It's only a matter of time until the Jake Locker era begins in Tennessee, but for now the Titans are giving their fans only glimpses of their future franchise quarterback.
Starter Matt Hasselbeck, who played through a calf injury Sunday, was pulled in favor of the rookie halfway through the fourth quarter of the Titans' loss to the Indianapolis Colts after struggling to generate much offense against the fifth-worst defense in the NFL. Locker promptly drove the Titans for a touchdown on his first series, causing some to wonder why coach Mike Muchack didn't go to the bullpen earlier.
"It was something we discussed, but I think the fact that we were in that position was not because of the way Matt was playing," Munchak said, via The Tennessean. "We just weren't playing very well on the offensive side of the ball."
The Titans generated six points behind Hasselbeck, who threw two interceptions, while Locker went 11-of-16 passing for 108 yards with a touchdown.
Hasselbeck acknowledged that he was limited physically by the calf injury -- which sidelined him from practice until last Thursday -- but said he could have done more to kick start the offense.
"I've probably got to find a way to bring more energy to our team," Hasselbeck said. "Because we've been really flat. It seemed like [the Colts] wanted it more than we did. I don't think that's the case."
Hasselbeck exited last week's loss to the New Orleans Saints with a calf injury, and Locker nearly rallied the Titans to a dramatic win. Locker has been impressive, but that doesn't mean Munchak is ready for a permanent switch.
"We haven't thought about next week yet," Munchak said. "We have a short week coming up. We're just going to have to see where we're at."
