The Tennessee Titans began the week with head coach Mike Vrabel stating the team was at a crossroads following an exasperating 35-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Forty-eight hours later, the Titans fired general manager Jon Robinson, and another week of game preparation for the ho-hum Jacksonville Jaguars had suddenly turned into a circus of questions and scenario proposals that had nothing to do with Tennessee’s next opponent.
Why fire a GM who never had a losing season in his six-plus years with the franchise? Why do it midseason instead of waiting until the end of the year? Were a .605 winning percentage, four playoff appearances, back-to-back AFC South titles and an AFC Championship game appearance really considered underachieving?
And aside from a vague statement released by her public relations department, why hadn’t controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk addressed her bold decision to send Robinson packing with five more regular-season games remaining on the 2022 schedule? Why leave Vrabel to face the firing squad on Wednesday morning and serve as the lone mouthpiece for a franchise that abruptly appeared to be coming apart at the seams?
“My focus is clearly on the Jacksonville Jaguars,” Vrabel stated after fielding a seemingly endless array of questions about the how and why of Robinson’s dismissal.
And that may be the case for the fifth-year head coach, but it’s clearly a different story for the locker room that was largely constructed by Robinson, especially since the players seem to be just as in the dark as the rest of us regarding the timing and reasoning for Adams Strunk’s decision.
“It definitely adds another layer to the week,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “You hate to say that [distractions] affect you at all, but they do. … We are not dumb. You have to acknowledge what is going on, but at the same time set it to the side and focus on the things we can control.”
What the Titans can control are the results of the first game in the post-Robinson era Sunday against the Jaguars at Nissan Stadium. Perhaps more eyes will be on Tennessee Sunday than at any other point this season. Despite Jacksonville’s 4-8 record, the Titans may arguably be battling the most adversity they have all season.
“The guys in our locker room understand the pressure and are reminded daily of what is at stake and how this organization expects us to go out, play, and win games,” Tannehill added.
Even without the architect of the current roster, this is still the same team that has a three-game lead over both the Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South, and the third-ranked run defense and 11th-ranked scoring defense in the NFL.
The Jaguars have a middle-of-the-road scoring offense, and it seems they’ll be rolling the dice with a less-than-100 percent Trevor Lawrence to boot.
While Robinson’s firing didn’t suddenly lessen the talent gap between Tennessee and Jacksonville — they’re still 3.5-point favorites to win this week — it did at least throw an unanticipated wrinkle into Sunday’s matchup.
“What is next? How do we win?” Vrabel said. “Who is going to be available? … What is the plan? How do we not give up big plays on defense with a team that is young, fast, and has a lot of speed? That is what our focus is.”
The Titans host the Jaguars Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Kickoff is at noon Central on CBS with Andrew Catalon and James Lofton on the call.
Follow Michael Gallagher on Twitter @MGsports_.
