By MIKE HERNDON, columnist
And just like that, the Mike Vrabel era in Tennessee is over. It was impossible to imagine this day just 14 months ago as Vrabel had his team sitting at 7-3, winners of 31 of their last 44 regular season contests, poised to win the AFC South for the third straight season.

Losing 18 of 24 can change hearts and minds quickly in the NFL. There is no doubt that Vrabel bears some responsibility for this losing stretch. Some of his staff decisions were uninspiring and he was probably guilty of crossing the line from loyal and patient to flat-out stubborn at times. His teams consistently were overly reliant on winning games in one specific way.