NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mike Vrabel said he didn’t realize how big a deal it would be not to give the defensive coordinator title to Shane Bowen. He and the Titans will review that and everything about the staff now that the season is over.
Vrabel listed all the defensive duties Bowen held in 2020, but then stumbled around when I asked why, if the outside linebackers coach was worthy of all those responsibilities, he was not worthy of the title.
The lack of the title created a constant media and fan debate that had a brilliant side effect – one I can’t imagine Vrabel planned for but that he certainly benefitted from.
His defensive staff floated through the season with very little scrutiny.
The personnel they worked with was insufficient in many cases, but few players developed and improved based on the work of the coaches they spent the most time with.
In his third year, Rashaan Evans too often flew to the wrong gap and failed in coverage. He had the mentality that he was an officiating target not because he was undisciplined or mistake-prone, but because he foolishly threw a punch and got ejected from the opener in Denver.
First and foremost, that’s on the player.