Yeah, we’re gettin’ a little weird here with these Tennessee Titans Throwback Thursday columns in 2021. But, that’s how you have to be sometimes. I want to keep y’all on your toes – which, hey, if there’s ever anyone you guys want to see me profile in a future edition of this column, just say the word and I’ll dive into it. Fair warning – 2021 is already mapped out, but I can get ’em on the list for 2022. Anyway, on this week’s column, I’m going to look back at the time Chris Palmer spent with the Titans as an offensive coordinator.
Palmer served as OC for the 2011 and 2012 teams – it’s an interesting time in the franchise’s history to look back upon. 2010 marked the end of the Jeff Fisher in Nashville. His strange “resignation,” or whatever the hell it was, made it even weirder. It would’ve been the perfect time for the franchise to make a major pivot and get away from Fisher-ball, but what did they do? They hired one of his disciples, longtime offensive line coach, Mike Munchak. Munchak is one of the greatest offensive line coaches in NFL history – I’ll say it – but it wasn’t exactly an inspiring hire at head coach at the time. He would end up getting three seasons before he was fired (and Ken Whisenhunt was hired). Munchak fired legendary OC Mike Heimerdinger (R.I.P.), and hired Palmer to be his play-caller in 2011. At the time, Dowell Loggains (now with the Arkansas Razorbacks as tight ends coach) was a promising up-and-comer in the coaching ranks, having served as a quality control coach and quarterbacks coach with the organization. But, it wasn’t quite his time to get a crack at the OC job. Palmer wound up being the bridge between Heimerdinger and Loggains.
The move made sense at the time. We all thought the Titans were getting an experienced play-caller who could get the most out of the quarterback position, something the Titans desperately needed when they hit the reset button on the position. After years of running hot and cold on Vince Young, the Titans drafted Jake Locker, and judging by his work with Eli Manning as quarterbacks coach of the New York Giants, Palmer seemed like the perfect guy to come along and develop the next Titans quarterback. But, for several reasons, that 2011 Titans offense was mediocre at best. That might actually be putting it mildly – they only scored 30+ twice all season, finished 21st in the NFL in points per game (averaging just 20.3), and had to rely on the services of an aging Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback (that wasn’t a bad thing – Hasselbeck had a damn good season, but it definitely wasn’t what you wanted to see: your stud first round draft pick earning the job).
Then, about halfway through the 2012 season, after the Titans were bent over by the Chicago Bears 51-20, Munchak made the call and canned Palmer. The experiment was over, and it most definitely did not work. If you’ll remember, that’s when Bud Adams tore the team and the coaching staff apart, and guys started worrying about being fired. Heads were going to roll! And, that’s what brings me here – my most vivid recollection of the Chris Palmer era as play-caller. What I remember most about Palmer is honestly his exit, and how he basically came out and said, “it wasn’t just me, folks.“
“I think when you break a quarterback in, you are going to be in a situation where you are going to have your ups and downs. Young quarterbacks, you have to go through this period. They just don’t step in and become great quarterbacks. It takes time to develop. And (receiver) Kenny Britt is not 100 percent. I just think there’s more issues than people want to admit to,” he told the newspaper.
My initial inclination is to say, “who the fuck does this guy think he is?” But, after stepping back and taking a deep breath, I land on, “you know what? I actually appreciate the honesty.” We don’t really know what happened between Munchak, Palmer, and those 2011 Tennessee Titans. But, all these years later, I’m willing to concede that maybe Palmer had a point – how in the hell can you look at that 2011 Titans team and think “expectations?” Of course, it’s far from the worst Titans team ever (Looking at you, 2014 and 2015 squads). But, it was never reasonable to think that that team could’ve made a deep run in the postseason. I don’t think I quite realized it at the time, but looking back on it, it really feels like a bizarre couple of years in the franchise’s history.
TENNESSEE TITANS THROWBACK THURSDAY ARCHIVES
- Drew Bennett
- Keith Bulluck
- Eddie George
- Michael Griffin
- Lavelle Hawkins
- Albert Haynesworth
- Chris Henry
- Chris Hope
- Justin Hunter
- Brandon Jones
- Derrick Mason
- Dexter McCluster
- Steve McNair
- Jarrett Payton
- Myron Rolle
- Samari Rolle
- Alterraun Verner
- Ken Whisenhunt
- LenDale White
- Vince Young
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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