In the words of Ron Burgundy, "Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast."
The hiring of Ken Whisenhunt was supposed to signify a step forward for the franchise. This was a coach who had taken the once laughable Arizona Cardinals all the way to the Super Bowl. If not for a last second touchdown catch by Santonio Holmes, you would have a Super Bowl winning coach running your team now.
But Whisenhunt was supposed to bring more than just credibility with him to Nashville. He was hired, in part, because of his ability to mentor and groom quarterbacks. He did it for Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh as the Steelers' OC and did it in San Diego in 2013 with Philip Rivers. Oh yeah, he also helped revitalize Kurt Warner's career with the Cardinals. Whisenhunt is like a Ra's al Ghul for quarterbacks. So, it's not your fault if you expected Jake Locker to go from Mr. Glass to Mr. Fantastic.
But with Locker all but gone and Zach Mettenberger still a question mark for the Titans, things might seem bleak for you heading into 2015.
You are right.
Thanks for reading.
Just kidding. I promise you things will get better next season. Here's why.
Second is the best
My colleague Adam Rank wrote in his piece about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that nobody is talking about the Titans' draft possibilities because they pick second and America hates second place. Well, I beg to differ.
A lot of great things have come from being second. The second highest grossing live-action Nicolas Cage movie is "National Treasure." "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze" was ten times better than its predecessor.
But I digress.
Picking second in the NFL Draft is not a bad thing. Some great players have been picked in that spot, including guys like Calvin Johnson, Ndamukong Suh and Julius Peppers, as well as Hall of Famers like Eric Dickerson and Lawrence Taylor. Also, if you swing and miss on the second pick, it doesn't draw as much attention as if it would if you had the first pick. Just ask the Raiders and JaMarcus Russell.
For the Titans, being in the number two spot this year leaves them with plenty of options. Depending on what Tampa Bay does, the Titans will be in a position to draft either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston (should they choose to go the quarterback route). Or, given the need for a premier defender up front, they could take USC defensive end Leonard Williams. Pair him alongside Jurrell Casey and the Titans would have a duo to rival the Clowney-Watt combo in Houston. Having a solid defense in the AFC South is crucial when you have to face Andrew Luck twice a year. Plus, you have a guy named Dick LeBeau coming in to run your defense. That should help.
In Ken We Trust
That doesn't inspire much confidence, but give Whisenhunt some time. This is a guy who wants to be in Tennessee. He was the leading candidate to become the Detroit Lions' head coach last year. That team, with its wealth of talent on both offense and defense, afforded Whisenhunt the quickest path towards another Super Bowl run. But he chose Tennessee instead; a team with no stability at quarterback and questions up and down the roster.
Whisenhunt loves the Nashville area and spent time there before while coaching at Vanderbilt University. Having a coach passionate about your city, as well as your team, is never a bad thing. Give Whisenhunt time to put his stamp on this roster and bring in his own players through the draft and free agency. If he can turn around the Arizona Cardinals, he can turn around the Tennessee Titans.
The "Berger" Connection
This one may be a stretch. OK, it is, but it might just pan out. As the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, Whisenhunt worked with Ben Roethlisberger, a 6-foot-5 quarterback who wore number 7. In Tennessee, he now has a guy named Zach Mettenberger running the offense. The LSU product stands 6-foot-5 and also wears number 7. Coincidence? Absolutely, but the Titans shouldn't dismiss the young quarterback just yet.
Mettenberger has good size and showed brief flashes of talent last season, including a 263 yard performance against Pittsburgh in Week 11. Despite getting injured at the end of the year, Mettenberger deserves the chance to head into training camp as the starter (even if the Titans decide to draft a quarterback with the second pick).
Mettenberger would benefit from a full offseason of Whisenhunt's tutelage. Couple him with Delanie Walker and Bishop Sankey (who I think will be a breakout star in 2015), and the Titans could have a solid foundation on offense next year.
So, as bad as 2014 was for you guys, 2015 should be an improvement. If you win four games you can say you doubled your win total from last season. And, if you win six games you can say you tripled your win total! Not many teams get the chance to say that.
Colin J. Liotta is a Digital Features Editor at NFL.com. He's also a lover of comic books and a "Back to the Future" historian. You can follow him on Twitter @TheSportsHero.
