Fisher’s even-keel approach keeping Titans together
The Tennessee Titans lost one starting linebacker three days into training camp, their kicker five days before the season opener and then their left guard in that game.
Through Monday, they have lost seven players for the season. Even Steve McNair, known for his ability to play through pain, has sat out three games.
The only constant this year seems to be coach Jeff Fisher.
“Through the good times and bad times, you want someone that’s going to be a good manager of personalities and someone who can bring people together to win, and that’s what he does for us,” defensive lineman Kevin Carter said.
Fisher has maintained the same even-keel approach through this injury-plagued season that he used during the good times, when the Titans went 56-24 between 1999 and 2003.
That approach — and help from McNair playing a complete game for the first time since Oct. 17 — helped the Titans (4-6) beat Jacksonville 18-15 Sunday despite not having six starters, including running back Chris Brown (turf toe), left tackle Brad Hopkins (broken right hand) and both safeties.
“He keeps a positive attitude regardless of our record,” McNair said. “He keeps this team together and always says there’s light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to work hard at it, stay positive and go out there and play.”
This season, Fisher has been more medic than coach, especially at his Monday news conferences, which started off with a lengthy injury update. He announced Monday for a second straight week that he had lost two more players to season-ending injuries.
The latest are cornerback Andre Woolfolk, who needed surgery to repair a dislocated right wrist, and rookie safety Justin Sandy who broke his left ankle 48 hours after being promoted from the practice squad to help a unit that lost safety Tank Williams last week.
Sandy played two series on the broken ankle because the Titans had no other options.
An official injury report that reached 11 last week was expected to include 14 players when it was issued Wednesday. With little or no room under the salary cap, adding help isn’t an option unless it’s to add someone to the practice squad to help them get through practice.
“It is going to be a challenge for us, but we will have enough out there,” Fisher said of a secondary that had only one starter healthy Monday. “I can’t tell you where they are going to line up and play right now. I may not for competitive reasons, but we will have enough out there to play.”
Fisher gave credit to his coaching staff for helping the Titans adapt to almost constantly changing units, especially on special teams.
They had to scrap several offensive packages Oct. 17 hours before kickoff because of tight end Shad Meier’s appendectomy, and they lost starting linebacker Rocky Boiman hours before flying to Jacksonville when he came in with a swollen right calf.
But Fisher is why the Titans haven’t quit on this season, which has helped the win two of their past three games. He also is why they aren’t looking past Houston (4-6), their fellow cellar dwellers in the AFC South.
McNair insists they aren’t looking ahead to their final six games, a schedule that includes only two teams with winning records (Indianapolis and Denver at 7-3).
“We’re going to enjoy this one first, and worry about Houston in the upcoming week of practice,” McNair said.