The Tennessee Titans aren't waiting for the offseason to start making changes.
The Titans fired offensive coordinator Chris Palmer on Monday night and named quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains as his replacement.
"I have a great deal of respect for Chris Palmer as a coach, and that was the reason we brought him here," Titans coach Mike Munchak said in a statement released by the team. "I appreciate the time and effort he put in here, and I want to wish him and his family the best moving forward."
"As an offense, I didn't feel like we were progressing the way that I had hoped. I believe we needed a change in direction, and I hope to see that progress in our remaining games. Dowell has worked here for a number of years under some very successful coordinators, and he is ready for this challenge."
It's hard not to see Titans owner Bud Adams' imprint here. Adams sounded off about possible changes after the Titans' last embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 9, so it makes sense the 4-7 team would fire a coach the day after a 24-19 loss to the previously one-win Jacksonville Jaguars. It's also not difficult to imagine Munchak being next in line for the ax.
Palmer was Munchak's choice for offensive coordinator despite a poor NFL track record with the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. The Titans' offense has been mediocre since Munchak arrived. The defense this season is considerably worse.
This move sends a loud message, and we suspect it was forced on Munchak. Results need to change down the stretch or we could see an entirely new Titans coaching staff in 2013.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
