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NFL Titans 1

The Titans have a new head coach in Mike Munchak and a new starting quarterback in Jake Locker after the departures of longtime coach Jeff Fisher and quarterback Vince Young. While the faces have changed, the team's offensive identity remains focused on running back Chris Johnson. On defense, the Titans hope players like Jason Jones can continue the success up front that was established under former defensive line coach Jim Washburn. Overall, the team remains competitive despite the coaching and personnel changes as ownership seeks to maintain the franchise's winning tradition.

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84 views1 page

NFL Titans 1

The Titans have a new head coach in Mike Munchak and a new starting quarterback in Jake Locker after the departures of longtime coach Jeff Fisher and quarterback Vince Young. While the faces have changed, the team's offensive identity remains focused on running back Chris Johnson. On defense, the Titans hope players like Jason Jones can continue the success up front that was established under former defensive line coach Jim Washburn. Overall, the team remains competitive despite the coaching and personnel changes as ownership seeks to maintain the franchise's winning tradition.

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corby_yarbrough
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Tennessee_PRO_Layout 1 8/4/11 6:25 PM Page 106

TENNESSEE

TITANS 2 3 4
AFC SOUTH FORECAST he Music City melodrama between Jeff Fisher and Vince Young is finally over. The either-or ultimatum resulted in both high-profile personalities leaving town with varying degrees of regret, disappointment and unfulfilled potential. See more cheerleaders by visiting Fisher went 142120 (and 56 in the playoffs) over 16AthlonSports.com/cheerleaders plus seasons after taking over as interim coach of the Houston Oilers. One of the most respected coaches in the league THE ORGANIZATION during his heyday, Fisher fell one yard short of OT against OWNER: K.S. (Bud) Adams, Jr. the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV following a Music GENERAL MANAGER: Mike Reinfeldt City Miracle run in the teams first season as the Tennessee STADIUM: LP Field (68,798) Titans, which was preceded by a nomads journey that deSURFACE: Grass toured through Memphis after an ugly exit from Houston. WEBSITE: www.titansonline.com Young went 3017 as a starter while the team had a TICKETS: 615-565-4200 1518 mark in games the seemingly bipolar passer did not TRAINING CAMP: Baptist Sports Park start during that time. Once viewed as Steve McNairs sur(Nashville, Tenn.) rogate son and heir apparent, a series of strange events and clashes with both coaches and fans led to V.Y.s image as a spoiled prima donna the antiAir McNair. As a result, 88-year-old owner Bud Adams must move forward, despite his outspoken support of both Fisher and Young. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Titans replace the NFLs longest-tenured head coach who had been with the team since 1994 with a man who has been with the organization since 1982. And the team went from one dual-threat quarterback with accuracy issues to another athletic it factor signal-caller wearing No. 10 and rolling out of the pocket. Fisher and Young are out Mike Munchak and Jake Locker are in. But the identity of Adams Titans remains intact.

TENNESSEE

THE COACHES
HEAD COACH: Mike Munchak RECORD WITH TEAM: First year CAREER RECORD: First year OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Chris Palmer DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jerry Gray

FIVE-YEAR WIN TREND


2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Playoffs

8 10 13 8 6

OFFENSE Fisher may be gone, but the Titans ground-and-pound offensive philosophy will certainly continue with new coordinator Chris Palmer being given the keys to gold-grilled Ferrari running back Chris Johnson, who famously goes from zero-to-40-yards in 4.24 seconds. The 61-year-old playcaller may think he has seen everything in pro football from his stops in the UFL, CFL, USFL and NFL notably as the first coach of the expansion Browns and an assistant under Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin. But Palmer has never coached a playmaker as dynamic as Johnson who broke Marshall Faulks yards-from-scrimmage record with 2,509 total yards, while becoming only the sixth 2,000-yard rusher in history back in 2009. Johnson is the focal point of every opposing defense, but the 25-year-old fourth-year back has the luxury of running behind one of the games top offensive lines. And although Pro Bowl left tackle Michael Roos, right tackle David Big Country Stewart and everyone on the interior rotation were already rock solid, the unit could be even better this year with guidance from a pair of coaches who already have busts in Canton. Munchak starred on the Oilers O-line from 1982-93 before joining the teams coaching staff in 1994 serving as the O-line coach since 1997 and being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001. His position coach replacement on the staff is good friend and former linemate Bruce Matthews, who blocked for everyone from Earl Campbell to Warren Moon to Eddie George during a 19-year career that included an O-line record 296 games played, 14 Pro Bowl nods and induction into the Hall of Fame in 2007. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is new to Nashville, but the 35-year-old already has several friends within the Titans organization notably GM Mike Reinfeldt, Palmer and Locker. A pair of former Seattle residents, Hasselbeck and Locker the No. 8 overall pick in the draft both bring the type of leadership and intangibles the team lacked with Young. The 6'3", 215-pound Kenny Britt has been unstoppable at times, but several run-ins with the law have raised concerns within the organization. The Titans will need Nate Washington, Justin Gage and one of the young pass-catchers to step up in order to keep defenses from loading the box against Johnson, who also is a deadly decoy in the play-action passing attack downfield. DEFENSE The biggest perceived loss on Tennessees defense is Jim Washburn, the D-line coach who motivated and molded Albert Haynesworth into a walking $100-million contract and turned countless other defensive linemen from reclamation projects to redemption stories. The departure of defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil, a coach most well known for flipping the bird to the officials, may be addition by subtraction. New coordinator Jerry Gray coached defensive backs under Fisher during the Titans Super Bowl runner-up run. Up front, Jason Jones is on the verge of stardom. The 6'5", 276-pounder has the physique and

KENNY BRITT, WR
106

Tim Clark/Athlon Sports

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