money and he is an investment that needs to be worked. The team needs to find out if Vince has anything left to offer for the future or at the very least showcase him for a possible trade. You don’t want him to sit and then go elsewhere and shine. If he gives you no better chance than Collins as some think then why not give him a shot. Some would say that if the team starts to win with Young then Fisher would take the blame for not playing him earlier. Some would say that since Adams made the call the fall would fall on him.
Either way the team is not going to improve unless something is done. Fisher has his fans and has worked hard to build winners. He has one of the best winning percentages among active coaches today. Having a bad season, after so many successful ones, doesn’t make you a bad coach worth firing. Fisher has built his resume and Adams knows if he gets rid of him another team will scoop him up quick. Wouldn’t that be something to have Young and Fisher elsewhere and then come back and beat you? Then there is Young to think of. He lost his job to an injury not because he wasn’t getting the job done. Yes he made some bone head comments and has been accused of not taking a bigger part on the team.
So he made the decision to shut up and practice. Learn the game and earn his place back as the starting quarterback. He has been quiet for the most part but has made some comments that were viewed as unfavorable. If he gets his chance he must prove himself beyond a game or two. He must show he can move this offense and earn the trust back from his teammates. He has an 18-11-career record and has been here before. He has faced adversity, as have the Titans.
The real question is what are they all going to do about it now that panic has sunk in. The season still has 10 games left to be played. The fans have had enough and express themselves on the local radio shows and out in public. They talk in the tobacco stores or at the grocery store. Everyone wants answers and they want them now. Players that have been injured are using the bye week for possible returns.
Fisher knows what he is doing but he needs help like his receivers holding on to the ball. Like LenDale White and Chris Johnson stepping up the run game. Special teams and the kicking game continue to suffer as well. There are so many problems with this team and they will get worse with no action. The final answer will come from within the organization as it always does. Let’s just hope that they can get things turned around before the roof falls in on them.