Beware the fall of the Titans.

I'm worried about the Titans. Seriously, people. The signs are right in front of our faces. Arguably, the two worst franchises in the NFL are the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions. There are a few things that have to happen to your franchise before it falls apart and all the accomplishments from seasons past go down the drain. Here are three steps that signal a franchise is falling apart. All three of these steps have already been completed by the Lions and Bengals. Looks like the Titans are on their way next. Ready for this?

Step #1: Draft poorly. In the 2005 NFL Draft, the Titans held the 6th overall pick, needing a top cornerback to solidify their defense. To EVERYONE's surprise, the Titans selected West Virginia product Adam "Pacman" Jones, a diminutive player with a knack for returning punts and beating up women. Still waiting to be drafted was Antrel Rolle, a superb talent out of the "U" (that's Miami, FL, for the sports-illiterate). Rolle was selected 8th overall by the Arizona Cardinals, and has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the League. Selected 9th overall was Carlos Rogers, another top cornerback prospect out of Auburn, who is now a star defensive player for the Washington Redskins. Then in the 2006 Draft, the Titans went in needing a QB. This has to be my favorite Titans' pick of all time. With the USC-groomed Matt Leinart sitting nearby and local hero Jay Cutler waiting patiently, the Titans went beyond all logic to take over-hyped Texas star Vince Young (Refer to my post from Sept.10 to see just how well that has gone). Leinart was selected 10th overall by the Cardinals and Cutler was selected 11th by the Denver Broncos. And one more question here: What the hell ever happened to the Titans 2007 first-round pick, Chris Henry? Oh yeah! He was such a bust that the Titans drafted another running back in the first round of the 2008 Draft. Also from the 2008 Draft, the Titans drafted LB Stanley Keglar out of Purdue, even though Keglar had three (3!) pending misdemeanors hanging around his neck (for disorderly conduct, rioting, and interfering with officials), which brings us to Step #2...

Step #2: Have a reasonable percentage of your roster get arrested. Adam "Pacman" Jones is the new NFL poster-child for players who have absolutely zero idea how to handle their own celebrity status. Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth was suspended 5 games in 2006 for stomping on the head of a helmet-less Dallas Cowboys player. Defensive End Jevon Kearse got a DUI in June. Wide Receiver Brandon Jones was arrested in June for unlawful possession of a firearm. And while this year Vince Young didn't get arrested, he did find himself in the middle of a controversy when he went on a hiatus many observers feared would end in suicide. Even assistant coach Chuck Cecil got into the fray this past March, pleading guilty to reckless driving.

Step #3: Have your coach lose control of the team. In the 2006 Draft, Coach Jeff Fisher (USC graduate) and Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow (USC graduate) got muscled around and were forced to deal with the selection of Texas Longhorn Vince Young, not USC's prototype Matt Leinart. The entire "Pacman Jones Saga" showed exactly how much control Fisher had over this team. Not only did he allow Jones to continue playing before the NFL commissioner stepped in and suspended him from the League, he was going to allow him back on the Titans' roster before a trade offer from the Cowboys came calling. Last week, the Titans suffered their first loss of the season. And I'm not going to knock Fisher for losing a game. I am, however, going to knock him for losing control of his locker room. After the 34-13 thumping by the New York Jets, running back LenDale White whined to reporters about his lack of involvement in the game. He went so far as to say he stopped paying attention to the game. He "didn't care." Then yesterday, when the Titans drummed the hapless Lions 47-10, White was a key figure in the Titans' offense. My sister said it best yesterday: the squeaky wheel gets oiled first. I hope I'm not the only one who sees the major problem with this. This sends a wonderful message (albeit wrong, in case you didn't pick up on my sarcasm) to the rest of the Titans players and kids who aspire to one day play pro football: complain like a child and you'll get exactly what you want! Congrats, Fisher, on that wonderful coaching decision.

So there we have it. There's the list. The list above has severely plagued the Lions and Bengals organizations over the past few years. And for a point of reference, the Bengals' problems really got started in 2005, when they finished with a record of 11-5, their best in more than a decade. The Titans are currently enjoying their best season in franchise history. Since the Bengals' 11-5 record in '05, their record has fallen to 8-8 in 2006, and 7-9 in 2007. And so far this year, the Bengals are dismal 1-9-1. And, by the way, the Lions are 0-12. Are the Titans headed in this direction??

Why "VY" is anything but "inVINCEable"

How bad of a weekend did Vince Young have? After trying everything in his power to lose a close game to the Jaguars on Sunday, where he threw two foolish interceptions and had to be coaxed back out onto the field in the 4th quarter by head coach Jeff Fisher, he suffered a knee injury allowing Kerry Collins to come in and seal a win for the Titans. After throwing his second interception of the game (the first play following a Titans INT), the crowd booed Young to the point where he sat on the bench with his head in his hands, refusing to go back out onto the field. There he sat, the supposed "leader" of the team, the guy wearing a big "C" on his chest signifying his captaincy and importance to the team, sulking on the sideline, needing the support of his teammates and coaches to get off the bench and back into the game. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the "Captain" supposed to be the guy rallying his team, leading them to victory?? There are problems in Music City. Then on Monday night, the 8th of September, he leaves his home without telling his friends and family where he is going, leading them to believe he may hurt himself in some way. His friends called Fisher, who tried to reach Young unsuccessfully. Shortly thereafter, Fisher contacted Metro Police and crisis negotiators to find Young and calm him down. He was found around midnight, where Fisher and psychologists spoke with Young before sending him home. Once again, correct me if I'm wrong, but if I leave my house unannounced, I don't think my sister is going to panic to the point that she calls the police thinking I should be placed on "suicide watch." Everybody see where I'm going here? This isn't a one-time thing. Sounds to me like this is something they've encountered before. Yikes. $30 million for a guy who has his mother publicly denounce Titans fans for their criticism of her son. Hmm... sounds like someone can't handle the rigors of the quarterback position in the NFL (Remind you of anyone?). And just how bad is it? I'm the first to admit that Vince Young's performance in the Rose Bowl game against USC is one of the greatest physical performances I have ever seen. But he was drafted 3rd overall in 2005 on that game alone, with everyone in the Titans organization expecting him to play the "USC game" over and over and over, every Sunday. We let things slide because we all carry the memory of Young torching the once impregnable USC defense on the biggest stage of collegiate sports. His performance and progression in the NFL so far, though, has been downright disappointing. I'm not the first guy to say this, but when are we going to start using the word "bust" with the name "Vince Young?" Here's a stat for you... Ryan Leaf, the quintessential "bust," the guy all "busts" are compared to, played only three seasons in the NFL before washing out. In his three seasons, he threw a total of 36 interceptions. Ouch. Through two full seasons plus the first game of his third season, anyone want to take a guess at how many INTs Vince Young has thrown? 32. So Ryan Leaf, the guy whose picture is in the dictionary beside the word "bust," threw 36 picks in three seasons. Young is one game into his third season, and he has already thrown 32. Those are just facts. Are we lenient with Young because the Titans didn't use as high a draft pick on him as the Chargers did with Ryan Leaf way back in 1998? (Leaf was drafter #2 overall, Young #3) These are just some things to consider. And while we're talking about the 2005 NFL Entry Draft, do you think anyone besides fans are regretting the Titans not drafting Jay Cutler? In college, Cutler played for a far worse team (Vanderbilt) than Young's Texas Longhorns, in a far tougher conference (SEC) than the Big 12 in which Young played. Yet Cutler was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and just happened to beat Tennessee (IN KNOXVILLE) in the process. And did you know that Vanderbilt University just happens to be in the same city as the Tennessee Titans?? Interesting. And let's compare the evenings of Young and Cutler on Monday, 8 September. While Young was on "suicide watch" and being chased all over Davidson County by Metro Police and psychologists, Cutler was torching a very talented Oakland Raider defense for 300 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, and ZERO INTERCEPTIONS!!! Once again, I'm just throwing all this out there for people to ponder. Maybe once Young gets back from his knee injury, he'll prove me to be all wrong about him and he'll become the quarterback he was expected to be when he was drafted so high in 2005. But I'm not going to hold my breath.