FanPost

A Glimpse at the Truth

Hey Titans Fans-

I don't post here too often, as most things are beaten to death on this board. Yet here I am about to dig up the deadest dead horse there is, along with some other salient points.

First off, in an effort to establish some credibility, how about my call on Edison? Before the preseason, I was the only one signing his praises. None of you cared. While he still has much to prove, I think that the preseason at least showed the kid is cut out for this league. Down the road I'm pretty sure he's going to pan out for us better than any WR/TE drafted by us in recent memory not named Britt or Cook (that's not saying much, but he WAS a 6th rounder).

To further my case, some of you may remember my insistence that Quan Cosby was another steal of the draft and could help us immediately in the return game and as a dependable slot receiver ala Hines Ward. The guy DIDN'T EVEN GET DRAFTED, but was picked up by Cincy, and guess what? He made the team. He's their starting punt returner already. On Sunday he had 5 returns for 114 yards including a sixty yarder to the five that set up a touchdown and a thirty yarder that set up the nail-in-the-coffin field goal. Think we could've used that with a league minimum, non-draft pick?

My final piece of evidence is Chris Johnson. I'm sure by now you all think that you were always on board with this pick, but that is not true. Most of you were screaming to high heaven that we didn't get Limas Sweed or some other overrated WR, but I said CJ was exactly the gamebreaker our offense needed and at HB, he'd have a way bigger impact than a WR.

Now, to the point of this post. Everyone's opinions here are firmly entrenched, but I'd like to ask that you read the following with an open mind and address the issue as civil adults.

VY needs to start. Not now, but after week four. We'll probably beat the Jags. We may even beat the Jets if we come out fired up enough. But this team WILL NOT WIN THE SUPERBOWL as is. Yes, yes, we had a good record last year, but we failed in the end. The only thing that matters is championships. Kerry Collins cannot take this team to that level. True, we COULD'VE beat the Ravens without some bad breaks, but do ANY of you believe that team would've beat the Steelers and Cards on even bigger stages?

By week four I believe this fact will be evident. Teams will continue to pass on us and Collins will be pressed beyond his comfort zone. Fisher will be able to make the switch by then without the majority of the fans screaming bloody murder the first time VY makes a mistake.

Also, I was not on here last year saying VY should start. He wasn't in the right place. I've followed him since high school and the transition to a NFL QB (I don't feel this really started psychologically until the offseason after his rookie year) was obviously more difficult than he expected. After his meltdown last year I stayed quiet as it was apparent he was in the beginning of a major transformation. It's the same crossroads many of face as we shed the overconfidence of youth and face the challenges of becoming a MAN. So, which VY would emerge? The "can't tell me nothing" party boy or the humbled young man eager to walk the difficult path that was laid out in front of him.

I wasn't sure which it was throughout the season last year. I think he struggled with it as well. It wasn't until the offseason seems started to click for him, and I started believing again during the preseason.

He's back, ladies and gentlemen. By no means do I think he's USC-Texas right off the bat. But, the FIGHT is back. The MOJO is back. The LEADERSHIP is back. The WINNER is back.

The VY of the '07 season and Jags game in '08 was not the real VY. Yes, this is the NFL. Yes, other "running QB's" have had trouble adjusting to the NFL. That doesn't change my view.

Now that VY actually knows Dinger's system on instinct, he can "play ball" again, instead of trying to "be" an "NFL QB". Nobody knows what would've happened if VY had played at Pitt and against Houston. Some of you will say that he would've thrown twenty six interceptions. Others still that he would've ran through the man blitzes and picked up enough yardage to win it in the end.

From my perspective, I can say that the VY I see again would have at least sacrificed everything in his power to get us in a position to win. He would not throw it away on crucial third or fourth downs at the first sign of pressure.

Remember the OT touchdown run vs. Houston his rookie year? Remember his teammates glowing as they celebrated with a sense of invincibility?

We are nowhere near the "best" team top to bottom in the NFL. Without Big Al, we're not good enough to play it straight and come out on top in the end. We need a lift...a boost...whatever you want to call it.

Otherwise, we're a mediocre team expected to succeed because we had a good regular season record a year ago. We're a team just like every other team in the NFL full of dashed hopes come January.

With VY, at least we'll be fighting like hell until the final whistle blows. At least we'll be building for the future instead of trying to make the best of things for this year.

And if we put him in and the VY of '08 comes back? At least we'll KNOW he isn't the right guy. We have too much at stake.

Flame away...