Worse, there were too many mistakes. Young had nearly twice as many interceptions (17) as touchdown passes (9), and he attempted only 382 passes. He also fumbled 10 times.
That won't cut it, and the Titans should understand by now. The team is built around an effective running game, an accurate kicker and an aggressive, physical, ballhawking defense. The Titans lead the league in takeaways and haven't had an opponent score more than 17 points in any of their last eight games.
So they don't need a Peyton Manning at quarterback. But they can't afford a Vince Young, either, not if he's going to continue to commit silly mistakes.
And that's why Collins is the perfect fit. One coach I know compared him to Trent Dilfer with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, a quarterback who was told not to take unnecessary risks and to rely, instead, on the league's stingiest defense to bail the team out of trouble.
Dilfer complied, and the Ravens won a Super Bowl.
That's not to say Tennessee is going to the Super Bowl, but it's not out of the question. Not now, it's not. The Titans are the most complete team in the AFC at the moment, with Collins solidifying what had been an unstable position.
So he's not mobile. Big deal. He doesn't commit fatal errors -- or, as one assistant put it, "He doesn't make bad plays worse." Through four games he has one interception, one sack and no lost fumbles. Through the first four games of 2007 Young had five interceptions and four sacks.
There's a lesson there, and it's one Young would be wise to heed. Vince Young is younger, more mobile and more talented than the 35-year-old Kerry Collins, but Collins is more accurate, more sensible and more secure with the football.
Which means he is the better fit for Tennessee.
"Over the years, I learned that taking care of the ball is of the upmost importance," Collins said. "Certainly, I feel with our defense that if I don't give (the ball) away it is going to keep us in a lot of ballgames.
"Now, there comes a time when you have to make plays and try to fit it in there, but, at the same time, you try to be smart with the ball. After 150-some starts, hopefully I learned a few things and learned to be smart with the ball.
"Experience plays a big part in it, and after making mistakes through my career I learned from them. As I said, I just want to have a plan on every play and make good, smart decisions."
So far, so good. The smartest decision for Tennessee now is to keep Kerry Collins in the lineup and hope Vince Young understands why.
