Jeff Fisher made it clear today that starting quarterback Vince Young will have to get things straightened out before the team hands him back the keys to the offense."Yeah, but he's got some work to do, obviously," Fisher said. "He has to put some things back in perspective, and first and foremost, has to get healthy."Fisher wouldn't go any further in explaining what he meant, but both the Nashville City Paper and the Tennessean reported that he was hinting that Young will have to get his mental focus back on football before he can return to the starting lineup.
That should be at least three or four weeks away, as it will take that long for his knee to heal. Whether his pysche will recover as quickly is not nearly as certain.Young's mother didn't do a whole lot to help Titans fans feel sorry for Young with quotes in the Tennessean today:
"What would you think, if you were tired of being ridiculed and persecuted and talked about and not being treated very well, what would you do? What kind of decision would you make?'' Felicia Young said. "He may not want to deal with it (all), but you have to get to that point before you make that decision first.From the Youngs' perspective, it may seem like he's being ridiculed and persecuted, but from the standpoint of an outside observer, it sure seems like he's gotten no worse treatment than the average young NFL quarterback, and as Adam Gretz pointed out, being in Nashville has meant in many ways that he's gotten off easier than most NFL QBs. Many Steelers fans were booing Ben Roethlisberger the year after he won a Super Bowl, while Donovan McNabb has gone to five Pro Bowls and is still one interception away from the wrath of Eagles fans. With Young, he was hearing some boos at the end of a game where he was stinking up the joint, that's the normal life of an NFL quarterback, it's part of the contract, along with $58 million.
If there is good news for the Titans as a whole, it is that this will probably affect the team less than most NFL teams. After the fiasco that was the Pacman Jones' situation, Young's struggles seem very tame. The bigger problem for Young will come if backup Kerry Collins plays well over the next month. When Young was just struggling physically, it was easy to make proclamations about how he was the franchise QB who had to start. But sitting Collins for Young makes a whole lot less sense if it isn't clear that Young is fully focused on football.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-11-2008 @ 9:11AM
gonzogozo said...
VY's self doubts, disappointing adoration from his nfl fan base.....the effects of confidence eroding fan catcalls ...........how in the world can you expect such a young athlete with such untapped long term performance potential to react to short term criticism?....simple! he has achieveed much more than mere mortals can dream at such a young age. From this point forward, VY needs to shed the sensitivity inate to his character and realize ,unlike most of us, that he has secured his future financially. The comfort of a financial cushion allows him to move forward without doubt. More importantly, he can proudly set an example without fear.
Let me give you an example.......at a much more personal level.My mother was murdered by the man she ran away with the man to abandon my older sister and me. Within days, our Dad disappeared . he left us with our grandmother. Well, there is a long story that goes with this...lots of fear...lots of disappointment........but in the end , tons of appreciation of what i learned from my childhood in a positive way...and more importantly, I have nothing to lose to try my hardest....I have achieved financial success that allows me to be myself....and to expose myself to third party criticism without fear. VY....lead with confidence..you can afford to.
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9-11-2008 @ 3:47AM
PomPomBoo said...
I think Vince Young puts a lot of pressure on himself to succeed. He made it look so easy at Texas, but as soon as he hit the NFL, he did not expect the transition to be this difficult. He needs to be physically and mentally healthy before he returns. He may need to seek a sports psychologist to improve his motivation and desire. I hate to see a guy with so much potential and talent quit on himself and the Titans organization.
http://www.pompomboo.com
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9-11-2008 @ 6:48AM
myra said...
titans made a big mistake not keeping McNair to mentor Young. We in B-More were glad to have him. It probably gives Young pause to play for a team that treated their star quarterback like crap.
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9-11-2008 @ 8:21AM
wickedpissadude.com said...
Thank you Jeff Fisher, you're a real coach. No quarterback should just be automatically handed the gig just because of their name. Every quarterback should have to earn the reigns back. With the exception of Tommy Brady, sorry Matt Cassel!!
http://www.wickedpissadude.com
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9-11-2008 @ 8:27AM
Dave said...
For the record, I was booing Bill Cowher for keeping Roethlisberger in the game when he was clearly concussed. I always believed Big Ben was our guy for the long-term -- even after the motorcycle accident -- but he had a brain bruise in that game against the Raiders, and it showed. (4 INTs)
Those who wanted Charlie Batch to replace Big Ben long-term? Yeah, they were nuts. For that one game, though, Batch should have started, and Ben should have been given a week to let his head heal.
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9-11-2008 @ 12:01PM
Swarup said...
I think this article is a pretty strong twist on the original interview. Interviewer asked if the job would be Vince's to reclaim, to which Fisher said "Yeah, but he still has some work to do".
"Earning" his job back is a HUGE twist to this interview
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