Why the Titans should and should not fire HC Mike Vrabel
Tennessee Titans HC Mike Vrabel has been under fire lately as the losses keep piling up for the Two-Tone Blue in 2023. The Titans are 3-7 and are officially in the basement of the AFC South, a division they have dominated over the past five years. Many fans still have faith in Vrabel, while others want him gone ASAP. Here are reasons Tennessee should and should not move on from the 2021 Coach of the Year...
MOVE ON: The new offensive NFL
The NFL has gone through an offensive renaissance over the past few seasons, as having a potent offense is now more valuable than ever before. With this offensive explosion also comes a change of head coaching styles, as offensive coaches are statistically more successful in today's league. Bill Belichick, Brandon Staley, Matt Eberflus, and now Mike Vrabel are some defensive-minded head coaches struggling to adapt to the new offensive-centric NFL. The Titans' offense is horrible, and there is a potential to fix it if Tennessee brings in a young, offensive-minded head coach to take over the reins. Offensive reigns supreme in the NFL, and Vrabel's Titans are falling behind...
KEEP HIM: Culture Builder
When Mike Vrabel took over as Titans' HC in 2018, Tennessee was looked at as a team that could dominate in the near future but needed a head coach who could take them to the next level. The Titans lacked stability at the head coaching position before Vrabel's arrival, and building a formidable culture was challenging. In just a couple of seasons, Mike Vrabel built a winning culture in Nashville and guided the Titans to one of their better stretches in franchise history, from 2019-2022. One subpar season shouldn't erase Vrabel's impact on the franchise...
MOVE ON: The last 370 days
The Titans have arguably been the second-worst team in the entire NFL since Week 11 of the 2022 season. Since Tennessee's road victory in Green Bay on TNF last November, the team has a record of 3-14, including an eight-game road losing streak. Very few head coaches in this league survive a 3-14 season and an eight-game losing streak away from home (besides rookie head coaches). Those numbers don't bode well for Mike Vrabel and are two fireable stats that Controlling Owner Amy Adams Strunk could utilize against him...
KEEP HIM: Jon Robinson’s Failures
The Titans fired GM Jon Robinson last December after an embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Firing Robinson mid-season when Tennessee was 7-5 seemed like a questionable move by Owner Amy Adams Strunk, but it was the correct move. Robinson did a poor job handling the Tennessee roster and made some jaw-dropping moves that haunt the Titans to this very day, Trading superstar WR AJ Brown, drafting Isaiah Wilson and Caleb Farley in the first-round back-to-back years, and letting key talent go with no resistance are just a couple of atrocities that Robinson executed as Titans' GM. As a result, Mike Vrabel is dealing with the repercussions of Robinson's moves, as Tennessee's roster is filled with holes, and the lack of talent compared to the other teams in the NFL is evident. Vrabel is trying his best to put a winning product on the field with what he has, but he's failing miserably...
Mike Vrabel is on the hot seat, and his job status is officially in question. No matter how poor your roster is, having a 3-14 record over the last 17 games is inexcusable, and he must be held accountable. Though many are calling for his job now, it would be foolish to fire Vrabel this season. Tennessee has over $100 million in cap space in 2024 and seem destined to have a Top Seven pick in the next year's draft. Keeping Vrabel as head coach and bolstering the roster in the offseason would be the plan I would follow. Head into 2024 with Vrabel as HC, but the leash is incredibly short. If the Titans have a losing record by Thanksgiving of next year, then firing him would be a no-brainer...
IMAGES FROM GETTY AND TENNESSEAN