While change is inevitable in the NFL, don’t look for Titans coach Mike Vrabel to alter his core beliefs and personnel after the team’s hasty playoff exit.
That means Ryan Tannehill will be back under center in 2022. The team will not make a blockbuster deal for Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson should they become available.
“We have always said that your best players have to play good in this league for you to win. That goes without saying,’’ Vrabel says when asked about Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill not playing their best in the postseason the past two years.
“I have always felt that way, as a player and especially as a coach. When you are talking about skill players and especially guys that are responsible for the football, they need everybody. They need everybody around them to succeed. I think that is a byproduct of everybody. Your best players have to play good in order to win.’’
Henry, coming back after nine games missed with a broken foot, had just 62 yards on 20 carries. Last year in the postseason, the Ravens held him to 40 yards. Those performances pale in comparison to what Henry has done in the regular season, and had done in carrying the Titans to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.
Tannehill’s postseason struggles have been well-documented. But his season had plenty of ups and downs before the three-pick performance that ended the Titans’ season.
“I don’t know if it is a trend. I just think that we have to – we understand how great you have to be with the football,” Vrabel adds of Tannehill having games with multiple interceptions this season.
“Whether you are carrying it, throwing it, taking care of it is paramount. When you lose the turnover margin in the way that we did at different points of the season, it is really, really hard to win.
“That is something that we are going to have to evaluate how we are coaching. Just making sure that everybody that has the football knows how important it is to the success of the team.”
Which then brings to question the Titans’ play-caller, Todd Downing, who certainly had his share of scrutiny in replacing Arthur Smith, who fit Tannehill and the offense perfectly during the previous two years.
Downing, however, got a nice vote of confidence from Vrabel as the season ended.
“I think Todd (Downing) does a great job,” Vrabel said. “He is a great coach. I think he is a hard worker. Always going to have calls that you would like to have back. There are plays you would like to have back, but I don’t evaluate things.
“I try to see how guys communicate with each other, the players. Are we all on the same page? Is there good communication? How did we do on third down? How did we do in the red zone? Things have to be better in all three phases each and every year, but I love the relationship that Todd has with the assistant coaches and the players. We will all continue to improve.”