Jeff Fisher has been coaching the Titans since 1994 and has done a good job getting the Titans to the playoffs every few seasons by playing great defense and just enough offense to win. This style has earned the Titans a Super Bowl berth in 1999 and #1 seed in the AFC both in 2000 and this past season 2008. Unfortunately, this theory has also led to early exits from the playoffs. Fisher's playoff record is a respectable 5-6 with three of those wins coming the the 1999 run to the Super Bowl, he's 2-5 since. If there was a season that everything was aligned for the Titans it was this season. Tom Brady was hurt, Peyton Manning wasn't himself until half the season was over, the Chargers couldn't get out of their own way for over half the season, the Steelers running game was a shambles and the Ravens had a rookie QB. For the regular season everything went fine, they took care of business and played like a team with everyone contributing and lots of players making contributions. But come playoff time, Fisher becomes Fisher again.
On defense, you're facing a rookie QB and you don't pressure him? idiotic. Think Belichick, LeBeau or Ryan plays Flacco like that? hell no. You try to pressure him and confuse him, you don't play him exactly the same way you did in October. Cam Cameron is too good an OC to not pick up defensive tendencies, Flacco is good enough and smart enough to figure out what you are doing when he sees it a 2nd time.Flacco made three great throws all game and on each one he had time to wait until his WR or TE was open.
On offense Chris Johnson, your best back, goes down and it takes the entire 3rd quarter before you can figure out what to do on offense? The only option you have is LenWhale White? He's the perfect back for Baltimore to defend, he runs straight ahead and doesn't make many, if anyone miss This one is not on Collins or Justin Gage, they played great, they didn't get much help from the other skill positions.
Bottom line, Fisher is a better than average coach his record is 128-102, but facts are sticky things, in the playoffs he has underachieved and if he was coaching in any other city for any other franchise he'd probably be looking for a job.
Fair?
Probably not but that's the way it is in the NFL.
2 comments:
huh & here i thought the titans just didn't play titans ball. can't say as i can blame 12 penalties on fisher, but you would know more about your home team then anyone.
shame, i like em, i will continue to like em & hope they get there next year!
The coaches have to put the players into good situations to succeed and I don't think the Titans coaches did.
But, as always, the players have to make plays and the Titans didn't.
Two personal foul penalties and the offsides were just plain stupid.
BTW, the big question here is just how hurt was Chris Johnson? If he was too hurt to go, no worries; but if he could have gone and didn't, then he really hurt their chances of winning.
None of it really matters, losing is losing.
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