Tennessee Titans Cop Out Alert In 3... 2... 1...
by August West on Jan 6, 2012 11:33 AM CST
in Tennessee Titans Commentary
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Oh, what a difference a CBA makes.
The Tennessean's John Glennon has a lengthy piece up about the eagerness sweeping through Baptist Sports Park for an offseason where players, coaches and trainers can actually speak, workout and instruct in a way the lockout prevented them from doing last offseason. After a nearly 100% turnover in the coaching staff, schemes and QBs, the Titans had to jump headlong into 2011 scrambling to get players as acquainted as possible with their new assignments and responsibilities. On top of all of that internal shuffling, you had free agents and rookies thrown into the mix without any chance to build chemistry and familiarity like they normally would.
Now, there are a lot of great things said by some of the major Titans figures in this piece, but one comment by Mike Munchak went down like ipecac:
Titans Coach Mike Munchak said he's most eager to see the impact a full offseason will have on the team's linemen. The offensive line excelled in pass protection this season but took part of the blame for a poor rushing attack, while the defensive line finished second-to-last in sacks.
"When people always ask me who the lockout hurt the most, to me it was the linemen, especially when you have offensive linemen that together play very well," Munchak said. "I think when all of the sudden they are not together anymore and they are not working out together and are not doing plays together in April, May, and June, it makes a big difference and I think that affected us as a group. Even with the defensive line, it's the same way."
Deep breaths, people.
Now, Jake Scott has to be gone no matter how Munchak and Bruce Matthews evaluate him. I don't think I've ever seen an NFL player take the level of pay cut Jake Scott would need to take to stay with the Titans. He made $4.7 million in base salary last year, and lord knows how much in bonus money since it was the last season of his 4-year $19.5 million contract. The problem is, I still seriously believe that we have to change more than just Scott.
You have to remember that Munchak's constant refrain while Fisher was here was about the benefits of continuity when it comes to offensive linemen. The more they play together, the fewer mistakes are made. So when I see a statement like this I get scared that Munch won't make the changes in personnel that group needs to get back to dominating in the running and passing phases of the offense. I get that Amano isn't going anywhere... other than maybe back to guard if a better Center lands in Nashville. Leroy Harris is the guy whose play continues to hold the unit back. He was a little better this season than he was last season, but that's not saying a damned thing considering how awful he was in 2010.
Could I be overreacting out of fear? Sure. But am I really that crazy to be worried?
Whether it's via the draft or free agency, an improvement must be made, but that's going take willingness on Munch's part to give-up on a player he's essentially built from scratch. Will he do it?
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That's scary.
There is no way that a professional football coach can not see how badly the line played. A lot of it wasn’t not bonding well with each other, it was being destroyed by the guy on the other side of the ball.
Could I be overrating out of fear? Sure
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fixed
meant to say overreacting
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I got what you were gettin' at
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He doesn't really say no changes will be made.
To me, just that the lockout messed with the Oline unit’s time together. With this offseason, the OLine will benefit from be able to work with another, whoever it may be.
I would be astounded if the line stays exactly the same. There is no way that a group ranked dead last in the NFL needs no changes.
I agree with this
a lot of it just sounds like coach speak.
Remember to, he has a lot personally invested in these guys. I don’t think he is going to out-right throw anyone under the bus and say “_______ was the reason we suck, and they will not be back next year”
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and I'm not sure it's going to be Munch's decision in the end
Munch may be blinded by loyalty here, but I’m guessing Bud and most likely Reinfeld won’t abide. they’ll force some changes onto him (fingers crossed).
A few of us were talking about it in the chatrooms last night,
I really think (or at least it would be a great idea) if we got a solid center in the draft 1st/2nd round, and had him develop up with Locker, sort of the one dude he can always count on. Move Amano back over to guard and maybe shift Harris over to Scott’s spot…? I’m not sure if Harris could make that switch (or if he should even be starting) but I am really all for drafting a center for Locker to develop with.
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yo pratt
your buddy, Fat Neil, or Charley Koontz rather. I need him to pass along my wedding proposal to Alison Brie. Make it happen.
I'll dial it in.
… except, I am proposing to Alison this weekend! MAY THE BEST MAN WIN!
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That's not what she was sayin' last night!
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It's kind of a meta-reference really.
A) They were mocking the sexuality and singing/seducing used in Glee B) They were mocking fanboys love for Allison Brie by having her take her “innocent” sexuality to an over-the-top level.
…but she did look good, and that last line of the song was brilliant.
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by ronburgundy7427 on Jan 6, 2012 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
Wait, Pratt...
You made it to the chatrooms?
/shocked face
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by TitanNDCClothing on Jan 6, 2012 12:50 PM CST up reply actions
Reading too much into it.
I personally wouldn’t take offhand remarks too seriously. Ultimately, Reinfeldt will pull the trigger and get somebody to help the line,
It could be good cop bad cop. Coach stays in the good graces of the players and the evil GM does what evil GMs do best.
These folks aren’t stupid.
It worries me. But I am only going to truly rage if the offseason ends and we are still starting that same interior.
At the same time, you can’t go out there and badmouth your guys. As fans we want him to say “Yea, our interior sucked and changes will be made” but no coach ever says that.
Now the defensive line is actually something i think can improve with the same personnel, though I would like to see a more dominant pass rusher added somewhere in there.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 6, 2012 11:45 AM CST reply actions
Agreed.
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I still think the run blocking is a bigger problem.
But in a sense, I think it´s easier to find solid interior linemen than to find good pass rushers.
"He's an amazing talent. He's probably the most explosive back since Marshall Faulk and Barry Sanders." - Eddie George, about CJ.
In my opinion this offseason is a complete failure without at the minimum a new guard for Scott and a new center, moving amano to guard.
Locker has a receiver either side;
Locker fumbles the snap;
Picks it up, sprints out to the right;
Looking;
Fires deep downfield
MAN IS WIDE OPEN!!
TOUCHDOWWWWWN TITANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I <3 Mike Keith
by SoMissTitansFan on Jan 6, 2012 12:26 PM CST via Android app up reply actions
Amano must die
I’d rather keep Harris.
Moment when I started hating Amano – at home against the Steelers in 2010. It was a tight game until CJ ripped off a 70 or 80 yard touchdown. Boom – holding on Amano (even though the hold took place nowhere near where CJ was running). TD called back, the momentum is lost, and lose the game.
I think Amano and Harris are both terrible. Unless they improve dramatically before next year I would love to see them both go. Although, I have to agree that releasing Amano seems unlikely.
Amano must be alive, so that he can see our great run blocking next year. Without him!
"He's an amazing talent. He's probably the most explosive back since Marshall Faulk and Barry Sanders." - Eddie George, about CJ.
I think there will be fewer changes than everyone here wants, but there will be changes.
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by ronburgundy7427 on Jan 6, 2012 11:54 AM CST reply actions
Considering that everyone here wants 3 new lineman, probably.
I think 1 is a given. 2 isn’t out of the question. 3 is probably unlikely.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. 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. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 6, 2012 12:48 PM CST up reply actions
FIRE LEROY JENKINS
i can’t believe I have to spell it out. Did you not see the first and 35?
"Through your existence, become wealthy, knowledge is king"- Nasir Jones
"When you play for the Wizards, [Gilbert Arenas] is like Michael Jackson. He's playin with a lot of Tito Jacksons." - Charles Barkley
Jenkins did good for us this year
are you sure you want him gone?
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
crap didnt realise that jake scott was a FA
So that leaves us with stewart roos and amano (hopefully back at guard)? Any idea how munchak will address this?
by CJ2K shrine on Jan 6, 2012 12:04 PM CST via mobile reply actions
What is the purpose
Kevin Matthews serves on this team?
bout the same as Troy Koprog, Byron Stingley, Fernando Velasco, etc.
projects. Maybe they pan out one day, but who knows. I would’ve liked to see what one of them can do this season, but maybe somebody makes the jump to getting the kind of run that Otto and Velasco have gotten.
Music City Miracles blogger and High Secretary of Funk. Follow me @AugustWest_MCM.
I wish we could have seen what we had in them though
Matthews looked at least promising.
He could not have been any worse then Amano… maybe his line calling wasn’t as good?
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The same purpose every other backup player on every other team serves.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. 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. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 6, 2012 12:48 PM CST up reply actions
If anyone is actually hoping/waiting/thinking that Munch
is going to throw players under the bus and trash them by name to the media, I think you are going to be sorely disappointed.
Interweb DVOA: +100%
Epistemological Police
Member of CJ Sucks Club. Brah is bad.
*This
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I don't epect that
but it’s… lets go with vexing… to see him go out of his way to be supportive to a unit has that struggled mightily to do 50% of its job for the past two years.
Music City Miracles blogger and High Secretary of Funk. Follow me @AugustWest_MCM.
You are counting the chickens before they are hatched though...
We will know if he was bullshitting when the season starts next year or not, until then we don’t know WTF
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I know WTF
He’s from Canada, don’t you remember?
Locker has a receiver either side;
Locker fumbles the snap;
Picks it up, sprints out to the right;
Looking;
Fires deep downfield
MAN IS WIDE OPEN!!
TOUCHDOWWWWWN TITANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I <3 Mike Keith
by SoMissTitansFan on Jan 6, 2012 5:42 PM CST via Android app up reply actions
I think this is all coach speak.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. 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. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 6, 2012 12:49 PM CST reply actions
Well A-Dub, I hate to say it, but...I think your fears are justified.
So when I see a statement like this I get scared that Munch won’t make the changes in personnel that group needs to get back to dominating in the running and passing phases of the offense.
Every football team has 2 units, the Offense & the Defense. Trust me when I tell you that they don’t even really like each other. Now Munch, well he’s an Offensive guy, always has been. He’s naturally going to be reluctant to place blame on the offense (and I don’t mean to the media, he would never do that). I’m guessing that if any heads roll, and that’s even a big if (considering the lockout and all), it’s going to be on Defense. Only problem? THAT’S backwards, and you and I and the whole damn world knows it. Will it matter to him though? My guess is NO. Worst part? Jake already has problems leaving the pocket too early….sooooo….with these guys returning next year, I only have one thing to say to Mr. Locker……“RUN JAKE….RUN!!!”
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
Bill Belichick was mainly a defensive coach before becoming HC...?
Yet, they typically have a pretty soft defense and nearly always do the have a elite offense.
Sooooo?
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...I saw no evidence of Locker leaving the pocket early.
And in fact I can think of a TD throw in the New Orleans game where he stayed in there as it was collapsing, stepped up and made the beautiful down-field throw. You want to see someone who leaves the pocket early, check out Gabbert. Locker showed pretty good pocket presence for his limited appearances.
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by ronburgundy7427 on Jan 6, 2012 2:49 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah, that was a good play.
I’m referring to the knock on him coming out of college, and in that 1st game he played in I saw him throwing on the run a lot (which he does very well, btw.). But you’re right about one thing for sure, he’s MUCH better than Sunshine!!
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
by titansfan4ever on Jan 6, 2012 3:07 PM CST up reply actions
My biggest fear is that Munch is too loyal to "his guys".
It’s hard to make much of this comment. I don’t know what I’d expect him to say that’s much different.
Two things concern me, though:
1. As the positional coach, he’s too close to these players to make the correct personnel decision.
2. He associates new player acquisitions as a poor reflection on his development of the current offensive line given that he used to coach that unit.
Not really worth speculating on until free agency and the draft are over.
/The Titans offseason is officially here
I hate open water...
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What's wrong with clowns?!
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STOP IT, Saint!!
tdtommyd just peed his pants!! What if someone posted a picture of the Titanic going down…how would you feel?
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
by titansfan4ever on Jan 6, 2012 2:39 PM CST up reply actions
I'm just sayin' he's trying to make you laugh!
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And don't we all need a good one right about now....
after being bounced by the Bangles…..:-(
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
by titansfan4ever on Jan 6, 2012 3:03 PM CST up reply actions
Nice transition.
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
by titansfan4ever on Jan 6, 2012 3:13 PM CST up reply actions
This is kinda what I was thinking about earlier,
but I think he will get too much heat if he continues to stick with them for too long.
If Reinfeld drafts a C or Guard this year in the early rounds, you bet they will be starting next year regardless what Thor thinks of “his guys”
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Fisher had control of player personel.
That doesn’t mean Munchak will. I hope the GM steps up and does his job. This should not be on our second year coach who worked directly with this Oline for several years. It’s on Reinfeldt, and I think he will get the job done. I could see two draft picks, an early rounder and a mid/ lat rounder, and a FA. Hopefully we get 2 new starters out of the three and call it a day.
"I can name 31 other starting running backs that would have made that play" 104.5 the zone
How quickly you forget...
You nicknamed him “Thorchak” because he dropped the hammer and gutted the coaching staff. So why would he not be willing to do the same thing with players?
Good point....BUT....
those weren’t his coaches. They WERE his players.
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
by titansfan4ever on Jan 6, 2012 2:42 PM CST up reply actions
not worried
Just because he isn’t publicly bashing them doesn’t mean he is happy with them. Also, when he does cut them it hurts there future opportunities a little if he has made critisisms to the media.
Finally, I see no reason to take Amano, who gets overpowered at center…and move him to guard so he can be overpowered there. Let’s move on. Draft one or two and go with velasco or one of the others. Or one FA guy.
"With all due respect, and I do mean....
with all due respect.....
That idea ain't worth a velvet painting of
a whale and a dolphin gettn it on"
by zero defects on Jan 6, 2012 2:49 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I have ZERO faith in any of the interior guys
Hehe
"With all due respect, and I do mean....
with all due respect.....
That idea ain't worth a velvet painting of
a whale and a dolphin gettn it on"
by zero defects on Jan 6, 2012 2:53 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I see what you did there....n-i-c-e!!
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
by titansfan4ever on Jan 6, 2012 2:58 PM CST up reply actions
They were still coaches he had worked with for a long time.
Hell, Dinger was his boss. And he gave him the boot.
Right, but I think that was for health reasons.
Don’t get me wrong Doofus….I hope you’re right, cuz there is definitely some guys who need to have the hammer dropped on them….I just don’t see it happening.
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
"Anything less than 100% is not good enough" - Vince Lombardi
by titansfan4ever on Jan 6, 2012 3:01 PM CST up reply actions
I'm all for consistency on the line.
Just get guys that play well before you go for consistency.
Amano at C is not going to work, and I hope they don’t let the pass-blocking get in the way of changing it up.
Someone should get that homeless man in the Titans jersey away from those children....
Locker has a receiver either side;
Locker fumbles the snap;
Picks it up, sprints out to the right;
Looking;
Fires deep downfield
MAN IS WIDE OPEN!!
TOUCHDOWWWWWN TITANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I <3 Mike Keith
by SoMissTitansFan on Jan 6, 2012 5:46 PM CST via Android app reply actions
too bad you didnt use this pic
on the caption contest!
creepy looking man with halloween candy.
"you should have seen the look on my fathers face when I told him I wanted to be a ventriloquist"
by stetix01 on Jan 6, 2012 6:27 PM CST reply actions
Caption: I get running backs kiilled. /Smiles
"There are a lot of plays to be made out there playing middle linebacker. I try to make all of them." by Colin McCarthy
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