Titans coach Jeff Fisher is not benching Kerry Collins this week.
Based on his comments, Fisher won’t be benching Collins soon, and he didn’t even consider a change to Vince Young.
The decision is to be expected. Collins wasn’t the one fumbling punts against the Jets, and he wasn’t giving up huge passing yards to the Texans.
“Kerry is not the reason. He is certainly not the reason for the situation we’re in,’' Fisher said this week.
We completely agree, and expect the Titans to exhaust every chance possible to get back into the playoff race with Collins under center.
With that said, there has to be a number of losses or games under .500 that would make it impossible not to go to Young.
Young is a favorite of Titans owner Bud Adams; it was only four years ago in Week Four that Adams pushed for Young to replace Collins, and Young went on to win Rookie of the Year. A lot has happened in the meantime, but he has an untenable raise in his contract next year.
It defies belief that Tennessee would give him that raise or cut him without giving him a chance to prove his worth this year if the Titans fall out of the playoff race.
So what’s the number? Would the Titans make a change at 0-5? 4-6? 7 losses?
Even Fisher probably doesn’t know the answer right now. But Collins will need to get Tennessee’s record turned around quickly or it won’t make sense to keep playing him at some point.
That day may not be near, but Collins has only a handful of losses to work with for the rest of the season.
He’ll have to use them judiciously.