I've noticed a lot of speculation, for good reason, on the Titans QB future. However, much of it seems to be in favor of the quick fix. So I ask the eternal question: WHY? 

Why sign Carson Palmer?

Why sign Kyle Orton? 

Why trade for Matt Flynn?

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(Bumped from the fanposts)

The NFL is a complex game with hundreds of schemes and factors that go into how a game is played and who wins the game. This leads to hundreds of analysts having hundreds of different opinions and evaluations being made. To top it off, all this is done in a 16 game sample size, in which even a team like the Patriots can lose to Cleveland by 20 points. What is my point? We, as fans, can have differing opinions on what is going on with our favorite team and who is to blame. 

However, I have noticed that there are some opinions being spouted out in the comments that are woefully misinformed and easily fixed by just knowing what you are talking about before posting. My concern for this is that here at MCM, membership and commenting has exponentially exploded. This is good for discussion, but when someone lobs a retarded comment out, it derails the conversation much more easily and a whole thread derails into a Lowest Common Denominator discussion, which is infuriating and is also why I have avoided commenting for about 6 weeks. 

To help with this problem, I will outline some of the comments that, I believe, should be ignored/deleted if said, and the best case scenario is people just avoid saying them altogether.

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I don't know if others noticed, but outside the obvious of 4 sacks early and often vs 31 for all of last year, the Titans D-Line looks like a completely different animal than in years past.

It's a D-Line that looks to be built on speed and quickness, stunts, and creativity. Personally, I think it's a great change that will really help the Titans not only this season, but in the next few seasons. Here are my reasons why:

1) Fits the Titans current personnel  - Obviously one cannot argue the results of the defense from 2007 and 2008. However, those D-Lines were built around Big Al who was playing at a very high level with his very unique skill set. As such, once Al left, the results could not be replicated, and it never showed more than when the Titans played teams with elite offenses. The Pats game still gives me nightmares, and I thank God every day the Titans didn't have to play the Saints. The D-Line in the 1st Half of yesterdays game, on the other hand, utilized misdirection (did the Titans use ANY form of misdirection from 2007-2009?), stunts, and a brilliantly executed linebacker delay blitz from Witherspoon. The question still remains whether this newfound misdirection will work on teams with coaches who are more qualified than a losing record at Northwest Eastern Idaho State before getting a NFL job, but still it was encouraging to see Fisher, Cecil, and Wash to take stock of the Titans personnel and adjust accordingly instead of shoving square pegs into round holes, which is what the Titans defense looked like for 10 of the 16 games last year.

2) Sets up for easier player replacement in the future - As mentioned above, Big Al was a unique player with a unique skill set that is very, very hard to replicate. Thus the $100 million contract from the Redskins. The advantage of building a defense around one player with a unique skill set is the defense cannot be prepared against by opposing teams and offenses usually take a half just to adjust to what's going on. The disadvantage is that when this player is out or leaves, a gaping hole is left that can't be filled, but teams try to fill it anyway because NFL coaches are obstinate, old, white men who hate the word "change". A perfect example along with the Titans would be the Steelers and Troy Palomalu. With him in, the Steelers D is historically great. Without him, the Steelers D looks incredibly pedestrian. However, with the way the Titans have built this D-Line, there is no one player who is absolutely essential in the design for it to succeed.

Cons:

1) While it is great the Titans have adjusted to fit their personnel, their set up is certainly not unique. There are a few teams that run a 4-3 and rush the passer based off quickness and speed and creativity. The Packers come to mind, as do the NY Giants. Teams will see a form of this multiple times per year and as the season wears on that could lead to the D-Line losing its effectiveness.

2) There is no Big Al. I know I just touted the advantages of not having a player like Haynesworth, but not having a player, whether its a DT like Al or an elite DE like Peppers or Freeney, who can just beat any man put in front of him at any given time means the Titans Defense will not be elite. All elite defenses have this guy somewhere on the field. Here's to hoping Derrick Morgan turns into that guy.

Overall, I am encouraged. The 2009 defense is long gone, and that is not a bad thing. I don't think the Titans will be racking up shutouts or setting records, but if the offense stays borderline elite as it has the past 8 games with Vince, this defense will be good enough to get us to the playoffs and possibly further.

u guys betta be redy on sunday vince is gonna go psycho!!!!! all you kerry collins lovers are gonna be put to shame by the great vince. and once vince wins the next 10 games, jeff fish is gonna regret he tried to ruin vinces career and he gonna get CANNED, because BUD knows football. 

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I understand and don't disagree with MCM's approach so far, and I hope the team looks at it similarly. But as a fan, I found some things in the first two games that I think are extremely worrisome, and a few I do not see solutions for. 

• 14% chance to make the playoffs is an EXTREMELY valid and a concern. Regardless of what our "talent" is, with the Jets looking as good as they are, we are staring 1-4 in the face. I don't see how we beat the Colts right now. How does Reggie Wayne not go off as badly as Andre Johnson did this week? Does Indianapolis even care if we shut down their running game, which seems to be the only thing we can do on defense (which is good, but as proven, not helpful if teams can pass for 350 yards each week)? 
• We can't finish games. Collins has been inept at running the 2 minute offense (NO, VINCE YOUNG IS NOT THE ANSWER BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO RUN THE 2 MINUTE OFFENSE WITH HIM IN) and on defense, we can't get stops when we need to. We don't disrupt anything.  
• Cecil to this point is no Schwartz. The thing Schwartz was always amazingly good at was adapting the scheme to the players we had (as best he could). It seems we aren't doing that as well right now. Maybe I am wrong and our defense is what it is no matter what scheme, but if we're gonna give up 35 yard completions with nobody within 5 yards of the receiver, shouldn't we then just go ahead and blitz anyways? 
• Nick Harper will be abused all season. 
• On offense, why can we not sustain drives? Even against the Texans, it felt like we broke a big play or went 3 and out. Only 1 sustained drive. This doesn't help the defense out exactly. Last year, a 21-7 lead was a guaranteed win, we'd run down the clock, keep our defense fresh, all is good. Yet we let the Texans score 14 points in under 2 minutes. WHAT? We have to have some drives where even if we don't score, we get 3 or 4 first downs and STAY ON THE FIELD. We can't seem to do it. It's all or nothing. With CJ, he broke 2 touchdowns on 3rd and 19. But the question is, WHY ARE WE IN 3rd AND 19? 
• Our Defensive line is exactly what I thought it would be. Talented, flashes of brilliance, but not consistently dominant, and nobody commands a double team every play, which gives O-lines some creativity in how to block us. 

Yes, a FAN CONTEST. The writers from Music City Miracles, Titan Sized, and T-Rac's Posse are in a 12 team fantasy football league to see which blogger can reign supreme in the world of Fantasy Football. From here at MCM, we have Jimmy, August, Hal, and Smashville (nobody knows his Indian name, let's be honest) joining the league. 

Anyways, we have 2 spots open, and to fill them we thought it'd be cool if you all competed for it. The competition is rather simple. You write 200 words or less (AND I WILL BE COUNTING ON ANY THAT LOOK SUSPECT) on why you deserve one of the last two spots to compete against all the writers from the aforementioned blogs. The best two entries (read that as funniest and/or most creative) will be given the final two spots in the league. 

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