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Tuesday, 09/26/06
Thompson, others put 'on notice'
Fisher: Improve or you won't start
By JIM WYATT
Staff Writer
Tired of watching his team repeat the same mistakes, Titans Coach Jeff Fisher said Monday he's put several players "on notice" and warned that lineup changes are possible.
If the Titans fall to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at LP Field to go to 0-4, it will be the franchise's longest losing streak to start a season since 1984.
"We are looking for playmakers, and when the plays aren't being made we are going to go other directions,'' Fisher said. "I don't plan on making any changes in the lineup right now, but also we are very close. If things don't change in a few other areas, we will.''
Fisher refused to mention players by name, with the exception of fifth-year safety Lamont Thompson.
Fisher criticized Thompson for his failure to make tackles in last Sunday's 13-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, pointing out one play in particular.
On a third-and-5 from the Tennessee 45 late in the first half, Thompson missed a chance to tackle Dolphins receiver Marty Booker, who had just caught a short pass. Booker raced for a 25-yard gain.
"He had several opportunities in the game,'' Fisher said. "Lamont has to go and make the tackle. That is the design of the defense and you have to make those plays.
"Obviously he has been put on notice along with the rest of the guys that weren't making those types of plays.''
Behind Thompson on the depth chart is second-year safety Vincent Fuller, followed by rookie Calvin Lowry, who was impressive on special teams against Miami.
Thompson declined comment after the loss to the Dolphins and was unavailable Monday during the open locker room period.
The struggles have not been limited to the defense, however. The offense is ranked 24th in the NFL and has yet to score a point in the first quarter.
Receivers haven't made game-turning plays, but part of the blame for that goes to struggling quarterback Kerry Collins, who showed some improvement against the Dolphins.
Fisher said Collins will start against the Cowboys and isn't one of the players on notice. Others, he said, need to step up.
"You get a guy in a situation to make a play, he has to make the play, and if it happens again then you have to find someone else to make that play,'' Fisher said. "It is pretty simple."
At least one Titan, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, said he was happy to hear Fisher talk about potential lineup changes.
"That would be good, because that means we are trying to win, that we are not sitting back and just taking it,'' he said.
Haynesworth said he spoke with linebacker Keith Bulluck after the Miami game about how things had changed since they joined the team. Haynesworth was a first-round pick in 2002 and Bulluck was a first-rounder in 2000.
"Everybody doesn't have a secure job if they aren't playing hard. It is competition. That is why, I guess, Billy (Volek) left — it was the competition," Haynesworth said, referring to the recent trade of Volek, a longtime backup quarterback.
"I think (some players) get the starting job by default, because you were a first-round draft pick or second round or whatever. … When I came in I didn't start and I was a first-round pick. My jersey wasn't in the stores or anything like that.
"We had a whole lot bigger guys than I was out here, big-name guys. You had to earn your way into it, and now you see the draft picks and they are almost automatically going to get to start.''
Fisher said he hopes his players won't force him into making changes because of shoddy play. Guard Benji Olson, a Titan/Oiler since 1998, said the Titans just need to improve, and that lineup changes could potentially lead to more problems.
"It would be good motivation for some guys to know that their job might not be secure. Maybe they'll start doing better, whatever,'' Olson said. "But there's good things with that and bad things. You want a guy to be in there the whole time and get consistent and get a feel for things, but we'll see what happens.'' •
Reach Jim Wyatt at 615-259-8015 or jwyatt@tennessean.com
LINK
Thompson, others put 'on notice'
Fisher: Improve or you won't start
By JIM WYATT
Staff Writer
Tired of watching his team repeat the same mistakes, Titans Coach Jeff Fisher said Monday he's put several players "on notice" and warned that lineup changes are possible.
If the Titans fall to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at LP Field to go to 0-4, it will be the franchise's longest losing streak to start a season since 1984.
"We are looking for playmakers, and when the plays aren't being made we are going to go other directions,'' Fisher said. "I don't plan on making any changes in the lineup right now, but also we are very close. If things don't change in a few other areas, we will.''
Fisher refused to mention players by name, with the exception of fifth-year safety Lamont Thompson.
Fisher criticized Thompson for his failure to make tackles in last Sunday's 13-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, pointing out one play in particular.
On a third-and-5 from the Tennessee 45 late in the first half, Thompson missed a chance to tackle Dolphins receiver Marty Booker, who had just caught a short pass. Booker raced for a 25-yard gain.
"He had several opportunities in the game,'' Fisher said. "Lamont has to go and make the tackle. That is the design of the defense and you have to make those plays.
"Obviously he has been put on notice along with the rest of the guys that weren't making those types of plays.''
Behind Thompson on the depth chart is second-year safety Vincent Fuller, followed by rookie Calvin Lowry, who was impressive on special teams against Miami.
Thompson declined comment after the loss to the Dolphins and was unavailable Monday during the open locker room period.
The struggles have not been limited to the defense, however. The offense is ranked 24th in the NFL and has yet to score a point in the first quarter.
Receivers haven't made game-turning plays, but part of the blame for that goes to struggling quarterback Kerry Collins, who showed some improvement against the Dolphins.
Fisher said Collins will start against the Cowboys and isn't one of the players on notice. Others, he said, need to step up.
"You get a guy in a situation to make a play, he has to make the play, and if it happens again then you have to find someone else to make that play,'' Fisher said. "It is pretty simple."
At least one Titan, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, said he was happy to hear Fisher talk about potential lineup changes.
"That would be good, because that means we are trying to win, that we are not sitting back and just taking it,'' he said.
Haynesworth said he spoke with linebacker Keith Bulluck after the Miami game about how things had changed since they joined the team. Haynesworth was a first-round pick in 2002 and Bulluck was a first-rounder in 2000.
"Everybody doesn't have a secure job if they aren't playing hard. It is competition. That is why, I guess, Billy (Volek) left — it was the competition," Haynesworth said, referring to the recent trade of Volek, a longtime backup quarterback.
"I think (some players) get the starting job by default, because you were a first-round draft pick or second round or whatever. … When I came in I didn't start and I was a first-round pick. My jersey wasn't in the stores or anything like that.
"We had a whole lot bigger guys than I was out here, big-name guys. You had to earn your way into it, and now you see the draft picks and they are almost automatically going to get to start.''
Fisher said he hopes his players won't force him into making changes because of shoddy play. Guard Benji Olson, a Titan/Oiler since 1998, said the Titans just need to improve, and that lineup changes could potentially lead to more problems.
"It would be good motivation for some guys to know that their job might not be secure. Maybe they'll start doing better, whatever,'' Olson said. "But there's good things with that and bad things. You want a guy to be in there the whole time and get consistent and get a feel for things, but we'll see what happens.'' •
Reach Jim Wyatt at 615-259-8015 or jwyatt@tennessean.com
LINK