MVN - Most Valuable Network

Chiefs questions for Total Titans

Phil Yoon, one of MVN’s writers on Home of the Chiefs, and I exchanged questions and answers about the Chiefs and Titans regarding Tennessee’s game at Kansas City this Sunday. My questions for Phil and Jon Yoon were published here Wednesday. Today, we present Phil’s questions and my answers.

Phil Yoon: What can the Titans do to snap Vince Young out of his funk? Do they tweak with their passing attack in this game, or do they rely on the running game to minimize the possibility of Young making mistakes, especially with the potential for bad weather in this game?

Total Titans: You’ve started with a question Titans fans have been asking all year and have yet to find a satisfactory answer. Actually, Young has played better in two of the last three weeks. However, given the opportunity, Jeff Fisher prefers to run the ball first and foremost. Although he believes in mixing it up, he’s also one of those coaches who believes that three things can happen when you pass and two of them are bad. Passing is a necessary evil.

PY: Do the Titans focus on stopping the run early, given the Chiefs’ rushing problems and Kolby Smith’s injury, or do they back off and simply make sure that they don’t get burned by the big play?

TT: Yes, they do focus on that, and when Albert Haynesworth has been on the field they’ve been successful stopping the run without bringing a safety up.

PY: What is the Titans’ best chance for containing Tony Gonzalez? Do they double cover him, or rely on the physical linemen and linebackers to frustrate Gonzalez at the line?

TT: Gonzalez will be a tough matchup for the Titans, especially considering they were burned by the Chargers’ Antonio Gates for six catches and the game-tying touchdown last week. He scored when the Chargers were able to isolate him on the rookie safety Michael Griffin. Fisher calls Gonzalez the best tight end in the league. I expect the Titans will try to hit him at the line of scrimmage and then try to bracket him between a linebacker and safety, usually David Thornton and Griffin.

PY: Arrowhead Stadium is not the daunting road venue it usually is, but the Titans are only 3-3 on the road. Are you confident in the Titans’ ability to take this road game and in Vince Young’s ability to ensure that any possible leads will hold up?

TT: Well, yes and no. I’m confident in the Titans’ ability to win, although it remains to be seen if they will. No, I’m not confident in Young’s ability to maintain a lead. If the Titans do hold onto a lead and win it will probably be because they’re able to run the ball and rely on the defense.

Thanks to Phil for doing this. Titans fans, for more information and opinion from the other side’s point of view, check out Phil, Jon Yoon and Ryan Brown on MVN’s Home of the Chiefs.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2007 at 7:24 am and is filed under Previews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.