Music City Miracles
The Tennessee Titans were totally embarrassed on Sunday, losing 25-3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Every unit was a mess, from the offense, to the defense, to special teams. The Titans gained fewer than 200 yards and failed to score a touchdown. The Jaguars moved up and down the field with ease. Chimere Dike fumbled a first-quarter kickoff that immediately led to a multi-score deficit.
Superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons spoke with the media after the game. Asked about the team’s upcoming head coaching search, Simmons said the chosen candidate must be capable of changing the team’s culture. He’s right about that.
The Titans haven’t had a culture or identity since firing Mike Vrabel. Brian Callahan was supposed to be an X’s and O’s coach. Culture and leadership wasn’t Callahan’s strong suit. It’s only gotten worse since Mike McCoy was hired as interim.
The Titans have no offensive identity. They aren’t a pass-first, aggressive team. They can’t establish the run either. The offensive line lacks toughness and meanness. Some questioned the Titans’ motivation heading into Sunday, given the lack of intensity throughout the performance in all phases.
Coach McCoy often punts or settles for field goals despite the Titans literally having nothing to lose at 1-11. The Titans are the only offense in the NFL without an opening possession touchdown this season. Despite that, McCoy settled for a field goal on 4th-and-3 from the Jaguars’ 10-yard line. They continued to punt in several questionable spots.
The Titans need a complete makeover this season. That doesn’t just include the roster, which obviously needs a lot of help around rookie quarterback Cam Ward too. But culture, leadership, identity, motivation, aggression, and toughness need to be factors for Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker throughout their upcoming coaching search. Simmons was totally right in his evaluation of the necessary candidates.
