2 Potential Solutions of the Titans Backup QB Problem
9 — that’s the number of experts from ProFootballFocus.com who picked the Titans to beat the Texans yesterday. Not a single expert picked the Texans to upset the top-5 rated Titans heading into Week 4. Angry Titans fans grew even angrier (already down 23 with 6:33 left in the 3rd) when they witnessed Matt Cassel take the field at QB instead of Marcus Mariota. As the Titans didn’t technically give up yet, the issue wasn’t protecting their elite QB from injury; the issue was that he was already injured. Mariota had hurt his hamstring on his 2nd touchdown run, and would not return for the rest of the day. He is scheduled to have his MRI today.
Titans fans felt somewhat confident in Cassel backing up Mariota in the current position they were in. Last year, against this same Texans team, the 35 year old posted a 16/26 for 150 yards and 1 TD game in the 24–17 Week 17 victory, as any average backup NFL quarterback would. Surely, he could put an average, good-enough, non-pillow punching performance to close the already awful performance by the Titans, right?
Wrong. Cassel finished the game yesterday and played bad in every way he possibly could. It appeared as if his goal in his 13th NFL season was to make Titans fans as irritated as humanly possible. He finished the game throwing 4–10 for a whopping 21 yards, with 0 TDs, 2 INTs, and 1 fumble lost, posting a total QBR of 8.3. Very few of his 6 in-completions were even close to his target, making Titans fans ponder Cassel’s blood-alcohol level.
With the chance of Mariota missing some time for his hamstring injury, Titans' GM Jon Robinson needs to evaluate the chance of the poor performances Cassel may have as the Titans starting QB in the coming week(s). Robinson has, but is not limited to, 3 potential solutions to the Titan’s backup QB problem.
1. Bring back Charlie Whitehurst
Charlie Whitehurst, age 35, has spent most of his career as a backup QB in 5 different cities, throwing for 2,463 yards, 11 TDs, and 8 INTs over his entire career. He last played for the Cleveland Browns in 2016, appearing in only 1 game, throwing 14–24, 182 yards, 1 TD and an INT. He played 2 whole seasons for the Titans from 2014–2015 when Mularkey was the tight ends coach, giving the current head coach prior knowledge of Charlies steady, solid, and standard stat-stuffing abilities. He is also nicknamed “Clipboard Jesus” for not only looking like Jesus himself, but also for holding and understanding a playbook/clipboard on the sideline. He has easiy learned plays in the past, which the Titans’ could use in a questionable time like now.
2. Sign nobody: Start backup Matt Cassel or start 3rd string Alex Tanney
After all that transpired in less than 3 hours on Sunday, and it only being Week 4, this may be the most likely conclusion the Titans’ front office will make. GM Jon Robinson may not have the gall to pull the trigger on a free agent quarterback just yet. Despite recently playing horrendusly, Cassel is a proven, veteran quarterback, throwing for 17,308 yards and 103 TDs with 81 INTs over his career. With these numbers and the experience Cassel has had taking reps as a backup since he joined the team in 2015, Cassel very well could start for this Titans team Week 5 in Miami. It is also quite a possibility that the Titans could resort to their 29 year old 3rd string quarterback Alex Tanney. Tanney has been on IR since early September, but could make a comeback soon if needed. The former Monmouth star has started 1 game in his 3 year career, posting a solid 10–14, for 99 yards for 1 TD, earning a total QBR of 114.9. Although Tanney hasn’t posted quite the stats that Cassel has thus far in his career, in terms of of current skill and giving the Titans the best shot to win, it’s quite logical to think Tanney has the edge.
Wyatt Harnage
