The Tennessee Titans stunk up the joint against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. In all three phases of the game, the Titans just looked flat, out of sync, and uninspired. After three preseason games, fans are starting to grumble a bit. They didn’t look too great against the New York Jets, had a strong outing against the Carolina Panthers, and then played their worst football yet against the Bears. The time for practice is almost done. We’re only about a week and a half away from meaningful football.
The only game left between now and then is the 4th and final preseason game, but that game takes place on Thursday…10 days before the season opener against the Oakland Raiders. Indeed, the clock is ticking on the Titans. They don’t have much time left to iron out the kinks before the season starts.
Usually, the 4th preseason game is the hardest for fans to sit through. That’s when you’re watching the third and fourth string players competing for roster spots. For the most part, you’re watching a glorified practice, and the starters don’t usually take more than a snap or two, if at all. But, that’s not going to be the case on Thursday.
Credit to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com:
“Everybody will play this game,” Mularkey said.
Mularkey said he doesn’t plan to play the starters for punishment after a sub-par performance against the Bears either.
“That’s not why I’m going to play them, no,” Mularkey said. “That was my thought prior to this game. You’re just talking about a couple weeks in between games. I know you get that in the bye week, I don’t know if you need it in the preseason. That’s the thought, again I haven’t sat down with the staff to talk about it, but that’s kind of the thought. One to two series.
“… I talked to the staff this morning, there’s some guys that haven’t had a chance to play yet and I think they need a chance to play. They’ve earned the right to play in an NFL game and they’re going to play this weekend. Everybody will play. Regardless of what the Chiefs do, that’s out of my control. I know what we’re going to do.”
I think, for the most part, Mularkey is a straight shooter. But, he’d be foolish to not acknowledge that this team has shown some serious problems. They have a ton of work to do to get everything in sync. I know he says this isn’t a punishment for the Bears game, but how could it not be?
Even with the first team in, how many of those starters impressed you in that game? As a coach, you have to be looking at it from all angles to make sure you have the best possible team you can assemble on the field.
But, read the tea leaves – how many other NFL teams are going to be playing their starters on Thursday? Not many, I’d be willing to wager. So, he knows, just as many of us who follow the team know, there’s an issue with chemistry on this team now. Maybe even an issue with culture.
This is a young football culture, lest we forget. The Titans only started improving last year, and they’re counting on a lot of young guys to help cultivate this culture. Maybe it’s not Mularkey’s intention, but hopefully, it will send a message to these guys that just because Peter King thinks they’re the 4th best team in the NFL doesn’t mean they’ll win a single game this season.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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