| ! |
Looking forward, I think this team is young, but they have experience now. They have a sound defense. Obviously, signing Albert Haynesworth is going to be huge priority. If they don't sign Albert back, they have to fill the void somewhere along the line with free agency or the draft. Albert has to be addressed because he was a key component to their success this past year. I believe their first round pick, Michael Griffin, is going to be an outstanding football player and he really came on and found his comfort level as the season progressed. The defense has a solid foundation in place.
Now offensively, there are some issues to address. They have to find a receiver that can stretch things vertically, someone that has the speed to break off the long pass plays for Vince. All of the pressure is on Vince. It reminds me of the team we had back in the day when we primarily relied on the running game and the tight end. In this day and age when you're playing against the Indianapolis Colts or New England Patriots, however, you have to bring more to your weaponry. It is okay to have that type of offense, but you've got to have one or two guys — some home run hitters — that can break away at any point in time. I don't know what will be available in free agency, but that has to be priority number one for the front office.
I think how the Titans build on their playoff experience depends on how the team approaches it. Now that they have experienced what it feels like, that can be a momentum push into next season. They understand what it takes to get there; now they have to realize what it takes to go even further. If they go into this off-season focused and excited about next season, it can carry them, but if they don't address some of the pressing issues this off-season, it can deflate the moral of the team.
I thought Mike Heimerdinger coming back as offensive coordinator was an interesting choice. He is a demanding coach and he is not afraid to let you know what he thinks about you. He runs a very disciplined offense and he commands the best out of everyone on any given play. I think the reason Jeff Fisher hired 'Dinger' is because of the success that Steve McNair had within that offense. We got more vertical and had more explosive plays downfield. Derrick Mason blossomed into an All-Pro receiver in that system and it really took advantage of the array of weapons at the receiver position in that offense. It is going to be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
