The relationship finally went stale. Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans — over, after 16 years. Good run. Or long run, anyway.
It’s somewhat astounding that Bud Adams employed Fisher as long as he did. In the Fisher era, the Titans made the playoffs just six times (in three increments of back-to-back appearances, for what it’s worth). But they were already seen as a beacon of stability – even during the nadirs of the Vince Young years. That’s why watching Fisher and this team separate is like watching your longtime friends get divorced after their youngest kid graduates from high school. It wasn’t an acrimonious or even completely necessary breakup – just an acknowledgement that life together had become too convenient and predictable.
And so the Titans, without even approaching a major rebuilding period, moved on. It may seem a little strange that Adams and General Manager Mike Reinfeldt decided to start anew by staying within the organization and promoting offensive line coach Mike Munchak to coach. It’s one lifer to another; Munchak is even more tied to this franchise than Fisher. Munchak had a Hall of Fame playing career with the Oilers from ’82-’93 and became their offensive assistant in ’94. When the organization moved to Tennessee in ’97, Munchak became the offensive line coach, a post he held until this promotion.
Munchak has still put his fresh imprint on this franchise. Eight of his top 15 assistants are new to the staff, including offensive coordinator Chris Palmer and defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. Both coordinators were given unusually weighty power that included overhauling the team’s existing playbook and having serious say in the hiring of other assistants (Palmer brought in running backs coach Jim Skipper and receivers coach Dave Ragone from his U.F.L. Hartford Colonials staff; Gray was reportedly the one who opted to keep secondary coach Marcus Robertson instead of safeties coach Tim Hauck).
Systems in place, Munchak worked with Reinfeldt to address player personnel. Only one drastic alteration was needed offensively, and that was made in the form of two moves – one to address the present (Matt Hasselbeck) and one to address the future (Jake Locker). The fact that Hasselbeck’s three-year contract includes $9 million this season tells you the Titans have no intention of rebuilding. Defensively, including position changes, there could be as many as five new starters, which makes sense given that this unit has ranked 28th and 26th in yards allowed the last two years.
Teams that change head coaches and give up on a quarterback once drafted third over all generally don’t enjoy smooth waters right off the dock. But the Titans have made it look relatively easy thus far. Do they really have it handled? Or are we witnessing the Music City Mirage?
Offense
Chris Johnson is wise to hold out. And the Titans would be wise to pay him. After an N.F.L.-high 674 carries the past two seasons, Johnson, who turns 26 in September, knows his earning power is peaking and his window will soon be closing. Given his small stature and heavy lifting in the passing game (he has caught 94 balls over the past two seasons), Johnson realistically has about three years left as a part of the “best running back in football?” discussion. After that, Tennessee will need to find another back to complement him.
It’d probably be prudent to phase in a complementary back now. Third-year pro Javon Ringer offers a similar style to Johnson. He doesn’t have Johnson’s breathtaking change-of-direction, quickness or breakaway speed, but he can accelerate by his third or fourth step and run with fairly compact power. The Titans also drafted a true bruiser in fourth-rounder Jamie Harper, who has drawn comparisons to Jacksonville’s Greg Jones and therefore could, theoretically, one day challenge for Ahmard Hall’s fullback job. (Hall, by the way, handles the ball fairly well and might make sense in an H-back role. Just a thought.)
Chris Palmer, who’s an experienced quarterback coach, has made it clear Johnson will be the prominent feature in this new offense. Johnson, in turn, needs to show more patience as a runner and give the ground attack better sustainability than it had in 2010. He has terrific home run ability, but his tendency to over-search for cutback lanes can leave yards on the field and stall drives.
Johnson’s life will be much, much easier now that Matt Hasselbeck is under center. Though the soon-to-be-36-year-old is struggling to learn a new system for the first time in his 13-year career, he’s still sure to be a marked upgrade over Vince Young. Young’s decision-making ineptitude and subpar pocket passing allowed defenses to crowd eight and even nine defenders in the box. Unless Jake Locker – who, as a fairly inaccurate, run-first quarterback at Washington, is essentially another version of Young only with (Tennessee hopes) thicker skin and more maturity – gets on the field, defenses will have to at least hesitate before dialing in completely on Johnson.
That said, they’ll still dial in plenty often. This receiving corps simply lacks the explosiveness to discourage it. That could change if Kenny Britt continues to emerge, but Britt’s off-field problems have been so extensive that one has to question his on-field dependability. This is not referring exclusively to the possibility of suspension for conduct policy violations; the talented 23-year-old has to show he’s willing to learn and hone his craft.
He’d better. Nate Washington is a swift all-around threat but probably best suited as a slot No. 3 rather than an outside No. 2. Behind him, Justin Gage is a hit or miss over-the-middle target. Damien Williams, a third-round pick a year ago, doesn’t pop out on film. The Titans would benefit greatly from a darting catch-and-run playmaker (think Roscoe Parrish or Percy Harvin), but there’s not one on the roster (other than fringe guy Yamon Figurs).
Unless gifted third-year pro Jared Cook suddenly breaks out, Tennessee will get more blocking productivity than pass-catching from the tight end position. Replacing Bo Scaife is veteran Daniel Graham, the pre-eminent blocker at his position over the last 10 years. Graham will work behind Craig Stevens, who’s strictly an underneath option (though a swift-moving one) and sharper at chip-blocking outside than locking and sustaining.
Chip-blocking is only necessary on the right side, where scrappy right tackle David Stewart resides. On the left side, Michael Roos is as stable as the Appalachian Mountain Range and not in need of much help. He does everything well.
The interior line has jelled commendably since losing leader Kevin Mawae. Though nowhere near Pro Bowl caliber, Eugene Amano can be trusted to steer most opponents well enough. Guards Leroy Harris and Jake Scott are both mobile run-blockers – Harris especially in the way he maintains strength when pulling right.
Depth is a bit of a concern up front. The free-agent pickup Pat McQuistan can play multiple spots, but the only other contributor with recent experience is Fernando Velasco, who struggles mightily to hold ground in pass protection.
Defense
Under Fisher, the Titans were fairly ingrained in their classic 4-3 system. Jerry Gray, on the other hand, is a firm believer in playing to the strengths of the personnel, particularly in the secondary (his prime area of expertise). Gray will most likely let his cornerbacks have input as to what type of coverage the Titans predominantly use in 2011. With Cortland Finnegan, go ahead and bet on press-man. The feisty (dirty?) sixth-year pro relishes all forms of hand-to-hand combat. But if Finnegan wants to be an authentic shadower of No. 1 receivers, he must focus less on winning presnap mental battles and more on winning postsnap physical battles. He was beaten far too often last season, both over the top and especially on slants.
It’s supposedly an open competition between Alterraun Verner and Jason McCourty for the No. 2 corner job. Expert Verner to win it (he did in ’10). He’s the more confident player. And not that it’s a significant factor, but he has a chance to be one of the premier run-defending corners in the game. McCourty should easily secure the No. 3 job given that he’s competing with Frank Walker, whom teams seem to sign whenever injuries and other problems add up (see the Giants, Packers, Ravens and Vikings).
Free safety Michael Griffin has seemingly rediscovered his sense of awareness in coverage. He hunts up the middle of the field well and is a good tackler in the open field. Strong safety Chris Hope must improve. Mistakes have become almost habitual for the tenth-year vet, and he rarely exhibits rapid instincts in coverage. With his hefty $6.5 million salary, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Tennessee to cut him and go with versatile, underrated free agent pickup Jordan Babineaux (who played for Gray in Seattle).
Hope will have more chances to do what he does best this season, which is drop down into the run front. Gray’s scheme will often employ the strongside linebacker (second-round rookie Akeem Ayers, who has been the buzz of training camp) in a nine-technique position, which means he’ll will be lining up over the tight end on the line of scrimmage. This nudges the weakside linebacker more toward the center of the formation and creates a wider-than-usual gap for the safety (Hope) to help fill in that outside wake.
That weakside linebacker being nudged is pass defending guru Will Witherspoon, though fiery Gerald McRath could steal snaps here and there. It’d be helpful if McRath could learn to play middle linebacker. It’s doubtful the Titans will like what they get there from free-agent pickup Barrett Ruud. Ruud was a prolific tackler in Tampa Bay, but an overwhelming majority of those tackles came well downfield. He’s not a physical head-on hitter against ballcarriers or blockers, and he has average diagnostic ability.
The saving grace for what appears to be an excruciatingly ordinary linebacking group is that in this new scheme, the defensive linemen are expected to be a more impactful force against the run. New defensive line coach Tracy Rocker is prioritizing size, which is why expensive speed-rusher Jason Babin was not re-signed, and why ascending 280-pound Jason Jones has moved from tackle to end. Jones is an athletic swimmer inside; whether he can operate on the edge remains to be seen.
If he can’t, tireless veteran Dave Ball and fourth-year veteran William Hayes will probably rotate opposite left side starter Derrick Morgan. Jacob Ford, owner of a lightning quick first step, was also re-signed, though only reluctantly given that, as a 256-pound pass-rushing specialist, he doesn’t fit this line’s new mold. Morgan (266 pounds) doesn’t either, but unlike Ford, he has the benefit of being a recent first-round pick. You don’t earn first-round status if you’re not talented; obviously it behooves the Titans to play Morgan (who has a nice inside burst, as long as his surgically repaired ACL holds up.
With Jones now outside and high-achiever Tony Brown having been cut, both defensive tackle jobs are up for grabs. Free agent Shaun Smith and ’09 second-round pick Sen’Derrick Marks will get the first crack at filling them. Smith has size but too many lazy habits to warrant much trust. Marks played 12 games last season and had footing and technique problems. If need be, the Titans can again call on energetic Jovan Haye (but probably only as part of a rotation). They also used a third-round pick on Jurrell Casey, a 300-pounder who shows some suddenness off the snap.
Special Teams
Rob Bironas is a remarkable 8/10 on 50-plus-yard field goals over the last three years. Punt returners managed only 6.1 yards per runback against Brett Kern and Tennessee’s punting unit last season, second fewest in the N.F.L. Return specialist Marc Mariani has a gift for seeing running lanes before they open. He took a punt and kickoff to the end zone in 2010 and earned Pro Bowl honors.
Bottom Line
The sweeping changes to playbooks and day-to-day operations aren’t so concerning. What is concerning is the defensive personnel. There’s only so-so playmaking talent in this front seven, which doesn’t help a secondary that has struggled the past two seasons.
Predicted Finish: 3rd A.F.C. South
Andy Benoit is the founder of NFLTouchdown.com and covers the N.F.L. for CBSsports.com. He can be reached at andy.benoit@NFLtouchdown.com.
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