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In a game that will be televised locally thanks to yesterday's sellout, the Buffalo Bills will play host to the Tennessee Titans tomorrow night at Ralph Wilson Stadium in each team's third pre-season game. Rather than bore you all with my analysis of the game (don't worry, that's coming tomorrow morning), we instead are visited today by Jimmy, the guru over at Music City Miracles (go ahead, tell him off for his blog name. For the record, "Comeback Chronicles" was on my list of potential blog names after I saw Jimmy's choice). Here's his take on the Titans as we prepare to watch them get spanked tomorrow night (my questions in bold):
Vince Young. We know he's a "winner". But do you worry about his still-green passing skills and the questionable players he has to throw to?
MCM: If you have read the site you know that I have all of the faith in the world in Vince Young. As you said, he is a "winner." I have faith that there are going to be at least 4 games in a year that Vince wins by himself.
All of that being said, yes, I do worry about his passing skills and the guys he is throwing too. His accuracy can be a little erratic at times. This camp he has really struggled with throwing the little short passes. He will come around but it is a little concerning.
The receivers are more of a concern than his skills though. A lot has been made about the Titans losing their top 2 receivers, Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade, in the offseason. I think it goes without being said that if Bennett and Wade are your best receivers you are in trouble. Those guys aren't exactly Rice and Swann. The bigger problem is the Titans didn't do much of anything to replace them. They did sign Eric Moulds right before camp started. I think he can equal Bennett's production from last season. The rest of the guys on the team are full of "potential." Hopefully a couple of them will step up, but none of them have really proved anything in camp.
The Titans' backfield, from an outsider's perspective, is sort of a mess. Who do you envision getting the majority of the carries this year between LenDale White, Chris Henry and Chris Brown?
MCM: The Titans' backfield is a mess from an insider's perspective. The coaches really want LenDale White to be the guy. The problem is that LenDale is out of shape and oft-injured. He got dinged in the first preseason game and missed a week and a half. He hopes to play agianst the Bills. Chris Brown is a serviceable back if healthy. The problem with him is that he, like LenDale, is oft-injured. Chris Henry has the most physical talent of the 3 but has very limited field vision. He is constantly missing holes.
Who will get the most carries this year? My guess is LenDale White because that is who the coaches want it to be. I think he and Brown will end up with very close numbers.
How is the Michael Griffin-to-CB experiment coming along? Do you believe that he'll continue playing that position past this season, or will he move back to safety? Which position do you think he's best suited to play in the Titans' defensive scheme?
MCM: Griffin is making a nice transition to corner. He had 2 picks in last Friday's game against the Patriots. I cannot for the life of me figure out why the coaches are so set on him playing corner. He was a great free safety in college, and the Titans have a HUGE hole at free safety. It seems to me that the best secondary the Titans could run out there would be Nick Harper and Cortland Finnegan as the corners and Griffin and Chris Hope as the safeties. I am not an NFL coach though, so I am hoping they know something that I do not. Will he always be a corner? A lot of that depends on what happens with the fellow that you ask about in the next question.
I hate to bring this up, but what's your opinion on the Pac-Man Jones wrestling/recording artist careers? Do you think it's just Pac being Pac, or do you sense a T.O.-like desperation to stay in the headlines?
MCM: Ah, my favorite topic of conversation. My answer to that question is yes. Pacman does what he does and is who he is. He has made it pretty clear that he isn't going to change. I really wish the guy wasn't so talented on the football field so the Titans would just wash their hands of him. He is a really good player though so the Titans are going to hold out hope that sometime between this season and next he finds a way to turn it around. I don't think it will happen. I doubt we will ever see Pacman in a Titans' uniform again.
Your team was an upstart last season once Vince took over, and the AFC South is full of question marks. How do you see the division shaking out, and do you think the Titans have a shot at the playoffs?
MCM: On paper this team has no shot at the playoffs. Their skill guys on offense, with the exception of QB, are huge question marks. Their defensive line is thinner than it was last year and they lost their best corner. I do, however, think this team has a shot at the playoffs because of Vince Young. He has the quality that makes everyone around him raise their level of play. Are the Titans ready to unseat the Colts? No. Can they make a serious run at a wild card spot? Absolutely.
Many thanks to Jimmy for stopping by to discuss the Titans with us. Be sure to check out his site too to see my answers to his questions as well. We'll see you back here tomorrow morning for another "What to Watch for", Bills/Titans style.