Mike Vrabel said the right thing after Titans' loss to Bengals, but that doesn't mean he's right
The Tennessee Titans' 2021 season ended on Saturday evening with a 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. With running back Derrick Henry returning to the field for the first time since week eight, Saturday night was supposed to be the beginning of a memorable playoff run for the Titans. Instead, the game turned into a […]
The Tennessee Titans' 2021 season ended on Saturday evening with a 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
With running back Derrick Henry returning to the field for the first time since week eight, Saturday night was supposed to be the beginning of a memorable playoff run for the Titans.
Instead, the game turned into a disquisition of why Ryan Tannehill isn't the quarterback who is going to lead Tennessee to a championship.
Tannehill's three interceptions — including a brutal interception with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter that ultimately set up the Bengals' game-winning field goal — were the biggest reasons for the Titans' loss.
Tennessee's defense did its job against Cincinnati — sacking Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow nine times. Wide receiver AJ Brown did his part with a monster game, catching 5 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. Even the beleaguered Julio Jones, who missed seven games during the regular season, had a solid game against the Bengals.
Tennessee's loss to Cincinnati is ultimately on Tannehill. The interception that gave the Bengals the ball back late in the fourth quarter was ill-advised at best.
Sure, the ball was tipped. But Tannehill should've never attempted that pass. He tried to force the ball to Nick Westbrook, despite the wide receiver being blanketed by FOUR Bengals defenders. Tannehill had Anthony Firkser available on a check-down just in front of the line to gain. I don't know if Firkser would've got the first down, but it wouldn't have been a game-altering interception.
(One defender is so close to Westbrook that you can't even tell he's beside Westbrook in that still shot.)
After the game, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel downplayed the impact of Tannehill's three interceptions, saying "It's never going to be about one person".
I don't think anyone expected Vrabel to get up there after the game and bury Tannehill. That's not something any good head coach would do. Vrabel protected his quarterback and took the blame for the loss.
"We have to coach better," said Vrabel.
That's what a head coach is supposed to say.
But that doesn't mean Vrabel's comments were accurate.
Sure, there are some decisions Vrabel and the coaching staff would like to have back (offensive coordinator Todd Downing should probably be packing his bags). But none of that changes that Tannehill's on-the-field play is what lost the game for the Titans.
It's the same story as the Titans' loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs last year when Tannehill threw an interception while trying to complete a pass to Kalif Raymond late in the fourth quarter.
Vrabel has to know that he's not winning a Super Bowl with Tannehill at quarterback. He simply doesn't deliver in the biggest moments. Tannehill doesn't have the "it" factor that championship quarterbacks have. He's good enough to get the Titans to the playoffs, but he's not good enough to get them to the Super Bowl.
(As an aside, would you believe that former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, often the butt of jokes, has played in more AFC championship games than Tannehill?)
Vrabel did a great job this season. The Titans shouldn't have been the No. 1 seed in the AFC with all the adversity the team faced this season.
But Tennessee also wasted a golden opportunity that many NFL franchises will tell you don't come around very often.
The Titans had a championship defense this season. Their three-head monster of Henry/Brown/Jones was healthy at the right time. All the ingredients for a Super Bowl run were there.
All but one — the Titans didn't have the quarterback to get it done.
Titans fans have to hope that Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson understand what went unsaid on Saturday night — this team can't win it all as long as Tannehill is under center.
Featured image via Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
