The Musings of a Giant Idiot

Steve McNair will be remembered as one of the toughest players to have played the game of football regardless of position. His ability to play through injuries is legendary. He was a great teammate and a master of the 2 minute drill. He always faced the media and it was always his fault if his teams lost, never a teammates. He came within inches of leading the Titans to a giant upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV. I hope that the Titans retire his number because I do not think that anyone is worthy of wearing the number 9.

His career numbers are not eye popping like Brett Favre’s or Peyton Manning’s but McNair played on a team that was more reliant on the running game. He did win an MVP award in 2003 after leading the Titans to a 12-4 record and having his best season statistically. His numbers in the NFL were never going to come close to what he did during his record setting college career at Alcorn St but the Titans could have done more to utilize his skills as a QB. They could have surrounded him with more weapons, he had reliable targets in Frank Wycheck and Derrick Mason but never a game breaker who could stretch the field . If Mason or Wycheck were covered there was never a talented enough receiver on the other side that could get open and this forced McNair to run and when he ran he was usually not going out of bounds but initiating contact with the defender which took a toll on his body. For some reason the Titans under Jeff Fisher do not surround their QBs with enough weapons and Vince Young is facing the same problems that McNair faced, not enough playmakers.

McNair would have benefited if the Titans took Randy Moss instead of Kevin Dyson in the 1st round of the ‘98 draft. McNair was such a respected locker room figure that Moss would not have been able to get away with his posturing. Moss would have given McNair a receiver who can make QBs mistakes look good. It would have given the Titans offense a weapon that would be tough for teams to handle. I think it would have decreased the amount of wear on McNair’s body because he would not be forced to make plays.

With the draft coming up the Titans are again faced with questions about surrounding their QB with playmakers. If they do not want Vince Young becoming Steve McNair 2.0 they had better do this. As good as the Titans defense has been over the years they tend to wear down because the offense has a hard time sustaining a drive. If the Titans want to win the Super Bowl or win the AFC South they need to get serious on the offensive side of the ball. Like McNair, Vince Young has all the tools but it remains to be seen if the Titans are going to give him anything to work with.