Memo to Jeff Fisher: Bench Collins, start Young

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, September 19, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Tennessee Titans
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In two embarrassing losses to the New York Jets and San Diego Chargers to begin their 2006 season, the Tennessee Titans' quarterbacks have been an unmitigated disaster. The team has platooned a hapless veteran, Kerry Collins, and a rookie first-rounder, Vince Young, who still doesn't know the pro game.

Obviously, as most know, constantly switching quarterbacks is rarely ever a good plan in the NFL, especially on a team that has virtually no chance to go anywhere. However, Titans head coach Jeff Fisher has expressed since Week 2's humiliating 40-7 loss to the Chargers, he will stay the course with two signal callers.

Tennessee's Week 3 contest is against an ornery Miami Dolphins team that has surprisingly lost two in a row to start the season. According to Fisher, he will start Collins for a third consecutive game and bring Young in to relieve him.

The question is, Why? What exactly is Fisher thinking in Nashville? Truthfully, it's hard to say. After all, this isn't baseball, where a starting pitcher handles most of the work and then a reliever is brought into the latter stages of the game.

Judging by how bad the Titans are and, specifically, Collins, what's the point anymore? Young, the third overall pick in this past April's draft, should be handedth e reins. Face it, the Titans are going nowhere but down, so why not let the kid QB begin developing? Oftentimes, it helps a young passer to grow up on a feeble team so he's that much better when more talent comes along.

In the 33-point loss this past weekend, Young found a way to complete just seven of his 19 pass attempts, but he did throw for 106 yards and a touchdown, while not turning the ball over.

Another advantage brought by the 23-year-old is escapeability, which Collins, a 12th-year man, has never possessed. Young, a former star at the University of Texas, rushed five times for 24 yards in San Diego; Collins, meanwhile, picked up zero ground yards, and he only completed 6 of 19 throws for 57 yards and two interceptions.

"Each week of practice, I'm going to get better and better. I want to show them that I'm making a lot of progress. I have been studying the playbook, even though they probably don't see me studying, and I want to show them that I know the defenses," said an upbeat Young on Sunday.

Young believes he can and will improve. It's time for the Titans to listen to their $58 million investment and throw him into the fire. Unfortunately for Tennessee fans, it won't happen yet. Not in earnest, anyway.

--Got feedback? Drop the author, Connor J. Byrne, an e-mail: cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Get more on the Tennessee Titans at RealFootball365.com.
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