Young's lack of maturity

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by NewsGrabber, Sep 7, 2008.

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  1. NewsGrabber

    NewsGrabber Guest

    Young accountability issues need resolution

    Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

    NASHVILLE -- Vince Young had thrown his second interception and his body language wasn't good. He sat off alone. And when it came time for the offense to go back on the field, he was not with the other 10 Titans.

    His coach motioned for him to get in there, and finally, he did. To significant boos.

    Four plays later, awkwardly dragged down by linebacker Daryl Smith, Young suffered a sprained left knee and was finished for the day.

    Kerry Collins engineered a touchdown drive and the Titans held on for a 17-10 win over the Jaguars.
    The Titans come out of it with a starting quarterback whose status is in doubt, in more ways than one.

    Updates on the knee will come when Jeff Fisher meets the press Monday and again when the Titans begin practicing to get ready for Cincinnati on Wednesday. Young won't address anything until Wednesday, and he'll have his story straight by then for sure.

    The facts are disputable, but the cover story, if that's what it is, is pretty well built. Fisher said after the game any confusion as to whether Young would return to play was over his hamstring strain that got him added to the injury report on Friday.

    "He said, 'It's tight,'" and I said, 'if it's tight, we'll go with Kerry and try to talk him back into is and he felt good," Fisher said.

    But in a broader sense, the issue is Young's ability to work his way through situations where he is upset -- with himself, with his coach, with his team, and yes, even with booing fans.

    As a rookie, Young held it against Fisher when the coach stuck to the team rules and had a team flight to Philadelphia leave without the quarterback when he was late for the flight. He misplaced the anger from that situation, declining to admit he was, in fact, at fault. And today, somehow, the bad interception to rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harvey and the cascading boos that followed it, those seemed like someone else's fault too.

    Give Young credit, he's got an amazing ability to externalize. His mentor and predecessor as Titans quarterback, Steve McNair, took the blame for everything. (Unfortunately, their tenure with the Titans did not overlap.) Young is completely the opposite, and rarely, without major prodding, utters "my bad."

    The Titans' way is to build a cocoon around their guy. They believe they must always have his back all the way, never revealing so much as slight doubt publicly. The system worked well with McNair because he was so incredibly hard on himself. But when the quarterback carries himself as Young has -- without even a small dose of self-criticism, with a constant defensive tone, or, like today, without a comment at all -- it's not such an attractive package.

    Fisher insisted there is nothing controversial here at all.

    But just saying so doesn't make it so. Only so much can be swept under the rug until a speed bump forms. Imagine another player declining to go back on the field after a bad series.

    Young has accountability issues that are overdo to be resolved. And to this point the Titans' delicate handling of him sure doesn't look like it's helping him sort things out.


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  2. GoT

    GoT Strength and Honor

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    Newsgrabber I gotta agree
     
  3. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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  4. Riverman

    Riverman That may be.... Tip Jar Donor

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    Good read. I agree completely.

    Vince had better grow up in the next 2-4 weeks or he will REALLY lose the team and fan support. During that time- he needs to man up in the locker room to clear the air.
     
  5. jfrancis04

    jfrancis04 AKA jonboy_the_titan

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    Fisher being Fisher...always defending his players, which I like for the most part. In this case, I don't see why he didn't just call VY out. We can get over a few INTs here and there (well, most of us anyway), but the whole attitude thing really has to quit. Steve McNair needs to sit VY down for a nice little chat about leadership.
     
  6. Gunny

    Gunny Shoutbox Fuhrer

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    Has Fisher ever called someone out? It's not really his style to go to the media about things.
     
  7. titanbuoy

    titanbuoy medium rare ®

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    This is why I've been of the notion that the team needs to bring in some real competition for Young at the starting QB spot. The Titans have been coddling the guy... he's not made of china. They're treating him like a baby... and he's acting like a baby (perhaps not coincidently). Having him sit behind a veteran and be forced to earn his job back might not be a bad thing. I still think Young will develop into a solid starter for the franchise, but I don't like the way he's been gifted the position.
     
  8. jfrancis04

    jfrancis04 AKA jonboy_the_titan

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    Nope...that's why I said "Fisher being Fisher." I also don't think he's ever had a starting QB pouting on the sidelines with an offense wondering 'where's our QB?' I just think in this case, I wouldn't really have had a problem with it if Fisher did say something. I wish he'd at least give us part of the truth.
     
  9. DLS33

    DLS33 Guest

    I am not a Vince basher, but I agree with this blog. However he is still our QB for years to come.
     
  10. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    Based on his tantrum his rookie season when the Titans left him at the airport and he said he wouldn't play, my gut tells me that it's very possible this went down as Climers says it did.

    If that's the case, and it continues, his teammates will quit on him regardless if Fisher continues to baby him.

    I see this as a much bigger issue than the two INTs. He's got to grow up or this is the kind of thing which will tear apart a locker room.
     
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