Titans shouldn't turn to Young unless necessary

Titans shouldn't turn to Young unless necessary
December 19
Tennessean columnist David Climer
"It was just a matter of time.

With two Titans losses in four games and some indisputable slippage by the offense, a familiar name has re-entered the conversation.

Vince Young.

Honk if you've heard someone suggest - or even thought it yourself - that getting V.Y. back on the field in some capacity would be good for what ails the Titans.

Some people want Young back at his old quarterback position on a full-time basis. Others think he should enter the game for a series or two just to give the offense a jolt. Still others wonder aloud why the Titans don't diagram a handful of special plays to take advantage of Young's mobility.

Sorry, folks, but it's not going to happen - at least not in any situation that is crucial to the outcome of a meaningful game.

If the regular-season finale at Indianapolis next week has no impact on the Titans' seed in the playoffs, look for Young to take some snaps. Otherwise, he will remain an observer.

And that is as it should be. You can nit-pick Kerry Collins' performance in the loss at Houston all you want, but his '08 body of work stands on its own merit. This is his team. Any chance the Titans have of getting to the Super Bowl rests on Collins' shoulder pads.

Some alleged insiders suggested prior to the Texans game that the Titans had installed a special package for Young. That probably came as a surprise to Mike Heimerdinger, who oversees the Titans' offense.

'Dinger is not big on such things. While teams like the Dolphins started using the so-called "Wildcat" formation and snapping the ball directly to a running back, the Titans continued to play it straight.

Sure, you can make a case for diagramming a couple of specific plays for Young. It would be a nice changeup, especially with the Titans' recent offensive struggles.

But do you really think it's a good idea to send a cold quarterback onto the field to run a gadget play on fourth-and-3 with two minutes left in a one-point game?

If it's me, I kick the field goal. But what do I know?

Besides, every minute you spend practicing a funky play that you may never run is a minute that Young is not practicing what is really important - the offense. Sometimes we lose sight of it but he is still just one snap away from being the quarterback.

In the last couple of games, Collins has gotten cuffed around a bit. If he is knocked out of a game, Young's number comes up.

What would happen then? Is V.Y. equipped to handle it? Has he embraced the opportunity to watch and learn from Collins? We won't know until the moment of truth - if it comes."
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