Pees Predicts Titans Play-Calling Plans

Former defensive coordinator believes head coach Mike Vrabel will be the one who has the say-so for the defense on game days.

The Tennessee Titans may not have many uncertainties on their roster, but they have one on their coaching staff.

As training camp approaches, coach Mike Vrabel has yet to decide who will call the plays on defense. Vrabel and assistants Shane Bowen, Anthony Midget and newly hired Jim Haslett have all been asked the question in recent weeks. None gave clear-cut answers.

Vrabel did say last week that Bowen will be the lead voice in meetings when the head coach is elsewhere but added that he has not decided who will call the signals during games. There is no one on the staff who has the title ‘defensive coordinator.’

The former man in charge of the defense, however, made a pretty educated guess. In an appearance on The Midday 180, Dean Pees told Paul Kuharsky and Jonathan Hutton that he believes Vrabel will call plays for the defense.

According to Pees, Vrabel has at least some experience making calls for the defense. Over the last two seasons, Vrabel jumped in and provided input every so often.

“I think a lot of times, he’s managing the game,” Pees, who retired in January after two seasons with the Titans, said. “I don’t know if a lot of people know, but the head coach has a headset that he can click from the offense to the defense to the special teams. He can click over to everybody.

“He may be telling [offensive coordinator] Arthur [Smith], ‘Hey this is four-down territory, we may go for it for four downs,’ saying ‘Hey they are in four-down territory.’ A lot of times what Mike would do is remind you of things. ‘Hey, remember now, their field-goal kicker has a good leg here,’ or ‘he doesn’t kick so well going this direction.’”

Vrabel spent one season (2017) as the Houston Texans’ defensive coordinator. Before that, he spent three seasons (2014-2016) as the Texans linebackers coach. Injuries created inconsistency during Vrabel’s lone season as coordinator, but he still got much out of his players. That season, the Texans defense tallied 32 sacks without a healthy J.J. Watt, and Jadeveon Clowney had a career-high 9 1/2 en route to his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.

Pees said Titans fans should have the utmost confidence in Vrabel’s ability to call the shots.

“Look, Mike is a very, very smart guy,” Pees said. “He’s going to do whatever needs to be done which is the best for the team and the best chance for success. And if he feels he can’t, he won't, if he feels he can, he will.”

While Pees believes Vrabel will be the man in charge, he said there are many reasons to believe in Bowen, who followed Vrabel to Tennessee to become outside linebackers coach in 2018.

“A very, very sharp and upcoming coach,” he said. “He is going to have a bright future in this profession. He is a very hard worker who is a very loyal guy, he is very, very football intelligent. He really relates to the players well, they love him. He has a very, very bright future.”

Vrabel seems to agree.

“I trust our staff on all levels,’ he said last week. “If I for whatever reason am not in the defensive meeting room while the entire defense is meeting, (Bowen) would be the one that would probably be talking to them along with some other coaches if we were making presentations on ball disruption or third down.”