From “Mike Vrabel: Job Security Should Hinge on Ryan Tannehill, Playoff Berth,” published on SoBros Network on Oct. 16, 2019:
“…Good to great? Alright then. Fans should hold Robinson to his words. Demand greatness. Nothing less than seven wins in these last 10 games. That still leaves them at a minimum 9-7 record. That’s way too generous. I’m just asking Vrabel to coach them out of the hole he got them into. Everyone is tired of watching a potential franchise quarterback ruined and a championship defense getting wasted.”
Emotions ran high after a 16-0 defeat to a far less talented Denver Broncos team. A Tennessee Titans team that had playoff aspirations suddenly found itself with a 2-4 record. Dreams of Marcus Mariota developing into a franchise quarterback ended when the 2015 No. 2 pick was benched midway through the third quarter. A frustrated fan base argued whether Mariota was a scapegoat or if Tannehill could orchestrate a turnaround with a much better supporting cast than he ever worked with as the Miami Dolphins quarterback.
Fast forward three months. The Titans have won eight of their last 11 games (8-3). One of those losses came when they rested key players against the New Orleans Saints. Tannehill has been the NFL’s highest rated passer. Despite missing a game, Derrick Henry became the 2019 NFL Rushing Champion. A.J. Brown played himself into contention for Offensive Rookie of the Year. First-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith went from looking completely incompetent to coordinating one of the NFL’s most balanced offensive attacks. Don’t forget about the defense that, despite key injuries, has mostly complemented its offense when needed the most.
There was no better example of how fascinating this turnaround has been than when the Titans eliminated the New England Patriots during AFC Wild Card weekend. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is known for eliminating the opposition’s primary offensive weapon. Would he focus on stopping the NFL’s highest-rated passer or the NFL’s rushing champion? It was a question similar to what he had to decide when he won his first Super Bowl while stopping the Mike Martz-led St. Louis Rams offense featuring Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk.
New England’s No. 1 defense prioritized against defending the passing attack. That’s similar to what Belichick did during Super Bowl XXXVI when they held “The Greatest Show on Turf” to 17 points. Tannehill finished with 72 passing yards. Brown finished with one reception for four yards.
As for the running game? Henry rushed for 182 yards on 34 carries. He added a 22-yard reception that set up a touchdown during the second quarter. That was one week after he rushed for 211 yards on 32 carries in a Week 17 victory that helped Tennessee clinch a playoff berth. Belichick made second half adjustments when he shifted defensive priorities toward containing Henry. By then it was too late.
Embrace contrarianism. Arthur Smith isn’t Mike Martz. The Titans aren’t like current NFL teams who believe they must force the passing game; they prioritize their ground game. Notice how much of the remaining playoff field feature the few offenses with productive ground games? Notice how the now-Los Angeles Rams plummeted into obscurity when they abandoned Todd Gurley for a heavy passing attack? How about former Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur leading the Green Bay Packers to a 13-3 season after shifting emphasis from Aaron Rodgers to Aaron Jones? Teams are so focused against these new era passing attacks that they don’t roster defenses that are equipped for stopping someone like Henry. That makes him even more dangerous than he would’ve been had he played during the era of a former Titans legend who would’ve feasted during today’s era: Eddie George.
Give credit to Mike Vrabel. He doesn’t always make what I (or other fans) deem as the best game-management or strategy decisions. What I’ve grown to appreciate is that he’s shown a willingness to learn and adjust. Consider how the 2018 Titans nearly clinched a playoff berth when he shifted the ground game focus from Dion Lewis to Henry. Vrabel approved a quarterback change that threatened to divide the fan base like never before. Vrabel went away from Malcolm Butler when he was playing poorly. Then Vrabel returned to Butler once his struggles were fixed. Understanding the situation against New Orleans meant that Henry got an extra week to rest an injured hamstring. Owning the NFL’s highest scoring second half offense showcases a willingness toward making adjustments.
Many coaches are too stubborn to change. Consider Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy. I’ve lost count on how many of his offensive drives prematurely end because he gets too cute on short-yardage situations. Instead of a simple running play, Nagy often runs some gadget play that ends up losing yards. Two years of that with no changes whatsoever.
Mike Vrabel has a 2-0 record against the man whom many consider as the NFL’s all-time greatest head coach: Belichick. That includes a postseason win where Vrabel out-coached Belichick throughout the entire contest. Vrabel used a Belichick tactic of running time off the game clock with extra delay of game penalties.
Vrabel punted during a situation when the Surrender Index considered it among the 88th percentile of cowardly punts since 2009. In the moment, it was a decision that fans questioned. Vrabel was right. Kind of funny when one considers how much criticism he receives for his special teams fakes. Doesn’t that showcase a lack of faith in the defense? Regardless, it’s funny because Vrabel has a completely different mindset on when to showcase aggressiveness and when to play conservative. I hated most of the fakes but agreed with the punt. I’m a big coward.
Speaking of Surrender Index: Belichick had two punts during that same fourth quarter that ranked as the 94th and 98th percentile of cowardliness. Before that was not attempting a single pass when New England was at the goal line leading 10-7. A touchdown could’ve forced Tennessee to take the ball out of Henry’s hands. New England settles for a field goal. The Titans march down the field to take a 14-13 lead. They never relinquished it.
Local analysts, talk show hosts, and bloggers often promote this franchise as having the talent to become extremely successful. The Titans are showing why. They have a talented roster. They’ve lacked competent quarterbacking and leadership. Tannehill has been a massive upgrade who’ll hopefully provide more than a short-term solution. In the last three years, the Titans have two divisional round playoff appearances. Had Mariota not been absent for Week 17 last year, maybe they make that three?
Mike Vrabel has been a bit like the John Cena of NFL head coaches. Cena gets his ass kicked for the majority of the match before that late turnaround that leads to him winning. Kind of like how Tennessee often goes scoreless during the first half of games then dominates during the second half. Similar to how Tennessee gets off to slow starts before trying to run the gauntlet en route to playoff berths. If Vrabel could just get a little better feel for the pulse of his team from the get-go, then Tennessee could position themselves better when January rolls around. Win AFC South championships. Home playoff games.
Next up is the Baltimore Ravens. Can Mike Vrabel and the rest of the defensive minds on this staff figure a way to contain probable 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson? The Titans put the nail in the coffin of New England’s dynasty. Can they prevent one from starting? It’s time to repay them for Jan. 2009.
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Joshua Huffman was born in Middle Tennessee. He has published content for Yahoo! Sports (via Contributor Network) and Titan Sized, among other venues. At SoBros, he’ll provide Daily Fantasy Sports suggestions and broad sports coverage. Contact him via email .
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