The Titans won nine of 16 games in 2011. Through nine games in 2012, they’ve already lost six.
Their most recent loss was the ugliest, a 51-20 Music City shellacking at the hands of the Bears.
Owner Bud Adams isn’t happy. After the game, he gave the organization the verbal equivalent of a double-barreled middle finger.
“In my 50 years of owning an NFL franchise, I am at a loss to recall a regular season home game that was such a disappointment for myself, and fans of the Titans,’’ Adams told Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “We were grossly outcoached and outplayed from start to finish today.
“At this time, all aspects of the organization will be closely evaluated, including front office, coaches and players over the next seven games. If performance and competitiveness does not improve, I will look at all alternatives to get back to having the Titans become a playoff and championship football team.”
That’s not good for anyone in the organization, especially coach Mike Munchak, G.M. Ruston Webster, and team president Mike Reinfeldt.
Munchak seems to realize that his seat is suddenly hot.
“If a team underperforms, I’m the first guy you should look at for that, not anybody else, not assistant coaches, it starts with me,” Munchak said. “If we don’t finish this season the way it should, then what needs to happen will happen. Sure it starts with me, I’m the head coach. . . .
“We’re getting ahead of ourselves here — we’ve got seven games to play, so we’ll worry about what it means when we see how we finish up. We didn’t coach well, we didn’t play well and obviously we got beat by a very good football team today.”
Adams turns 90 on January 3. Which could make him more antsy to make changes once the season ends on December 30. As Munchak said, seven games remain. But if the Titans play like they played on Sunday, they won’t be winning many (or any) more.