click to enlarge
Yesterday’s 17-10 Titans victory against the Panthers [Sorry, make that Jaguars] went a lot like many games last season. The defense played valiantly while the offense waited for a playmaker to step up. In this case, that playmaker was Chris Johnson. But the real story of the day was a frustrated Vince Young going down with a
knee injury late in the game. Backup QB Kerry Collins stepped in and guided the offense in a 80-yard campaign that ended in a LenDale White touchdown.
This has led
online commenters to scream for VY’s job. “Put it in the hands of Collins,” writes “Joy Kat” over at
Music City Miracles. “[He’s] someone who CAN get it done!”
Sorry, kitten, but that ain’t gonna happen.
Young may be injured—though as of this writing his status is murky—and he may not start next week. But when Young gets healthy, he is the Titans starter. The Titans have too much invested in him and his potential upside is still tremendous. If this was half-way through a losing 2008 season, it would be one thing (though I still think coach Fischer sticks with number 10). But despite his abominable 45.6 QB rating and two INTs yesterday, Fischer knows that if he benches Young for underperforming, he’s faced with a much bigger problem down the road. Do you put him back in if Collins starts tanking? What about next year? Do you really jettison what was supposed to be the future of your franchise for a 35-year-old never was?