Don’t sleep on the Titans backup QB battle

Last year Lambert wrote about how Alex Tanney had outplayed Matt Cassel in the preseason. It was true, but it didn’t end up mattering because ultimately both guys were with the team for most of the year (Tanney spent some time on the practice squad). Even with Tanney having the better preseason, it was never really in question that the team would keep Cassel when push came to shove.

This season, though, things seem like they might be different. At practice the last couple of days there seemed to be some buzz that Tanney might actually be the one that his here when week 1 rolls around. One issue the Titans face now is that Tanney is no longer eligible for the practice squad, so the only way he can be a part of this team is on the active roster.

Cassel played well enough in his time last season. You want a guy like him to come in and give you a chance to win. He did just that with a win over the Texans in week 17. I firmly believe that he would have beaten the Raiders in the wild card round if he had gotten the chance.

Another thing the Titans have to keep in mind is which guy is more likely to get scooped up if he is released by the team- Tanney or Cassel. I think the answer is pretty easily Tanney.

Now, the only way that really even matters is if Marcus Mariota gets hurt. Let’s just all pray that doesn’t happen.

The final option here is that the Titans just keep 3 quarterbacks. In that situation Cassel remains the backup in name, but they would have to make a decision if Mariota did get hurt. I need to stop typing that because it makes me want to cry.