Maybe Titans’ owner Adams should part with both Fisher and Young

Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher watches his team take on the Houston Texans in the second half at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on November 28, 2010. The Texans defeated the Titans 20-0. UPI/Aaron M. Sprecher

The overwhelming consensus among fans and the media is that Titans owner Bud Adams will choose between head coach Jeff Fisher or quarterback Vince Young.

One will stay, one will go.

My question is: Why not let them both walk?

Young may have a winning record as a starter but that doesn’t mean he’s a winning quarterback. This latest incident in which he threw his shoulder pads into the stands after one of Tennessee’s games this year once again proves that he lacks maturity. While there’s no doubt the guy has talent, he refuses to put in the work necessary to become a great player. Michael Vick had the same issue in Atlanta before he was hauled off to prison for two years and realized he actually had to work for what he wanted. Meanwhile, JaMarcus Russell never honed his craft and now he’s out of the league.

If Adams sides with Young, it would be a foolish decision. Word has it that even his trusted executives have told him to move on from the former third overall pick. Maybe Young would change his ways if Fisher was let go, but does Adams really want a player that will only work hard if he likes his authority figures? What kind of message is that sending to the rest of the team?

No, Young has to go. And Fisher should join him.

For the record, I like Jeff Fisher and I think he could have success again elsewhere. He’s a throwback coach of sorts, in that he teaches the fundamentals and demands that his players work hard. He would probably have success building a team like the Panthers from the ground up, because he knows what it takes to reach the Super Bowl.

That said, it’s time for the Titans to go in another direction. They had the best record in the league in 2000 and 2008 and failed to win a single playoff game. He’s won five playoff games in 16 years, with three of those five wins coming in 1999 when he took the Titans to the Super Bowl. In his 16 years in Tennessee, he’s never once developed a true No. 1 receiver or a quarterback who has thrown for 3,400 yards or 25 touchdowns. And while he’s supposed to be a defensive-minded coach, his defenses have finished 27th, 19th, 32nd, 5th, 7th, 28th and 26th since 2004.

Again, I don’t think Fisher is a bad coach and if it came down to keeping him or Young, the decision is an easy one for Adams. But you get the sense that the Titans aren’t really improving anymore under Fisher. They’re the epitome of blasé and they’re a team that lacks an identity.

It’s time for some fresh blood. It would be hard for Adams to part with both Fisher and Young, but maybe that’s the right choice in the end.

Follow the Scores Report editors on Twitter @clevelandteams and @bullzeyedotcom.

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