If. That’s a small word, but it seems like it has been a catch phrase around the Tennessee Titans for years.

Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt used it on Monday to help explain the 2-5 predicament his team faces after giving away Sunday’s game to the Washington Redskins.

Whisenhunt’s explanation for the final minutes centered on a defensive lapse that let the Redskins drive down and kick the game-winning field goal as time expired.

Whisenhunt pointed to 59 minutes of mostly good defense undone by the final drive.

What if the Titans had closed the deal in the final minute and claimed the road victory that was there for the taking?

But they didn’t. The same way they didn’t tackle Pierre Garcon who raced for a 70-yard touchdown earlier in the game.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (12) listens to head coach Ken Whisenhunt during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins Oct. 19, in Landover, Md.

-- Ap Photo/Mark E. Tenally

And just like they didn’t two weeks ago, when Whisenhunt said if the Titans had converted the fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak, then the Browns wouldn’t have completed their improbable 25-point comeback.

If …

We heard the same things from Mike Munchak the past three years and from Jeff Fisher well before him.

If Peyton Manning had chosen the Titans over the Broncos; if they hadn’t wasted high draft picks on players like Vince Young and Pacman Jones; if Jake Locker could stay healthy.

Even the biggest moment in franchise history has an “if” attached to it. If Kevin Dyson had gotten one more yard at the end of Super Bowl XXXIV.

It’s no wonder that Whisenhunt addressed all the negativity that he has seen surrounding the franchise in the short time since he became head coach this season.

“I’ve noticed a sense of pessimism ever since I’ve gotten here. That’s I think from previous times. The only thing I can say is our guys are working hard. We’re getting better, and we’re gonna be a good football team. That’s the thing that’s important,” Whisenhunt said.

Whisenhunt insists that he wants to turn things around now, and he said when he took the job that he wasn’t asking for patience. Judging from the first seven weeks of the season, perhaps he should have.

Instead, he said he is still counting on a turnaround at some point this season, despite a muddled quarterback situation and several players already lost for the year with key injuries.

“That’s what I’m counting on,” he said of winning sooner rather than later. “I’m not looking to 2015. I know there’s a number of people already [who] want to talk about 2015, but we’re focused on Houston and trying to play the best game we can against them and seeing what happens.”

When asked about the pessimistic view of the Titans situation, Whisenhunt said he felt that vibe from the media.

“I sense it from you guys. That’s the tone I’ve gotten from you guys since I’ve been here and that’s OK,” Whisenhunt said. “When we win some games and have some success, we can change that.

When …

Good choice of words there, coach. Because I’m pretty sure a fed-up fan base has grown tired of ‘if.’

Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com and is a blogger for 247 Sports NFL Insider.