It Takes Two (Titans) to Tango

If you're reading this, I'm pretty sure you know a lot about what happened on Sunday with Vince Young and the Titans. And I'm assuming you've realized that a lot of what was first reported didn't quite shake out the way the media spun it. All any of that does is (try to) skew sports fans' perceptions of Vince Young, Jeff Fisher, and the Titans in whichever way the journalist wants. (I'm not suggesting all the writing is maliciously intended to make you believe some made-up drama, just that each article takes a side and paints a picture.)

So as far as this story goes, I've just got one little idea I want to throw out there. Hopefully you'll at least find it interesting. Maybe it will even temper your view on the issue. Here it goes:

It seems like Jeff Fisher might be treating Vince Young like he's Steve McNair. Around the turn of the millennium, Fisher's quarterback was the ultimate tough guy. Number 9 was seemingly always shaking off an injury to come back into the game and lead the Titans to victory. He never sat on the bench waiting for Fisher to ask him if he was ready to come back in. He got taped up, put his helmet back on, and limped back out into the huddle. All Fisher had to do was run the ball a couple of times until McNair got his bones back in the right place. 

But Vince Young is a different guy. He's a guy with a fragile body and an even more fragile ego. He needs some encouragement. Or at the very least, a display of confidence. If he's going to play hurt, he's going to need some positive support. He's going to need the coach to come to him, not the other way around. 

Now maybe you say, "Tough! This is the NFL! It's not a game for wimps. Man up." And yeah, that's probably true. I'd much rather have a tough guy who is always in there for his team. But there's a time for "what I want" and a time for "what I have." The offseason (and specifically the April draft) is the time for the former. The season is the time for the latter. We're right smack dab in the middle of the season. It's time to get it done. 

The Titans don't have a tough stud; they've got a fragile talent. It's the head coach's job to make the best of what you have. Fisher might wish he had McNair, but he's got Young. And by treating Vince like Steve, he's making things worse for the Titans. I know he's been a head coach in the NFL for 16 season, but by mishandling the personality of his starting quarterback, Jeff Fisher has really just revealed his inability to adapt to the players he's coaching.