Tag: Jeff Fisher (Page 4 of 9)

Potential Landing Spots for Vince Young

Tennessee Titans Quarterback Vince Young (10) looks on as his Tennessee Titans fall to the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium, in Miami Florida.November 14, 2010. The Miami Dolphins beat the Tennessee Titans 29-19. . UPI/Susan Knowles…

Vince Young will not be a member of the Tennessee Titans next season, as owner Bud Adams has “chosen” Jeff Fisher over his once-beloved quarterback.

The Titans can’t cut Young until February 7 when waivers start for next season and they can’t trade him until early March (when the new season officially begins). But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate about his future.

So let’s speculate the crap out of this thing. Below are some potential landing spots for VY.

Miami: For some reason, I see Young as being a Miami guy. That doesn’t make a bit of sense seeing as how he’s from Texas. But I keep getting the image of him on South Beach, sipping one of those colorful drinks with the umbrella hanging out. (Wow, I think the long football season is starting to get to me.) Chad Henne is a dead man walking in Miami, as former (Ricky Williams) and current (Brandon Marshall) teammates continue to throw him under the bus for the Dolphins’ failures this season. With Tony Sparano likely heading out the door with him, Miami’s next head coach will look to add a quarterback in the offseason. Seeing as how we don’t know who the next coach for the Dolphins will be, we don’t know if Young would be a fit. But this marriage makes sense based on need.

Arizona: I’m sure Ken Whisenhunt will want to see more out of John Skelton next summer in order to better evaluate his potential. But if he hasn’t seen enough of Derek Anderson to know the guy can’t play, then Whisenhunt isn’t long for the NFL. I don’t see Young being a fit for Whisenhunt’s offense, but the Cards are desperate and still scrambling to fill Kurt Warner’s shoes.

Buffalo: Ryan Fitzpatrick is more than serviceable but the Bills could bring in Young to provide competition. Any kind of talent that Buffalo can add to the roster would be a good thing.

Oakland: When there’s a high-profile free agent about to become available, I think it’s almost automatic that you have to list the Raiders as a potential suitor. You know Al Davis just put Texas’ Rose Bowl win over USC into his VCR (what, you think the Crypt Keeper has a Blu-ray player?) and is drooling over Young right now. Jason Campbell who? I need Vince, baby!

San Francisco: Same as Miami: We don’t know who the head coach will be so we don’t know if Young would be a fit. But there’s no doubt the Niners have a need at quarterback.

Houston: Young is from Houston and the Texans could use a backup for Matt Schaub, but I’m sure VY wants a crack at being a starter. Still, it makes sense.

Dallas: Same thing as above with Houston, although Young definitely isn’t a fit for Jason Garrett’s offense.

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?

Continue reading »

I’m Just Saying: The Vikings have a home game in which the NFL is handing out free tickets so Lions fans can attend.

DETROIT - DECEMBER 12: People enter Ford Field prior to the start of the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 12, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. Ford Field will host the NFL football game between the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings on Monday December 13 after a blizzard dumped more than 20 inches of snow in parts of the Midwest causing the inflatable roof to collapse under the weight of snow at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Mall of America Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. . (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

This is the second installment of my new column: “I’m Just Saying.” Peter King has a column (Monday Morning Quarterback), so it only makes sense that a well-respected sports blogger like myself has a column as well.

What? I’m not well-respected? Who the hell is Anthony Stalter? Peter King is more established?

What-ev.

– So let me get this straight, the NFL moved the Giants-Vikings game to a NFC North city and is handing out free tickets? If I’m the Vikings, I’m pissed. Nice home game for Minnesota – think any Lion fans will get sauced up and attend the game for free just to root against the Vikings?

– Of course, if the roof of the Metrodome weren’t made of paper mache, the Vikings wouldn’t have to worry about playing at Ford Field.

– Does anyone else find it ironic that Sal Alosi’s job as the Jets’ head strength and conditioning coach is to help players get in shape and avoid injuries and he goes out and trips a Dolphins player…who gets injured? You stay classy, Sal Alosi.

– I’m willing to bet that if the Patriots played all of their games in a blizzard, they would be 19-0 and will have beaten their opponents by a combined score of 855-17.

– The Titans’ backdoor cover against the Colts on Thursday night was one of the worst backdoor covers in the history of backdoor covers. First of all, Indy was up 21-0 in the first half. So what should have been a blowout actually turned into a decent game because their defense is made of Charmin extra soft tissue paper. After they allowed Tennessee to crawl back in the second half, Peyton Manning had not one, but two chances to waste the clock and move the ball and he did neither. Then, with the Colts up by 10 in the final minutes of the game (they were favored by 3), Jeff Fisher trots out Rob Bironas for a field goal attempt but calls him back instead. He decides to put his offense back onto the field and Kerry Collins marches the Titans up the field for a touchdown on the final play of the game (a 4th down no less) and covers the spread. If Fisher were actually trying to win the game, he would have kicked the field goal and tried an onsides kick (he needed 10 points, after all). But because he was trying to screw bettors (which is the only logical explanation here), he decided to go for the touchdown and run the clock down to zero in the process. Final score: Colts 30, Titans 28. Thanks, Jeff.

Continue reading »

If they’re not going to use him, why did the Titans put a claim in on Moss?

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Randy Moss shows his frustration as he watches the game from the bench against the Houston Texans in the first half at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on November 28, 2010. The Texans defeated the Titans 20-0.  UPI/Aaron M. Sprecher Photo via Newscom

Want to know how irrelevant Randy Moss has become? It wasn’t until the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s game between the Titans and Colts that I realized he wasn’t on the field. And even then, one of the horrendous NFL Network announcers had to mention something for me to notice.

For only the second time in his career, Moss wasn’t targeted in a game as Tennessee fell to Indianapolis, 30-28. In five games with the Titans, he has just five catches for 62 yards, which of course begs the question: Why did the Titans claim him if they weren’t going to use him?

According to coach Jeff Fisher, the reason Moss didn’t see much action last night was because he and Kenny Britt play the same position.

“Well, (Britt and Moss) are playing the same position and so we try our best to rotate them both, but Kenny was feeling good and he made some plays for us,” Fisher said. “… It’s just that Kenny was a starter here and he came back (from a hamstring injury). He fought back. I’m pleased with everything Randy has done. He’s been great with the guys and great in the locker room and he’ll continue to play.”

On the surface, what Fisher said makes sense. Britt had an injury, returned, and earned his starting job back from the newcomer.

But the newcomer isn’t some street free agent that the Titans signed – it’s Randy freaking Moss. And even if Moss is on the downside of his career, it’s up to Fisher and his coaching staff to figure out how to best utilize the talent on their roster.

Are you telling me that it’s not worth having Moss streak towards the end zone and Kerry Collins throwing him a jump ball when the Titans are down two scores at the end of the game? Is that what Fisher is saying? That because Kenny Britt (the same Kenny Britt that has been in and out of Fisher’s doghouse the past two years) plays the same position that Moss is rendered useless? Come on.

I wonder what Bill Belichick or Andy Reid would do if they had both Moss and Britt on the same roster. I highly doubt you would have heard either of them say, “Well, they play the same position so that’s why we left Moss on the bench for four quarters.” They would find ways to get both of them on the field at the same time because that’s what good coaches do.

It’s ridiculous the way Fisher and the Titans have handled Moss and I wonder if this isn’t Fisher’s way of sticking it to the front office. As in, “Hey, you want me to use this guy? I’ll show you…Randy, sit your ass on the bench.”

If that’s the case, then maybe it’s time for the longest-tenured head coach to move on. I’m not saying that the mess in Tennessee is all Fisher’s fault, but sometimes change is for the best.

Titans’ OC Heimerdinger diagnosed with cancer

Sep 12, 2010; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger during the game against the Oakland Raiders at LP Field. Photo via Newscom

Sad news out of Tennessee on Wednesday as coach Jeff Fisher announced that offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo chemotherapy.

From ESPN.com:

“Mike is very sick. And Mike is going to be, potentially as early as today, undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment. I don’t know whether or not he’ll be back (Thursday) or whether he’ll be here inside the facility or whether or not he’ll be able to participate in coaching this game.”

“We are going to continue with the game plan. I will make sure this game will get called and the offense will be prepared. I just want everybody to keep Mike and his family in their prayers.”

“He’s been sick — very sick — for three weeks. We just got the news this morning.

“I don’t want to go into detail anymore than that. I think we owe it to Mike to allow him to enjoy some privacy with his family.”

Fisher went on to say that the “Vince Young stuff is behind us.” When serious news like this come up about, all other issues seem inconsequential. My heart goes out to Heimerdinger and his family.

« Older posts Newer posts »