Vince's Development is Right on Time

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I think everybody around the city, especially within the organization, is expecting a playoff-type season from the Titans this year. When you look at this team and the makeup, they have everything they need for the brand of football that they play as far as keeping it close, having a strong defense, grinding out the clock with the strong running game and allowing Vince to make plays. Everything is there. With re-signing Albert Haynesworth, a strong linebacking corps and a solid secondary, I think it's the makeup of a team that can definitely win 10 to 11 ball games. I think nationally the perception is that this team will win 12 to 13 ball games, meaning that it all comes down to what Vince Young is going to do in terms of taking this team on his back and leading them to an elite level. So I think the feeling that I get, the thing I want to see out of this football team this year, is for them to take it to the next level, for Vince Young to take his game to the next level and take his team to an elite status in the NFL.

In terms of what are realistic expectations for Vince; well, you know the problem is everybody wants instant gratification, they want instant results. But the bottom line is it takes a player of that magnitude time to develop, to find his rhythm and to find his game. And quite frankly you have to have the right people around you, not just on the field, but the right person making the calls. I think the return of Mike Heimerdinger, who played a huge role in Steve McNair's success, is huge for Vince. Coach Heimerdinger is getting that same caliber football of player in Vince Young, and I think that's going to go a long way toward Vince's success. Realistically, I believe Vince is right on time. Every year you want to see improvement, of course. I think last year he wasn't great in terms of statistics, but he still made plays and that's okay. As a player you want to learn from your mistakes, you want to learn from having an off year. You want to see how he's going to respond to that. I think Vince has enough pride in himself and he's such a warrior and a leader, he wants to be the best. He's going to put in the time to be the best he can be. So therefore he's right on time where he needs to be, because guess what? Every year is not going to be a great year. All the great quarterbacks go through it. It's your body of work that will determine if he makes the Hall of Fame or if he has a great career. We're just seeing the first pieces of his body of work and people need to be patient with that. I think they will and I think he'll have a great year this year.