Titans are best underdog in NFL under Mike Vrabel

 

Shaun Calderon 

September 18, 2023 7:00 am ET

If there’s one thing that the Tennessee Titans’ fanbase is used to by now, it’s the constant disrespect from outsiders that comes with supporting this franchise.

It’s not exactly hyperbole to say that the Titans are one of the most disrespected and overlooked teams in the NFL on a yearly basis.

Whether it’s the ridiculous narratives that are constantly thrown around about them throughout the offseason or the never-ending doubt people have in their potential, it seems like the Titans always have something to prove.

Truth be told, that’s the perfect spot for Tennessee, a team that historically thrives under head coach Mike Vrabel when viewed as an underdog.

In fact, ever since Vrabel took over as head coach in 2018, the Titans have won a league-best 23 games as an underdog based on the betting odds, according to ESPN.

https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/1703515230796480515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1703515230796480515%7Ctwgr%5E3cf33cea084572ce5a7bce3d2e1f4e49710081ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftitanswire.usatoday.com%2F2023%2F09%2F18%2Ftitans-are-best-underdog-in-nfl-under-mike-vrabel%2F

Win No. 23 came on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, a game in which the Titans were home dogs by 2.5 points.

Vrabel and Co. aren’t perfect by any means, but the Titans are undoubtedly a gritty team that is capable of rising to the occasion and standing toe-to-toe with anybody on any given Sunday.

The Vrabel-led Titans are good at dragging even the toughest opponents into four-quarter fist fights, and more often than not those matchups are going to go Tennessee’s way.

A lot of outsiders think the Titans overachieve when they win games as an underdog. In reality, it’s really a sign of their ignorance about the team.

Only time will tell whether or not this 2023 squad will be a legitimate Super Bowl contender, or even as good as any of the three playoff teams prior to 2022.

But one thing is for sure: the Titans aren’t going to back down from anyone as long as Vrabel is in charge.

NFL Week 1: PFF Team of the Week

 

By Gordon McGuinness | Sep 11, 2023

QB: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
RB: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
WR: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
WR: Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
TE: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Flex: WR Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams
LT: Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers
LG: John Simpson, Baltimore Ravens
C: Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
RG: Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
RT: Brian O’Neill, Minnesota Vikings

EDGE: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
EDGE: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
DI: DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
DI: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
LB: Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts
LB: Quay Walker, Green Bay Packers
CB: Stephon Gilmore, Dallas Cowboys
CB: Tyson Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars
S: Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons
S: Grant Delpit, Cleveland Browns
Flex: CB Tavierre Thomas, Houston Texans

K: Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills
P: Bradley Pinion, Atlanta Falcons
K/PR: Xavier Gipson, New York Jets
ST: Jarran Reed, Seattle Seahawks

College coaches’ million-dollar buyouts: Revealing the unparalleled power shift in sports’ lucrative realm

 

By Michael Calabrese Stacker | Updated September 13, 2023 1:01 PM

Roughly half of all U.S. employers utilize non-competes in their contracts, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute in 2019. These companies want to exert a level of control over their employees, preventing them from "sharing confidential information or trade secrets." But another major benefit for companies is that non-competes limit employee bargaining power and suppress wages. The New York Times estimated that non-competes "suppress American workers' income by roughly 3 percent to 4 percent, or $250 billion to $296 billion."

It's rare for talent to turn the tables on employers, but in college football and college sports in general, that is precisely what has happened for coaches. OLBG explores how lucrative buyout agreements have granted coaches near-uncancellable contracts and reshaped the landscape of college sports. In the past twenty years, more and more men's college basketball and college football coaches have successfully negotiated multimillion-dollar buyouts in their contracts. Notre Dame's Charlie Weis was paid "to go away," after an unsuccessful tenure in South Bend, Indiana, 15 years ago. He was paid just shy of $19 million between 2009, when he was fired, and 2017. While his buyout made waves in 2009, it's considered buy-out pocket change for universities in 2023.

So which coaches are virtually "unfireable" today due to their buy-out clauses? Let's look at what coaches would make if they were fired today.

Two quick notes: This assumes no one on our list is fired for cause. That could get a college or university off the hook, monetarily speaking. And the second note is that this list comprises coaches from public universities only. Their contracts are publicly available, while private institutions are under no obligation to share contractual information. USC's Lincoln Riley may well have a buyout of over $90 million based on his current compensation that has been made public, but we do not have access to his buyout stipulation.

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia, Head Football Coach ($103.1 million buyout)

You can't buy the kind of job security that Kirby Smart has right now in Athens, Georgia. Smart has led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships. As a reward, his ten-year $112.5 million deal is fully guaranteed through 2026. His deal drops from 100% guaranteed to 85% on Jan. 1st, 2027, and would be paid out at that level through the end of the contract. Luckily, the UGA athletic department won't have to entertain the thought of firing their legendary head coach. The same can't be said for other employers on this list with massive contracts hanging like albatrosses around their necks.

2. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M, Head Football Coach ($86.7 million buyout)

The Aggies take their football seriously, so it is no surprise that they pay their head football coach handsomely. Fisher's most recent extension agreed to pay him $94.95 million over a ten-year period starting in 2022. It made sense when the Texas A&M Board of Regents voted to extend Fisher. He was coming off a 9-1 season with an Orange Bowl victory. But since then, Fisher and the Aggies are 13-11 with a losing record (6-10) in SEC play. Last fall's 5-7 mark would have gotten a lot of coaches fired, but not Fisher. His massive buyout ($86m) prevented an ouster at the time. While it has come down by another $9 million, it remains astronomical and would be the largest ever paid if A&M gave Fisher the boot following the season.

3. Mel Tucker, Michigan State, Head Football Coach ($86.6 million buyout)

Tucker's contract is fully guaranteed, according to documentation obtained by Boardroom.TV. Tucker's agent, Neil Cornrich, deserves a raise. Despite an 18-14 overall record, which includes two losing seasons in East Lansing, Tucker is entrenched as one of the sport's highest-paid coaches. He has a losing record in the Big Ten since taking over the Michigan State program, but if the school wants to move on from him, they'd have to pay his enormous buyout. Neil Cornrich 1, Michigan State 0.

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This story was produced by OLBG and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.

© Stacker Media, LLC.

This story was originally published September 13, 2023, 7:30 AM.