Titans name Locker starting quarterback
The Tennessee Titans had hoped that Jake Locker would make the decision easy for them, but when that didn't happen based on onfield performance, the Titans made the difficult call to unseat veteran Matt Hasselbeck and had the keys to the offense to Locker.
The Titans open the regular season Sept. 9 against the New England Patriots.
Locker was the Titans' first-round pick in 2011 and showed flashes of play-making ability -- including mobility and a strong arm on the move -- that drew the team to the four-year starter out of University of Washington. He did so as Hasselbeck's backup last season, but both players figured Locker's time was coming.
He missed a chance to nail down the job last week in a 30-7 preseason win over the Buccaneers; Locker was just 4 of 11 for 21 yards and had a bad overthrow for an interception that led to the Bucs' only points of the game. Despite his struggles, Titans coach Mike Munchak insisted that Locker was still in the thick of the quarterback battle with Hasselbeck to determine who will start for Tennessee.
"I wouldn't say he hurt his chances at all. Would you rather it been a different outcome? Both quarterbacks, I wish they were different last night," Munchak said. "Matt didn't get much of a chance; I think he had like 15 snaps or something. But both games, I think we haven't moved the ball the way we hoped we would."
Locker, who is 11 of 24 for 101 yards in the preseason, was critical of his play against the Bucs.
"We weren't as crisp as we wanted to be in the passing game. I think we can clean up some of those things, but I thought the running game was really good tonight and picked us up. We've been working hard on that," Locker said.
Locker will likely play well into the third quarter with the first-team offense in this week's nationally televised (ESPN) game against Arizona on Aug. 23. The team made no official announcement Monday, and of course reserves the right to change its mind if necessary.
"We have two more weeks to see plenty. When we feel we are at that point, we will make our announcement when the time is right," Munchak said.
