Titans @ Bengals Postgame Thread

I watched this embarrassment until our 4th failed attempt to score in the red zone (about 5 minutes left in the 3rd Quarter). At that point I decided it was a better use of my time to get to my job (working a construction project 3 hours away from home) before the snow hits up here. I tuned into the game on Sirius while driving (BTW....can anyone explain to me why Titans broadcasts from the Titans' radio network have never been covered on Sirius???). During the drive I heard the Bungles broadcasters soaking in and gloating over this debacle.

A couple of statistics they spouted off were very concerning.....like 13 for 15 on third down conversions before the Bungles took mercy on us, and the 5 TD-less trips to the red zone that we took (they were breaking arms patting the backs of their defense).

WOW...this was really ugly! Are we really this bad??? Something tells me no.

It is worth noting here that we came off of MNF, on an already shortened week due to Thanksgiving, and played on the road. Not making excuses here(well, maybe a little), but some of the flatness that I saw may have been attributed to that.

I agree with TitanJeff that Starks and Veal may be posting on this site as fans next season. I have said in a previous thread that DL, unfortunately, will once again need to be a priority in the offseason. Right now it appears that we are totally dependent on a player that has never been able to stay healthy (or unsuspended) for a complete season, which is not a good position to be in if we intend to be a consistent winner. Our DB's looked pretty bad today, but we need to remember who they were trying to defend (what I would give to have either TJ or Chad as a Titan.....they can keep DUI-man though). I have basically wanted Schwartz removed since 2001 (after watching Charlie Batch look like Johnny Unitas against us), and that position has never changed.

On offense, our RB's were pretty bad today, which IMO reflects on the OL also. The Bungles are one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, so you would expect to see a couple of big runs out of anyone due to simple law of averages. To not be able to convert on 3rd and 1 in the red zone is simply inexcusable, and is a huge red flag. Let me be the first here to officially begin beating the drum for Henry to get a shot as the feature back when he gets back. LenWhale is simply not the answer here. I do not believe that he possesses the mental toughness and discipline to be a legitimate feature back in the NFL. Brown is a good change of pace back, but as we all know, he cannot stay healthy enough to be a feature back. We need to let Henry get his shot this year, so that we know how to best approach this impending need in the offseason. Vince played ok today. Sometimes it appears that the game is starting to slow down for him, but then he will make a boneheaded throw (like the INT today). He is only in his 2nd year, so I am willing to give him a mulligan for this year yet.

Will we make the playoffs? I doubt it, but I thought that playoffs this year was a stretch anyway. I would like to see 9-7, which at this point might be a bit of a stretch also. In any event, we have alot of work to do in the offseason to get to that next level (just close your eyes and imagine if we were playing the Patriots today......YIKES!)

 

Did Stewart play today? If not, that hurt the OL.

 

1. We were never a top 5 D, but we have had a collapse. It wasn't an illusion- we were a MUCH better team 4 weeks ago even though we were playing crappy teams. It isn't just AH being out, or Hope or others. Our D has lost intensity, lost fundamentals, and focus. Good coaches are tuned in to their players- they recognize it and correct those problems. Our coaching is complacent or lacks the talent to identify and correct the solution. If I am correct, we have only forced 2 punts in the past 2 games and those were during the "time burning phases" of the game. That should qualify us for last D in the NFL during the past 2 games.

2. VY's decision-making has improved only minimally. He is still making bad reads and forcing the ball. He is executing better- but not selecting the best reads for the highest probability of a catch and YAC. He is too slow going through his progression's. He was much more effective when he was moving out of the pocket. Most of his good plays come when he is on the run and in the shotgun. I guess we can attribute this being year 2 of his development- Oh well- just have to tough it out this year.

3. Personnel: We have made so many bad decisions I want to puke. Anybody who says Pac or AH wasn't missed today is crazy. Our WR and TE draftees have not developed. They all have the drops. That has to be coaching or scouting. Our RB's look like crap. Brown had a couple of good runs but still can't get it done on short yardage. We have to re-tool our D-line.


So in summary, I think this team will be lucky to go 8-8. I think we will. Give up on the play-offs. Not happening. Jags and the Browns will get the wildcards. I agree there are so many holes like TJ and Bobo pointed out. No way we get it fixed before the end of the season. Schwartz and Chow have to go- their units having not been getting it done for the past couple of seasons.

 

Yeah the interior of the OL is going down. Mawae is looking like Bruce at the end of his career.

And one of VY worst moves was dropping back only 2 steps in the red zone and standing there all day, then getting hit and fumbling, negating a chance to score and make it a game early.

 

San Diego is making a move. I think the Browns will fold. I still think we will go 10-6 and get a WC along with the Jags.

 

I dont know how I can make this any clearer, no recievers, no consistencey, no Haynesworth, is a loss, period

 

A pro-bowler shouldn't have 2 botched snaps in short yardage situations either.

 

Only the Titans can get called for holding on a play they lose yds on. You'd think if they held someone they could gain yds...