Jeff Fisher

With the recent news of Todd Haley being relieved of his head coaching duties today by the Kansas City Chiefs, there are now a lot of question marks that surround the organization.

Haley was abruptly fired after his team got blown out 37-10 by the Jets on Sunday. He ended up going 19-27 in his two-plus seasons as the head man in Kansas City.

However, that is old news now.

It's time to look ahead to the future, and right now that deals with finding a suitable replacement for this team.

Many potential candidates have been discussed in regards to the Chiefs' vacant head coach spot, but I see one name that makes a lot more sense than many of the others.

That name is Jeff Fisher.

That's right, I'm referring the former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans head coach that was let go last season after serving as the head coach of the organization for 16 years.

One big thing that Fisher provides that many other other possible candidates do not is NFL head coaching experience.

Not only that, but he has taken a team to the Super Bowl before.

The Chiefs franchise hasn't seen one of those since the late Hank Stram led KC to a thrilling Super Bowl victory over the Minnesota Vikings back in 1970.

Fisher is also a proven winner as well, taking six of his teams to the playoffs, and winning five total playoff games during his time with the Titans.

He's also compiled a record of 142-120 as head coach, which is clearly over .500 as well.

Most of all, Fisher is the right man for this job because of his personality.

He's a guy that will have fun with his players, but also knows when to be serious as well.

This was clearly something that was missing with Haley in his time with the team.

It's now time for general manager Scott Pioli to do the right thing and hire Jeff Fisher this offseason if he wants to get this franchise moving in the right direction once again.

It was just three seasons ago that the Tennessee Titans were coasting through the regular season, posting a 12-2 record before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.

Tennessee was playing with poise and confidence as they matched up against the Steelers at LP Field December 21, 2008.

Midway through the third quarter, with the Titans down 14-10, Chris Johnson took a pitch to the left on 4th-and-inches inside the red zone. Johnson took the ball through the Steelers defense, proceeded to pull a white towel from his belt and waived it around his head as he stepped into the end zone. The disrespect didn’t stop there, as the clock was running down in the fourth quarter and the Titans up 31-14, standout players Keith Bulluck, LenDale White, and Jevon Kearse stomped the infamous Terrible Towel as they celebrated another victory.

Tennessee had no worries entering the last week of the season with the No. 1 record in the AFC and a stone-cold grip around the AFC South title.

The Curse of the Terrible Towel would begin to present itself.

Tennessee benched most of their starters for the last game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts and lost 23-0. The Titans proceeded to lose their divisional playoffs match in heartbreaking fashion, as the Baltimore Ravens won 13-10 and Chris Johnson was injured before the half.

Tennessee would drop the first six games of the 2009 season, before LenDale White and Keith Bulluck autographed a Terrible Towel and mailed it to a Pittsburgh charity. The Titans won their next five straight, finished the season 8-8, but missed the playoffs.

The 2010 season would prove even worse, as the Titans cohesive atmosphere collapsed to the tune of a 6-10 finish.

Since that fateful day in 2008, the players involved in the stomping—Bulluck, White, and Kearse—have either retired or been released from their respective teams. In the 2010 offseason the longest tenured coach in the league, Jeff Fisher, would be fired and the face of the franchise, Vince Young, was released.

It should be no surprise that under new leadership, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and head coach Mike Munchak, the Titans have succeeded past anyone’s expectations.

So this Sunday, if Tennessee is able to beat the Steelers for the first time since 2008, they should remember how the Curse of the Terrible Towel has altered the course of their franchise and take my advice.

Stay away.

When people think of the Tennessee Titans, the first name that comes to mind is Chris Johnson.

Beyond that, the only common players are names of the past in Albert Haynesworth, Vince Young and Eddie George. 

But the Titans of today have silently assembled a strong team, a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

With the acquisition of Matt Hasselbeck to accompany a mediocre receiving core and a premier running back, Tennessee’s offense might finally have what it takes to break through. 

The team’s defensive schemes have always worked, and it’s not unusual to see the Titans among the NFL’s top defensive teams. But since their Superbowl appearance at the start of the decade, the team has lacked one thing, a consistent quarterback. 

Now, with a veteran at the helm, the Titans are looking to right the ship and get back to the big game.

First, though, they’ll have to make the playoffs. 

With the AFC South in shambles (Peyton Manning’s plaguing injuries, Jacksonville’s quarterback situation, and Houston’s horrid defensive unit), Tennessee is primed to make their first playoff appearance in two years, when they had the number one overall seed in the AFC before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. 

But who was their quarterback? 

While Kerry Collins is a veteran, his statistics are nowhere near to those of Hasselbeck. 

With a Superbowl appearance under his belt, Seattle’s main man put up strong, consistent numbers on a lowly offense.

He played in the NFC West, which is known for its lackluster offensive talent and strong defensive rosters—it’s not easy for any quarterback to succeed in that division; in the past decade, only Kurt Warner (playing for the Rams at one point and the Cardinals at another) has put up better numbers in the division than Hasselbeck.  

His frequent injuries can be accredited to a poor offensive line, but the truth is, Hasselbeck’s best years came when he played with an elite running back. 

Shaun Alexander, during his three year span of dominance, was the leading force of the offense; Hasselbeck just kept the ball moving when he had to, and took the back seat to the real star.  

In Tennessee, the veteran will have another opportunity to do just that.

Running back Chris Johnson is on the verge of history, if he continues to put up similarly outstanding numbers.

No, Matt Hasselbeck won’t be an MVP; he won’t even be a Pro-Bowler. He won't be as significant as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Brett Favre.

But he can bring the Titans out of the basement and into the light of day. He can make a contender out of this team.