Tennessee Titans: Brett Kern reacts to failed fake FG

Tennessee Titans punter Brett Kern spoke about the failed fake field goal attempt in the fourth quarter during the Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Another week, another bad decision on a fourth down play by Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who nearly got punter Brett Kern killed in the Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Vrabel decided to go for the fake with the Titans clinging to a 27-23 lead late in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee was in field goal range at the time and faced a fourth-and-2, but instead of trying to take the points by attempting a 45-yard field goal with kicker Cody Parkey — or even keep the offense on the field for a QB sneak or running play — Vrabel called for a fake field goal.

The play saw Kern try to break a run to the outside, however he was met by linebacker Devin White, who absolutely destroyed the punter to blow up the play. Kern walked off the field gingerly after taking that hit, so we hope everything is OK there.

After the game, Kern had this to say about the play, per John Glennon of The Athletic.

"“We practiced it about 4 or 5 weeks. It’s a good fake. We had the look we wanted. That ‘backer was over to the other side and then when we snapped it, he shot over and filled the gap. So what looked like a really big gap to me closed pretty darn quick.”"

I appreciate Kern pretty much defending his coach, but the decision was still the wrong one. Vrabel’s explanation defending the fake left a lot to be desired, also.

Vrabel should have kicked the field goal, which was from 45 yards out. After all, Cody Parkey had nailed both of his field goal attempts to that point, one of them being from 51 yards out. Go figure Vrabel had more faith in Cairo Santos in Week 5 after missing three kicks than he did in Parkey in Week 8 after making two kicks.

Like all of us watching, left tackle Taylor Lewan said, “I thought he was dead” after seeing Brett Kern take the hit, per A to Z Sports Nashville.

It’s one thing to make a bad decision, but when you put one of your best players in a position to get slaughtered, it makes it even worse. At the very least, Vrabel should’ve drawn one up that had Kern throwing, as he had shown some serious QB skills the week prior on a successful fake punt against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Whatever the case may be, there appears to be no end in sight for bad decisions by the Titans head coach.