Perhaps at least some part of the reason behind the emotional issues that Vince Young is currently struggling with has to do with the "industry experts" continuing to place him on a very high pedestal even when he's proven he can't perform consistently at the Pro level. The hype machine has always been very high on "VY", especially after the glorious meltdown and dismissal of the NFL's previous golden child (Michael Vick).Whenever Vince Young turns on ESPN or the NFL Network he sees the talking heads of the NFL praising him, pumping him up, and making excuses about the mistakes he might have made that week. This has to have a devastating effect on Vince as he looks in the mirror and into the eyes of his teammates, coaches, and fans, and knows that he can't live up to their (lofty?) expectations.
The Titans put a lot of faith in Young when they drafted him 3rd overall in the 2006 draft to take over for the aging Steve McNair. Before the draft some concerns were raised about Vince's posted score on the Wonderlic test and whether or not he had the mental agility to handle the QB position at the Pro level. Vince scored a 6 or a 16 out of 50 on the test depending on who you ask. Some feel the Wonderlic test as with other aptitude tests unfairly discriminate against athletes of color and there are questions as to how much weight should be given to the results (Dan Marino only scored a 16). Nonetheless concerns were raised and despite those concerns the Titans decided that Vince's physical potential was too great to pass up on.
Vince has a great arm and unmatched running ability at his position and his team is managing to win despite his turnovers so it's at least worth considering that part of his problem as a player might be his capacity to grasp the playbook and lead the offense. From the way the commentators and TV personalities still talk about him though you would think the rest of the team were to blame for his mediocre performances.
In 2006, Vince's first season with the Titans, he led his team to an 8-8 record by throwing for 2,199 yards, 12 TDs, and 13 INTs. He also ran for 552 yards and 7 TDs and fumbled the ball away 3 times. Those are respectable numbers for a rookie QB and almost spot-on with Steve McNair's first season as a starter for the Oilers back in '97. In his 2007 season however Vince took a step backwards passing for 2,546 yards, 9 TDs, 17 INTs, rushing for 395 yards and 3 TDs, and fumbling the ball away 3 times. The Titans managed a 10-6 record that season and were eliminated by the Chargers in the Wild Card Playoffs. Vince threw for 138 yards and a pick in that game and afterwards said: "Overall, I feel like I did a good job in the passing game".
Jeff Fisher knows how to build a Championship-caliber team and while the current Titans may not be at that level yet they certainly have the potential to be. Managing a 10-6 record when your QB turns the ball over 27 times while only scoring 12 times is a testament to what a strong team Fisher has built around Vince Young. I lived in Jacksonville during the Jaguars' inaugural season in '95 and was an avid fan until Brunell's departure in 2004. As a Jags fan I had a front row seat to what Fisher could do against a team and I, like all other Jaguar fans I've met, have come to despise him. I admire him greatly as a coach... but I despise him for what he did to my Jags.
I was listening to Jamie Dukes the other night (who I find very entertaining) comment on this situation and he wasn't able to finish the piece without covering for Vince, calling him a "Playmaker Quarterback" and making excuses for him by saying Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were surrounded by hall-of-fame players and that the Titans need to surround "VY" with that level of talent or let him go. Jamie seems to have forgotten that Tom Brady enjoyed six years of success before the Patriots gave him any hall-of-fame talent but I digress. Vince absolutely does have an adequate supporting cast otherwise they would have been lucky to win 4-5 games last season.
There have been plenty of teams that have had success with a mediocre offense and a strong defense. I present as evidence the 2003 Brad Johnson-led Bucs, the 2001 Trent Dilfer-led Ravens, and the 2006 Rex Grossman-led Bears. The Titans under Jeff Fisher have always been a hard-hitting defensive team that likes to lean on their running game. In those sorts of teams the most important job of the QB is to not turn the ball over. Vince has committed 36 turnovers in his past two seasons. That is not helping your team win no matter what ruler you measure it with.
If the "VY" era is going to continue in Tennessee I think two things need to happen:
First - the media need to stop hanging out in his jock strap and acting like he's the next Air McNair or Donovan McNabb because he's not. He has raw talent to spare but he's not performing at the Pro level and it's going to prevent the Titans from winning the AFC unless something is done to help him improve. Stop trying to make him something he's not. Please. And no more Madden covers!
Second - give him more time to study the playbook and the offense. Have him watch more tape on his opponents' defenses to get a better idea for the various schemes and packages. Work on his game IQ. Take the pressure off of him by letting Old Man Collins finish out this season. Wait until he is mentally ready to come back and not make costly turnovers.
Otherwise the Titans are better off letting him go. Perhaps he can find a cozy spot as a backup QB somewhere collecting a nice paycheck with a potential opportunity to come in and play hero just around the corner. Or perhaps he could hang out with Dukes on the NFL Network and help hype up the next Vince Young ;)
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