COLUMN: Doubt the Titans' Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown at Your Own Peril⏤They'll Prove You Wrong
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ⏤ In life, some things should never be doubted. A great example is the classic saying that reminds us all of the certainty of both death and taxes. You also probably shouldn't doubt that a dreary, gray sky is signaling rain, or that Monday will always be preceded by Sunday and followed by […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ⏤ In life, some things should never be doubted.
A great example is the classic saying that reminds us all of the certainty of both death and taxes. You also probably shouldn't doubt that a dreary, gray sky is signaling rain, or that Monday will always be preceded by Sunday and followed by Tuesday.
Sports work similarly, offering many things that fans and other viewers should learn to never doubt.
The Tennessee Titans have two of them, and they proved as much in their 20-17 comeback win over the 49ers on Thursday.
For as long as he is in the NFL and unhampered by age, WR A.J. Brown should never be doubted, nor should the ability of head coach Mike Vrabel to lead a team to victory amidst adversity.
"HE'S EVERYTHING YOU LOOK FOR"
Brown was perhaps the biggest reason Tennessee finished Thursday's game on the winning side of things. He dominated the 49ers secondary en route to an 11-catch, 145-yard performance in his first game back following a month-long stint on injured reserve.
Eight of Brown's 11 catches came on third down, the most in a single NFL game over the last 40 seasons, according to ESPN.
San Francisco simply had no answer for him, and QB Ryan Tannehill capitalized.
"A.J. is a heck of a player. I have so much fun throwing the ball to him," Tannehill said. "He finds a way to get open. He is big, he is physical, he’s good with the ball in his hands and he makes plays on the ball.
"He is everything you look for in a wide receiver and I have a ton of confidence throwing him the football."
The reason Brown should never again be doubted goes beyond simply the fact that he had a nice game against a previously red-hot 49ers team⏤on a short week with barely any practice, no less.
Brown has established himself as one of the NFL's premier playmakers at the wide receiver position. The 24-year-old Pro Bowler is knocking on the door of a third-straight 1,000-yard season despite having played only 10 games so far in 2021.
He's taken another step forward in year three, progressing from merely a talented weapon to a consistently dominant, lethal threat.
Perhaps most importantly, Brown has a rock-solid connection with Tannehill. It's as if the two speak their own language on the field; they're constantly in sync to a degree that most QB-WR duos only dream of.
"We do have a good connection," Brown said. "I am excited to fill the void for him and take a load off of him. Of course, that started at practice, over and over again, putting in extra hours when nobody is watching, and in the offseason."
"I TRY NOT TO PANIC"
Also never to be doubted is Vrabel's ability to guide the Titans to victories in improbable circumstances.
Tennessee entered Thursday's game behind the eight ball after OT Kendall Lamm, previously expected to start at left tackle for an injured Taylor Lewan, tested positive for COVID-19.
That meant rookie OL Dillon Radunz had to make his first career start with just over nine hours of notice and next to OG Aaron Brewer, another backup.
Considering how badly the Titans' offensive line performed against Pittsburgh on Sunday with Lewan, virtually everyone wondered if the team stood a chance against DE Nick Bosa and the vaunted San Francisco defensive front.
Titans vs. 49ers was one of those games where every analyst at the desk on the TV network picks the non-Titans team to win. Their chances looked rather grim.
"We had the funeral for the Titans," Vrabel joked. "You know, it was yesterday or today."
Luckily for the Titans, those are exactly the types of situations in which the team has consistently shown up and shined under Vrabel.
Tennessee's offense was certainly clunky, especially in the first half, but by no fault of the offensive line. Radunz held up well, as did Brewer.
"I am proud of those guys," Tannehill said. "They came in and battled, hung with it, and I told them before the game every play is not going to be perfect but just bounce back and reset and be ready to go again. They came in and played huge for us."
Why do the Titans seem to muster some of their best performances in situations that would lead to most teams rolling over and biting the dust?
"I try not to panic and so that the coaches don't panic and then the players don't panic," Vrabel said.
Usually when coaches talk about attitude and "panicking," it's nothing more than lip service and coach speak.
For Vrabel and the Titans, though, it's very real.
Vrabel sets a tone for the entire organization with his attitude and approach each week.
He's consistent, and he's not overly emotional. You won't see him having mini-aneurysms on the sideline, nor will you see him crying in a postgame press conference after a loss.
"He does a great job of keeping us focused on the task at hand, the game at hand, not concerned about the next game here," safety Kevin Byard said. "Just trying to keep our minds focused.
"I mean, maybe it’s a Bill Belichick thing, whatever you call it, but honestly focus on that day, that meeting, that practice. I think that’s the only way you can be successful in this league is if you focus on the right now."
Next time the Titans are entering a game as heavy underdogs, bet on them to win. Doing the opposite is bad business, as Vrabel has proven time and time again.
And if you're wondering whether the Titans' offense still has a pulse, no matter how horrendous it may have looked lately, the answer will always be yes if No. 11 is on the field and healthy.
Those truths should never again be doubted. They're the reason Tennessee is 10-5 with a chance to clinch the AFC South this weekend, rather than 9-6 and staring down the barrel.
Cover image: Steve Roberts/USA TODAY Sports
