Titans D: First to Worst

by ericjosephson on Oct 4, 2009 9:17 PM CDT Comment 18 comments

Those are the numbers Titans opposing quarterbacks have put up this year... and none of them will finish in the top 10 in the NFL statistically.

While MCM commenters have been quick to point out the shortcomings of Kerry Collins this season, not many are looking at the root cause of our quarterback's problems. Our defense.

This hasn't happened enough this year.

It all starts up front. The D-line isn't pressuring the quarterback. Period. When a decimated Jaguars line can give David Garrard all day to throw the ball, you know there's issues. That translates to problems in the secondary. Issues covered up by a great line last year are now being exploited regularly by average offenses.

So how does that take the blame off our offense? Because Kerry Collins wasn't appointed the starter for his ability to throw for 300 yards and 3 TD's. He's a game manager... plain and simple. When the D doesn't force three-and-outs, KC is forced to play catch up... like today versus the Jags. That's not his game, and I hate to break it to you Vince Young fans out there, but that's not #10's game either.

Going Forward...

So, how do the Titans fix this issue? Well, with the current personnel, I'm not sure they can this year. The DT's are talented but green, and the DE's are washed up. Kyle Vanden Bosh is no longer the dominant pass rusher he used to be, and Jevon Kearse was washed up before he came back to Nashville.

Nick Harper will most likely be out of the league after this year, and behind Finnegan, we have no experienced talent.

We as Titans fans have hoped that these fabled coaching adjustments would come each week to save our season, but it's clear now that it's an issue with talent. The playoffs are out of the question, but is a winning record in jeopardy as well?

Poll

Will the Titans finish the season with a winning record?

Yes

22 votes

No

60 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 18 comments

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Comments

I was watching on my phone

and I definitely don’t put all of this on Kerry, but you can’t go 3 and out as much as the offense did in the 1st Quarter and expect your already deficient defense to keep a zero on the board. There’s not just one problem, this year; we’ve got offensive, defensive, and special teams to worry about

by Great Paperclip on Oct 4, 2009 9:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree completely

I don’t think fixing just one issue would send us to the Super Bowl. We saw that this week… Fish finally goes and gets a punt returner and we still lose.

Three and outs are killers, but it hurts even more when an opposing offense can capitalize. That didn’t happen last year.

by ericjosephson on Oct 4, 2009 9:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not so fast.

I’m not making excuses. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Big Ben, and/or Schaub in the top ten passers at the end of the year.

by SuperHorn on Oct 4, 2009 9:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I have a lot of money on Schaub going on the IR

seemed like a safe bet at the time

by Great Paperclip on Oct 4, 2009 9:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least one of those guys will be top 10

Not that it really changes the point, which is a valid one.

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles even though gramsey hates it.

by Jimmy on Oct 4, 2009 9:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe...

Big Ben because the Steelers aren’t running at all this year. But I think Schaub might be an early season fluke.

Also not making excuses, but I wasn’t confident going in to the Steelers game anyway. They’re the defending champs. They should have won.

by ericjosephson on Oct 4, 2009 9:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't see any shot at a winning season

You think there is any way this team closes out at least 9-3?

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles even though gramsey hates it.

by Jimmy on Oct 4, 2009 9:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

no.

FOREVER #9

Official Graphic Designer/Researcher/Grammar Police of MCM.
Official Graphic Goon of OTF.

by smashville on Oct 4, 2009 9:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ditto

Christie kicks it high and short...Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25...He dishes it back to Wycheck...He throws it across the field to Dyson...

www.manningface.com

by Michaeltastic on Oct 4, 2009 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You sure?

When the D doesn’t force three-and-outs, KC is forced to play catch up… like today versus the Jags. That’s not his game, and I hate to break it to you Vince Young fans out there, but that’s not #10’s game either.

Because VY has never done that before. Oh wait… he has.

It goes the other way too. The offensive stagnation puts the defense in bad spots. Against the Texans, the Titans got a grand total of one first down in the second half. It shackles the offense when the defense forces them to pay catchup. It also screws the defense when the offense can’t move the ball consistently.

by TheElusiveShadow on Oct 4, 2009 10:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

this

you cant let collins off when the offence stalling gives the other team short fields every possession. both offence and defence is terrible. but like firing a coach is easier than firing all the players, switching qbs (esp with a guy with some talent, questionable as it might be) is the easiest and most significant fast solution there is.

ill also point out that chris hope is a veteran talent, and griffin was a probowler last year so its not just finnegan in teh secondary (though he is the only one playing real well right now)

by mattd97 on Oct 5, 2009 12:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're right.....

……They do let Kerry off the hook all the time

MrDeeboi33

by MrDeeboi33 on Oct 5, 2009 12:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

KC's not innocent at all

The defense didn’t throw the ball directly at the Jags D yesterday, Kerry’s not what he used to be. But this offense is at it’s best when they can practice ball control. Handing it off to Lendale and CJ 40 times a game…. eating the clock… methodically driving down the field to keep opposing offenses off the field.

But they can’t do that when they’re down 14 the first time they get on the field (vs the Jets… not all the D’s fault… blame Mouton).

I think the first comment on the board states it all perfectly. There’s not just one problem here. And this last game proved it.

by ericjosephson on Oct 5, 2009 7:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

kerry sucks.i wonder why jeff continues to protect him.i really expected to see vince young after the first half at least jus to see how he looked.since jacksonville took the game in the first half

by 931Titans on Oct 5, 2009 12:41 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

FIRE CECIL

How do you take a team that went from the best defense to the worst defense in the league? We have all our starters except big Al. Losing him was big but come on Cecil. Your defense his horrible, what did you do to our mighty Titans? If you can do something with the talent that we have on our team then you dont deserve to be coaching….you are the weakest link, GOODBYE!!!

by I'm as cool as ice cubes on Oct 5, 2009 10:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Has Tulloch ever seen a pass play?

Week in, week out, we get to watch Tulloch stand beside some other teams TE while that guy is hauling in another catch. To go with all of the other defensive issues this season, the linebacking corps looks lost out there in passing situations. They sit back in their zone and then seem not to react to the ball in the air. Tackling the guy after he catches it is good but when he gets 8 yards on 3rd and 7 it’s still pretty much a fail.
It’s like some key pieces of the defense all got really “old” at the same time.

by ky_titans on Oct 5, 2009 7:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's not just Tulloch

Cecil is playing the corners so far off the recievers, it’s not hard for opposing QB’s to pull up and throw a quick one to a wide open guy.

by ericjosephson on Oct 5, 2009 8:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Noob here

Die hard fan….watching these last 6 or so games has been painful, especially the last 4. Of course there is no ONE thing that will fix this team. As Einstein so correctly said…Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.The talent is certainly there, even if the team hit that field looking defeated before the first drive… If this FO and Coach Fisher don’t step up and make changes, they are insane.

by Trasee on Oct 6, 2009 12:57 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs