Titans Get No Respect From National Media
By Les Bailey
It gets almost aggravating at times to be a Tennessee Titans blogger. You can get plenty of news and analysis from the local print media and online thanks to Jim Wyatt, Paul Kuharsky and the Tennessean, but after hours of watching the networks for any mention of the Titans and their exciting young quarterback, there is seldom an honorable mention.
More at Titan Sized: Greg Cosell on Titans vs Bills
It’s like the Titans are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL.
For instance, in a thirty-three second Buffalo Bills vs Tennessee Titans preview on NFL Live, host Trey Wingo discuss the week five game with former quarterback, Mark Brunell and the coach, Herm Edwards.
The only Titans mention is that they are playing the Bills and neither analyst give the Titans any chance of winning this matchup.
Mark Brunell:
“I’m going with the Bills, Rex Ryan will have something for rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota”
Herm Edwards:
“Yeah! Bills are a better football team and Rex Ryan will do something to eliminate the penalties”
That was it for any mention of your Tennessee Titans!
Both ESPN and the NFL Network have covered Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts quarterback issues to ad nauseam along with the firing of Joe Philbin after the Miami Dolphins lost to the New York Jets in London last Sunday.
Respect around the NFL has to be earned, and one has to think about the week three loss to the Indianapolis Colts and head coach Ken Whisenhunt wanting to make a statement.
He was right on.
That was a “must win for the Tennessee Titans” and they didn’t.
In fact, other than the Colts, the AFC gets little air time around the media and most pegged the Colts to cure their early-season woes when they got into divisional play.
And they were right.
With a chance to make a statement that the Titans would be a player this year and keep the Colts in trouble, the Titans let them off the hook, and after three games against divisional opponents with an injured Andrew Luck, the Colts are now 3-2 and in firm control of the South.
Even with an exciting young quarterback, an improved defense and a new attitude, Nothing has changed since last year.
The Titans are 1-2 on the year and have failed to successfully defend their home turf.
Most analysts have expressed praise for Marcus Mariota and his quick maturation in the NFL, and agree in their assessment that the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner will be a stud in this league, but almost to a man, also agree that there is not enough talent in Music City to help him secure enough wins to matter.
The late Al Davis used to say “Just Win Baby” and if the Tennessee Titans want to get some respect this year, they need to just win baby……soon!
It’s already been forgotten how Mariota lead a comeback in the Dawg Pound that was killed by a Johnny Manziel bomb to Travis Benjamin or the 80 yard drive he led at home against the Colts because both games ended in the same place.
With Titans losses that dropped them to 1-2 on the season.
When those comebacks turn into wins on the field, the conversations around the national media should turn to the exciting young Tennessee Titans!
Next: Titans vs Bills: Rex Ryan to solve penalty problems