Will Fisher See The Light?
In a matter of weeks, perhaps less time, Titans brass is going to face a decision: when Jason McCourty recovers from a fractured forearm he suffered in a week three win over the New York Giants, should Alterraun Verner retain his starting cornerback job, or should McCourty, who captured the starting role following a fierce training camp battle against the rookie, be thrown back into the action?
I think the answer to this question is obvious. Yes, McCourty started and played full games in weeks one and two, and he did not make any glaring mistakes. He was solid—there is no denying it. But consider this: first, Verner, a 2010 fourth-round draft choice out of UCLA, pushed the second-year pro for the starting role even though he was a rookie. Secondly, during two full games as a starter, he has been equally solid. He has not given up any big plays nor has he made any glaring mistakes—leave that to Michael Griffin and Ryan Mouton. The only difference: unlike McCourty, Verner has replicated his training camp and preseason habit of making game-altering plays. He just seems to have a nose for the football.
In last week's upset win over the Dallas Cowboys, Verner intercepted a tipped Tony Romo pass with the game tied at 20 in the fourth quarter and returned it to the one-yard line. On the next play, Chris Johnson scored a one-yard touchdown to open up the game for the Titans at 27-20. While the Cowboys would later tie the game at 27, Verner’s pick was critical. It kept the Titans ahead of the Cowboys and bought valuable time while the offense sputtered.
Said Verner, in the post-game press conference: “It was a perfect coverage for us...I did my job and I stayed with the outside guy. I saw the ball tipped by one of our defensive lineman and that allowed me to convert from making the tackle to trying to get a pick...”
We need his eye for the ball. Fielding players with a nose for the football is critical if the Titans defense is to succeed. The Titans' conservative strategy on defense is heavily reliant on zone coverages that force opposing offenses to push the ball down the field on long drives without making mistakes. If we are going to win with this defensive philosophy, then we need defenders who can capitalize on miscues, when and if they occur. Verner has proven to be such a player during the preseason and his limited time as starter in the regular season.
Also, consider the competition that these two cornerbacks have battled against. Jason McCourty played error free and failed to yield any huge pass completions while playing full games against the Oakland Raiders in week one and the Pittsburgh Steelers in week two. In week one, McCourty found himself in coverage against a truly dismal quarterback in Jason Cambell, who since has been benched for the slightly less anemic Bruce Gradkowski. In week two, McCourty faced the less-than-dynamic quarterback duo of Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch. You get the idea. In two games as a full time starter, McCourty was not tested by a potent passing offense¾or even a competent one for that matter.
Verner, on the other hand, faced vastly better competition in his two starts, offenses with capable quarterbacks who consistently push the ball down the field to proven, big-play receivers. Kyle Orton and the Denver Broncos possess the second-rated passing offense in the NFL; Romo’s Cowboys possess the third-rated passing offensive in the league.
We must also consider that, during the Titans win over the Cowboys, Dallas QB Tony Romo consistently threw to Cortland Finnegan's side of the field and Finnegan gave up far more long pass plays than Verner. This is not by chance. NFL coaches know when a rookie is on the field, and if they believe he is not ready for NFL action, they will target him and make him prove otherwise. By consistently challenging Finnegan instead of Verner, Dallas revealed that they respect his coverage skills and ball instincts.
Fans of normal NFL franchises with head coaches who value talent and performance foremost would need not be concerned. Such coaches would, if faced with a similar situation, continue to start a rookie who has outperformed the starter, prospered against better competition, and produced game-changing plays. However, when asked about the subject during his Monday, October 11, press conference, Fisher was non-committal:
“As I said, the race was very, very close to start with, and I'm not saying that Jason isn't going to come back and be our starter,” Fisher said. “But they've both played very well throughout training camp and the preseason.”
Nothing is certain with Jeff Fisher. This is a head coach who consistently yields to seniority in similar situations—running back Eddie George and cornerback Nick Harper are but two memorable examples. It will be truly interesting to what happens here. Should Fisher give the starting role back to McCourty despite Verner's accomplishments in recent weeks, Fisher will have demonstrated one more time that he values loyalty to veteran players over his team's chances of winning football games. And that is a rookie mistake.
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