Tennessee Titans Still Stuck in Purgatory

Another week, another mind-numbing meltdown by the Tennessee Titans. Every year we seem to have to endure these disappointing, heart wrenching losses. They happened with Jeff Fisher. They happened with Mike Munchak. And they are happening with Ken Whisenhunt. There are many factors that we can attribute the blame to, but the main one is that this is the franchise we have become.

And nothing will change until this entire organization is transformed from the top-down.

Ken Whisenhunt should not be an NFL head coach right now. Ruston Webster should not be an NFL GM. Yet, here we are, with them both at their respective positions with the Tennessee Titans. For what reason are we employing them? Because we can’t get anything right.

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It does not matter if we have a superstar behind center (which we very well might). The ineptitude of this team is only a product of the incompetence of our front office. This past draft class was the best one they’ve had since Webster came into power, and that really isn’t saying much when taking into account our drafted players since 2012. And we’re not even talking about some of the worst free agent blunders Titans fans have ever seen, coming under his regime. Andy Levitre, Shonn Greene, Dexter McCluster, Harry Douglas. Since Webster obtained the GM position, both Levitre and Greene are already gone, while McCluster and Douglas are non-factors in this offense.

At this point, there’s no reason to become enraged with Whisenhunt’s coaching tactics and decisions. He is a bad coach and there is nothing we can do about it. Webster payed top dollar for Whisenhunt, hoping he could channel that magical 2008 Super Bowl run. He probably didn’t take into account the years of mediocrity in Arizona shortly after, while he tried to groom quarterbacks who never had a shot and his team suffered tremendously. Then Bruce Arians took over in Arizona and has put up double digit wins with very similar teams ever since.

Ken Whisenhunt is 4-28 in his last 32 games. That extrapolates to a full two seasons of 2-14. There is absolute zero reason for a coach with that record to be employed by any professional team. I wrote an article before the season started about whether Whisenhunt can adapt and bring about better results. He hasn’t. The Titans are still choking away games due to poor, reserved play calling. Some people call it “playing not to lose”. I call it “being a bad coach”.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that we are stacked with talent. Our talent is mediocre at best. A big part of coaching is bringing out the potential in your players. Whisenhunt has not done that. The defense plays well for three quarters, and once the fourth rolls around it’s as if the game doesn’t matter anymore. We have a really good receiver in Kendall Wright and he doesn’t get thrown the ball. Instead, those targets are going to All-Pro backups Dexter McCluster and Harry Douglas.

Ruston Webster has not provided Whisenhunt with extremely talented players either, due to poor drafting and poor free agency moves. This is a collective case study in futility. We keep hearing about how we’ve been close in every game. Close doesn’t matter if it doesn’t result in a win. And a win seems far fetched when the ball isn’t being put in your best players’ hands (running a fullback dive on a two point conversion attempt to tie the game, when Marcus Mariota is your quarterback).

I wish I can promise Titans fans that things will get better. I don’t believe they will until this franchise gets a new start, with a new owner, a new GM, and a new head coach. Call me pessimistic, but I have seen this all happen before. It’s been happening to this franchise for over a decade. It’s time for a change, sooner rather than later.

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