So apparently at some point during the 2010 season Jeff Fisher signed Chuck Cecil to a double secret contract extension that was never reported in the media. That is a pretty big deal because it means that Cecil was actually fired by the Titans, not just told he wouldn't be brought back, and it means Bud Adams has to pay him in 2011. It is mind-boggling to me that Fisher still has a job. He has made terrible decisions time and time again, including this one, and yet he gets to keep coaching and keep being "one of the most respected coaches in the league."
I go back and forth on who is at fault for how bad the defense is. There is no doubt that Cecil was over-matched as a coordinator. One anonymous player told Jonathan Hutton this:
When I asked if he agreed with decision on Cecil, one Titans player told me "He was playing checkers and OC's were playing chess."
That is a pretty strong indictment on Cecil's ability to be a coordinator, but there is also no doubt that the some of the players on the unit just aren't very good.
How many players on the Titans defense would no doubt start on any given team in the league? I have four- Jason Babin, Jason Jones, Michael Griffin and Cortland Finnegan (he wouldn't be #1 on most teams, but he could be pretty much anyone's #2). I think Alterraun Verner would be considered for most team's starting nickel corner, but he isn't going to be in the top 2 on most teams. It would be hard for any coordinator to be successful with the odds stacked against them like that.
All of this goes back to Fisher. He moved Cecil up to coordinator, and he was in charge of drafting most of the guys that are on the current unit. Yet he will be running the show in 2011, and the media still says that he would get a job in a minute. Blows my mind..