Zach Lyons is a NFL Senior Contributor for Broadway Sports. He is also Co-Host of the wildly popular, award winning, and world renowned podcast, “A Football & Other F Words”, new episodes released every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts.. He’s also a co-host for Nashville’s first ever football only show with a global reach, “A Football Show”. “A Football Show” airs LIVE every Monday and Thursday at 1p CST. Subscribe and turn on notifications here.
The article this week is arriving a little bit later than usual. After the Titans suffered a humiliating loss on Monday Night, it was really hard to focus my anger and confusion. I had at one point an entirely different article: “10 Things I Hate About You”, and then I recorded the latest episode of Football & Other F Words, and I felt it wasn’t the right tone.
Much like the Titans on Monday, I didn’t feel inspired. I was directionless. Then on Wednesday I was driving, and it hit me. While the Titans most certainly weren’t 100% going to win, the mistakes they made were 100% avoidable. An embarrassing blowout loss could’ve easily turned into a close, respectable one, had the staff avoided being dumbasses.
It may be crass or rude to read that. Who am I to challenge the thoughtfulness of the game plan. I am just a handsome guy behind a keyboard, an artist on a microphone. I have very little coaching experience (Sigma Kappa Flag Football Coach!), and after all I have never played professionally.
However, I can recognize someone getting in their own way. I can see someone who is refusing to use a neatly gift wrapped advantage. I can definitely tell when someone is being too stubborn for their own good. I also know when a person is being a dumbass.
So here’s my guide for the Titans staff to avoid further embarrassing losses. It’s so easy even Todd Downing can understand it.
If you’re cheap and haven’t gotten a Broadway Insider Pass ($0.99 first month w/ code INSIDER or $49.99 w/ code ANNUAL) yet, you won’t be able to read the majority of this article until you do. However, I am keeping the Mailbag free. So just click right here to skip all the important information you definitely need in your life, and get to the Mailbag.
Avoid Dumbassery: Use Multiple Wide Receivers in Five Wide Receiver sets
The rest of this content is restricted to Broadway Insiders. Register for an Broadway Insider Pass to view this post in its entirety.
If you're not ready to unlock everything Broadway Sports has to offer, you can return to our home page and view all the free content available right at your fingertips.
| MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS | STANDARD (FREE) | BSM INSIDER PASS ($6.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Comments on Articles | ✔︎ | ✔︎ |
| BSM Podcast Network | ✔︎ | ✔︎ |
| Access to Free Articles and Videos | ✔︎ | ✔︎ |
| ALL Premium Articles | ✔︎ | |
| EARLY Access to Select Written, Video and Audio Content | ✔︎ | |
| EXCLUSIVE Access to the full Mike Herndon Show | ✔︎ | |
| PRIVATE Invitations to Livestreams and Q&A's | ✔︎ | |
| EXCLUSIVE Access to the New Broadway Morning Newsletter | ✔︎ | |
| EXCLUSIVE Invitation to Private Fantasy Leagues and Competitions | ✔︎ |
Register New Account
Mailbag
@MattCropley: What will it take for Todd Downing to be fired? How much worse does this offense need to look?
A lot of people think Todd Downing will not get fired midseason, including Vrabel himself. However, I would be hard pressed that the powers above him would be okay if he drops another home game in similarly embarrassing fashion as the first two weeks. People want to put the blame on the kicker in the Giants game, but that offense in the 2nd half was terrible. The offense was terrible 10 drives of 11 in the Bills game. You start off 0-2 at home, 0-3 and the offense looks this bad, and you have a readily available replacement? It could happen.
However, if the team wins and the offense looks just average or carried by the defense, he will keep his job to at least season’s end.
@zandermercury: Why are we still Titans fans?
Not sure I have the universal answer for this. Why are people Browns fans? Why are people Lions fans? Football fandom is irrational. However, it’s perfectly acceptable to be a fan of a team and realize your team just doesn’t have it this year. This idea that you’re not a real fan if you’ve come to the realization this isn’t the team’s year is preposterous. Barring some wild happenings in the NFL and in Nashville, this team is barely still in the race for the playoffs when you look at probabilities. Definitely not a Super Bowl team. They would have to go on a crazy run in the regular season for that to change, and this team is not set up for that.
@TheEnglishman84: Why are the Titans coaching staff the thieves of joy?
Cause they’re stuck in the past and not only deprive us of joy, but also themselves of actual joy.
@smorton101368: If you had a choice of play caller Todd Downing or @MikeHerndonNFL (Editor’s Note: just noticed this changed lol) drawing random plays out of a hat? Who would you bet on Todd or Mike’s hat?
Absolutely Mike’s hat. The offense would be less predictable thus the defense would have a harder time figuring out what’s going on. Instead, currently, the Titans have the most predictable offense with defenders regularly calling their shot and predicting our plays.
@9invisiblesheep: Does Derrick Henry look a tick slower or is he focusing on being patient and reading blocks?
If its the latter than he is doing a horrible job. Not only is he missing pass blocking assignments, but he isn’t reading the holes correctly. he looks like Floyd Mayweather reading out on the field. My gut/heart tells me he’s just not comfortable yet, but my brain is saying its just another player coming off a major injury who is going to have a down year.
@RobOnBroadway: Who has the best rendition of the National Anthem and why is it Fergie?
Jimi Hendrix has the best rendition, but it can totally be Fergie because its so horrible it should’ve stopped the Anthem from being played before games.
@615somewhere: Are you on the Malik should start Train?
@oldblackking: Do you think Malik should start if the season continues the way its going now?
If I were listing the reasons as to why the Titans have lost the last two games, Tannehill would be near the bottom. However, if the trend continues and this team is looking at a losing record and no chances of playoffs, I would be putting Malik Willis in to see what you got. Worst case scenario, he’s Dwayne Haskins in those final set of starts, and you know you need to draft a QB. Best case scenario he’s Lamar Jackson in those final set of starts and you’re set at QB.
@JSainity: Why do we have two Pinnochio remakes coming out of the year?
Poor planning, no creativity, & money
@TitansPadsSnkrs: We’ve all seen Downing getting a lot of finger pointing lately, and for good reason, but why isn’t JRob getting some more heat? A lot of his whiffs are starting to show?
I can only assume you haven’t read, watched, or heard anything from the media. Everyone has given JRob a lot of heat. On Football & Other F Words, this article currently, AtoZ, The Hot Read Pod, PaulKuharsky.com, Stillman & Company, Robby & Rexrode, The Buck Reising Show….etc etc. Nearly every member of media and fans have said that JRob deserves loads of blame for whiffing on 2 Draft Classes. However, no one with any self-respect should be calling for job, just for him to make up for the mistakes made in the past.
See y’all next week.
