Tennessee Titans Morning Links: One Of These Probably Cost Us The Game... Choose Wisely Edition
by August West on Jan 12, 2009 8:46 AM CST
in Tennessee Titans Links
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Titans players feel like underachievers because... well, they underachieved. This was a great season and we still have the pieces to get back here next year (regardless of what happens with Albert, IMO) but this was definitely the most disappointing end possible. I do feel some comfort in knowing that our disappointment is felt 50 fold by these players and coaches.
I know this isn't the most popular opinion, but I'd have rather had Chris Henry (who was inactive) than LenDale getting the majority of the carries in that second half... or even Ganther. Yeah I said, and I believe it. LenDale is a nice short yardage option, but you know what those guys are called on almost every other team? The fullback.
Jeff Fisher on the blown delay of game call on the crucial 3rd down:
"I've always maintained that there's a human element in the game as far as officiating is concerned. There are going to make mistakes; it is part of our game,'' Fisher said. "But this particular mistake was unacceptable. There is no excuse for it, it was a mistake, and it was a costly mistake.
"It was not the reason we lost the game, but it was a mistake, an error.''
Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwatz got another interview with the Lions. I hope for his sake they both this hire like they have all the other ones in the last... how many years have the Lions been around?
Why look ahead so quickly? Because we're in the now now. We can't go back to then because we passed it. When? Just now. (site note: this particular Spaceballs quote will never get old. ever!)
Peter King gives some inside scuttle-butt about the D.O.G. and what rules may change in reaction to what happened Saturday [emphasis is mine because I agree]:
The consensus is it's unlikely anything will be done to add another electronics layer to the game, like a buzzer signifying the clock has expired. It's more likely the official in charge of making the call, the back judge, is going to be told he should anticipate the clock expiring and be ready to make the call as soon as it hits zero. It's absurd that Robert Lawing wasn't in position to blow his whistle sometime during the full second (at least) between the time of the expiration and the time Baltimore snapped the ball.
We have a lot of key free agents this off-season, so the changes that are made need to be the right ones if we're going to repeat as AFC South champs. Make sure you check MCM as much as you can for updates and analysis throughout this pivotal off-season.
Every time you email me a link the football gods smile upon you, so if you have a link you'd like to submit for tomorrow's Morning Links email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com! (Be sure to include your commenting handle so I can give you semi-anonymous credit.)
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Not enough choices?
I would choose the picture of Crumpler’s fumble.
I see it in slow motion everytime I close my eyes.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
I can see that
but I don’t think this game is even close if Crazy Legs stays in. He was having the game of a lifetime (100+ total yards and a TD in just over a quarter).
Where I was raised 2 + 2 = 3rd and 6.
I definitely agree
I was thinking that even with Crazylegs out, we still win if LenDale and Crumpler don’t fumble. But if Crazylegs doesn’t get hurt, it’s no contest.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
Crumpler lost the game. By himself.
If he just slides in that spot instead of trying to fly like an idiot, that’s a Titans victory.
Worst. Offseason. Acquisition. EVER.
DannoE
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Yeah the Crumpler signing didn't exactly have the intended effect..
Where I was raised 2 + 2 = 3rd and 6.
You take away that one signing, and the Titans are going to the AFC Championship Game.
DannoE
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Achoo
(sorry, bad cold today to add to a miserable Monday).
Even though Crumpler did not live anywhere near up to my (our) expectations, his signing and presence may have lit a fire under Scaife and contributed to his break-out year. Here’s hoping they get Scaife signed. After Albert, I think Bo’s our most important guy to lock up again.
Lost the game by himself?
I doubt it… We made a few more mistakes than that… How about Lendale’s fumble or Kerry just throwing the ball up in the air to 2 defenders or Bironas’ missed FG?
Worst offseason acquisition EVER? I doubt it… Who caught the TD in the 1st Raven game?
by Big Bad Bulluck on Jan 12, 2009 4:18 PM CST up reply actions
Re:
I know this isn’t the most popular opinion, but I’d have rather had Chris Henry (who was inactive) than LenDale getting the majority of the carries in that second half… or even Ganther. Yeah I said, and I believe it. LenDale is a nice short yardage option, but you know what those guys are called on almost every other team? The fullback.
Something to consider in all this QB debate. Vince only had Lendale and Chris Brown last year, yet they still managed a top 10 run game. If VY takes over the starting role, Chris Johnson will improve.
dude, enough about vince
he’s a quitter.
what about quentin ganther? he was active, and played really well in the preseason…
by vancouverTITAN on Jan 12, 2009 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
A quitter, huh?
I don’t think so, but the moves Fisher and Co. make this offseason will probably tell the full story. If Vince really did quit and is in Fisher’s doghouse, we’ll see them stick with KC.
And, you act like I’ve been calling for VY to get in all year. I haven’t. I’m a supporter of his, obviously, but have been behind the decision to stick with Kerry for most of the year.
Back to Vince, have you always felt this way about him? What about in 2006? Was that really so long ago? Assuming you did support him, you’re going to stay down on him for the rest of his career because of an incident on the sidelines that you can’t even definitively say actually happened. Vince’s behavior since the “episode” has been by all accounts great. Fisher, Adams, Dinger, they’ve all continued to support Vince and said he’s the future. Maybe there is some coach speak in there, but to call him a quitter at this point with so little to support it? Let it go.
And, what does Quentin Ganther have to do with any of this?
Hate to say it...
But there is no debate… Kerry is better for our team right now regardless of who is playing RB.
by Big Bad Bulluck on Jan 12, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions
Couldn't disagree more
And I only say that because I don’t think there is anyway we can know that now. Without seeing more of Vince with the starters around him, we can’t make that assessment. Vince clearly has more upside than Kerry and given how much is invested in him already, I’d like to see him get another shot so we can at least put this all to bed.
If Vince is in fact done, I’d like to see the Titans go another direction at QB other than KC. For all the great things he did this year, a 55% completion percentage isn’t going to cut it from a pocket quarterback.
Be a little higher
had everyone caught some more of the passes they had thrown in their direction… In addition, I think Collins progressed as the season went on. I feel he has gotten real comfortable now in Dingers offense, which everyone forgets this was their 1st together.
I feel that Vince gets his opportunity to prove it every week in practice. I’m sure he will get a fair shot next preseason anyway.
by Big Bad Bulluck on Jan 12, 2009 4:42 PM CST up reply actions
I agree with most of this
It just feels like Kerry is a band aid solution and not the answer. That’s not to say that VY is the answer, but I want to see more before we draw a conclusion.
As to the practice thing…it was clear to me that when Kerry started winning there was no turning back. He continued to go with the hot hand, which im ok with (though I think Vince should have played a few downs a game.). Bottom line, Vinces success in practice this season couldn’t have gotten him on the field no matter how well he played.
That's just
Collins taking advantage of the opportunity he was given, which Vince hasn’t done yet as fair or unfair as that may sound.
by Big Bad Bulluck on Jan 12, 2009 8:55 PM CST up reply actions
To be fair
Vince did, in fact, take advantage of an opportunity when he took over for Collins and almost led the team to the playoffs.
i didn't want us to draft him
i wanted leinhart, especially after hearing about vince’s disastrous wonderlic test. but i rallied behind him like everyone else, especially after his ‘06 season. but that was two years ago, and he’s not working out. he quit in week 1. he shouldn’t get his job back. he doesn’t appear to have the mental horsepower to be an effective nfl quarterback.
the quote you commented on was about lendale getting all the carries after cj got hurt, which is why i asked about ganther. but you keep turning everything into a case for keeping vince.
dude, this a titans blog, not a longhorns blog.
by vancouverTITAN on Jan 12, 2009 4:54 PM CST up reply actions
Easy with the attacks, chief.
With the exception of recently or if there is a good article, I don’t usually bring up Vince. I’ve been supportive of Kerry since he started winning. Get you’re facts straight before you start pointing fingers.
I only come out and defend when provoked. In particular the whole “quitter” thing is garbage and is one that will always illicit a response from me. You’re going on hearsay, or “what you saw”, but there is no way you know for sure that he quit, yet you still think “he shouldn’t get his job back.” That isn’t rational. Now, if you think he is a bad quarterback, I can deal with that. At least it’s something we can quantify…
Ok
So are you gonna respond to my comment, or just the guy that’s pointing fingers? LoL
by Big Bad Bulluck on Jan 12, 2009 5:46 PM CST up reply actions
I'm sure
Crumpler or Lendale would give anything to have their fumbles back.
by thawardasa on Jan 12, 2009 9:13 AM CST reply actions
I am starting to move on, it still really ticks me off that its over
I hate saying “Wait till next year” because it dismisses the here and now and what could have been. What should have been. Destiny got in the way and here we are discussing next year and what it holds.
Joy Kat
does anyone know where i can find the full press conferences?
i have finally gathered up the strength to watch them, but all i can find is a 3 min clip on fisher and a bit of collins. could someone link me to the full ones? thanks.
Good game!
You guys outplayed us in every statistic except one… turnovers. I never realized how important ball security was until this game. Even with only 2-3 turnovers, the Titans would have probably won.
I’m glad my Ravens won, but I feel bad for Titans fans… I know this one hurts because you were so close. I felt the same way when Manning knocked the Ravens out in 2006. Turnovers were the killer in that game as well.
Actually
with 3 turnovers we lost.
Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles even though gramsey hates it.
I'd like to address the "blown" non-call.
I don’t want to be arrogant. This is an opinion that I also shared on the Baltimore Beatdown. I thought it would be appropriate to share here.
It is the predominate issue lingering after the game. I have heard Titan’s fans talking about the non-call on the delay of game since it was…um…not-called. I think that Nick Harper (yes, a Titans player) put it into the best perspective that I have seen yet.
"It was a good football game, and I guess the refs didn’t want to get involved," cornerback Nick Harper said. "But sometimes you have to make those calls when it’s an obvious penalty. For some reason they decided to let us play, and (Flacco) was able to make a play."
In essence, the Titans were asking for a call. They wanted the referee to help them. What ever happened to "let us play?" Did the extra second really benefit Flacco or hurt the Titans? NO! The fact remains that Flacco made the play with the game on the line.
After all the times that we have seen the referees step in and determine the outcome for the Ravens (Steelers games, TITANS game, Patriots game last year), it feels like sweet justice that the Ravens capitalized on a "non-call." LET THEM PLAY!
The non-call had nothing to do with that loss.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
Read it again, Coach Fisher said himself it had nothing to do with the loss.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
Right. But this article claims that the above factors (including the non-call) probably contributed to the Titans loss. Hence, the following sub-title:
“One Of These Probably Cost Us The Game”
It was an obvious reference to CJ's injury
that’s why I said ONE of these… I was refuting the idea that the non-call was the deciding factor, because it’s been a pretty unanimous theme here at MCM that refs never decide the game. They only influence.
Where I was raised 2 + 2 = 3rd and 6.
by August West on Jan 12, 2009 12:55 PM CST up reply actions
Fair enough.
I’m sorry for misinterpreting your article. No offense meant.
It looks like we agree. I’m a big subscriber to the “let them play” philosophy. That was my only real point.
I took it the same way...
as in the non-call was an option for what cost the titans the game. To that I was going to redirect to a posting I put on BB earlier. But, I guess I don’t have to, now.
Kevbo: [to George Sherrill] George, you look a lot like Vin Diesel...
Flatbill: Let's get somethin' straight... Vin Diesel looks like me.
-From "The Making of Orioles Magic"
Depends on which one you pick
It does not say both of these..it says one of these.
by DonFrancisco on Jan 12, 2009 12:56 PM CST up reply actions
You're just not used to August's style of writing.
I see it now. Wasn’t trying to start a fight-I’m just sensitive to official bashing. Sorry.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
LET THEM PLAY?
Come on. That is what you yell when a ref is calling ticky-tack fouls in a basketball game, not when there is an obvious rules violation. I am not blaming that for the loss. If the Ravens don’t get that run from McGahee on the next play they aren’t in field goal range. That, the busted coverage, and the fumbles are what lost the game.
Where has anyone on this site blamed that one call for the loss?
Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles even though gramsey hates it.
just wondering, did anyone else notice...
it seemed like the D was waiting for the call (that didnt happen) and for a split second it threw thier timing off. its almost as if they were looking at it like a free play, and didnt play as hard. or its completely in my imagination (maybe wishful thinking) but if you noticed it too, please respond.
by stetix01 on Jan 12, 2009 7:48 PM CST up reply actions
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THEN!!!!!
One of our posters over at The Beatdown contributed a great fan post describing something that SHOULD HAVE GONE THE RAVENS WAY! The non-call of the safety when CJ was tackled in the endzone. Not only was it a safety, as you will see from pictures in an article I will put in here shortly, but THEY ALSO GIVE TENN AN EXTRA DOWN LATER IN THE DRIVE!!!! I went back to see if this is true on TiVo, and it is! You guys had penalty called on u, moved u back, but you stayed at 1st down!
You have to hate losing more than you love winning
FAIL
check Profootballtalk.com for further explanation as to why we didn’t get an extra down. As for the safety, that’s much tougher call and understandably missed – as opposed to the delay of game…
Where I was raised 2 + 2 = 3rd and 6.
Heres the difference: Ravens could have challenged the non-safety call. Titans could not challenge the play clock thing.
See August comment for the extra down explanation.
by DonFrancisco on Jan 12, 2009 1:49 PM CST up reply actions
WE CAN TYPE IN ALL CAPS TOO
UNLIKE BALTIMORE BEATDOWN, WE DO NOT BLAME LOSSES ON OFFICIATING.
Please go enjoy your victory on your site.
Oh, and if the Titans get a first down after on the third played down, they didn’t get an extra down. Do some math man.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
Alright, now that I have taken a breath
Let’s compare the personal foul on Stewart to a hold to see why it would have replayed the down (since Mr Florio only spews his idiotic garbage without taking the time to actually learn the rules before he accuses the officials of screwing up).
Let’s say the Titans have the ball 1st and 10 at the 20 (we’ll use round numbers to keep the math easy.)
Chris Johnson breaks a run around the end for a gain of 20, to the 40 yard line.
Alge Crumpler holds (not fumbles! but I digress) on the 25 yard line.
The spot of the foul is behind the end of the run in this case. So the holding penalty (10 yards) would be marked off from the 25 yard line (the spot of the foul) and the down would be replayed. Therefore it would be 1st and 15 Titans from the 15 yard line, as the line to gain for 1st down does not change.
So what Terry McAuley is saying is that Stewart committed a personal foul during the play therefore it would not be marked off from the previous spot. It was marked off from the spot of the foul, which may have been close to the end of the run, if that is where the foul occured. And since it was a live ball foul, the down is replayed. Easy. No 5th down, and no Kordell Stewart.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
you really want to argue
that the blurry as hell picture you just linked shows proof of anything at all? and even if it really was a safety, that’s what the red flag is for chump.
The Official Enforcer of MCM
From ESPN.com
“I think I made my case known, that I’d like to be here and feel that I can be a part of several more good seasons and give them several more good years,” he said as the Titans finished up their final meetings and left team headquarters. " … I will pack up and go somewhere else. I don’t want to, but that’s the reality of this business.
…
“Kerry has one or two options in my opinion, Fisher said. "He starts, and hopefully that’s for us, or he’s on his tractor at his farm.”
…
Fisher said he thought Young benefited from watching Collins work, dismissed a scenario where Young is not on the roster next season and said that Young will quarterback the Titans again at some point.
“This is about Vince Young and this is about spending the time here, about committing himself to the offseason program, just doing the best he possibly can to make … himself a better football player and take advantage of the experience he gained this year in spite of the fact that he didn’t play,” Fisher said.
The Non call
For those that know football, it is a fact that when a team’s offense receives a penalty it raises the odds that they will not get a first down. Also, do you think that the Titans defense would have been in a different defense if it were third and seven as opposed to third and two? Lastly, to say that it is better to let the teams play then to call a penalty in this instance is absurd. This is not like holding or pass interference, this is blowing your whistle when a clock shows “0” . (How come the call was made so quickly against the Titans earlier in the game.) So, to say it did not influence the outcome of the game shows a person’s ignorance of the greatest sport there is.
Yes, but
if they had not intentionally hurt CJ, it would have been 35-3 at that point.
You gotta pick the greater of the two evils.
Stompin' your Terrible Towel and still hatin' Music City Miracles!
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