Abraham Lincoln, during a famous speech, once uttered that a house divided cannot stand. In 1858, the phrase was used towards the fractured state of affairs of our nation.
In 2010, the words can be applied to the Tennessee Titans.
Bo Scaife’s recent quotes suggest that a “schism” exists in the Titans locker room, thanks to the ugly episode that took place after the Titans’ loss to the Redskins involving a verbal confrontation between QB Vince Young and head coach Jeff Fisher.
As we all know, winning football games often extend beyond mere X’s and O’s. Chemistry is an integral part of what makes a team succeed or ultimately, the primary reason behind a team’s failure.
Rarely has chemistry been an issue surrounding a Jeff Fisher-led squad. Historically, Fisher has always had a knack of having a great feel for the locker room, which had often led to him getting the most out of his Titan units, regardless of their talent levels. There’s been too many times, such as 2002, 2006 and even 2009, when facing terrible starts, Fisher’s teams were able to stick together and play as one as they dug out of the hole that they had created for themselves.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case in 2010. Actually, the opposite has occurred, with the Titans racing out to a fast 5-2 start only to see them suffer defeat in each of their last six games.
Sure, there’s been other factors that can be blamed for the Titans’ recent struggles. Injuries on the interior defensive line have played a key part, as well as the musical chairs that’s been taking place at the QB position.
However, considering Scaife’s recent quotes, a divided locker room could be the biggest factor behind the team’s recent failures. Whether deserved or not, Vince Young has his supporters on the offensive side of the football. With those guys feeling one way and others on the team (perhaps the defense, according to Scaife) feeling another, there’s no surprise that the Titans are struggling right now.
What does this all mean for the future, you ask? I think it’s quite simple. Obviously, there’s not enough room anymore in this town for Jeff Fisher and Vince Young to co-exist, so we’re probably looking at the inevitable departure of one of them.
Considering the apparent divide in the Titans’ locker room, that’s probably not a bad thing.
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