Titans’ “us against the world” rallying cry is ridiculous
Senior NFL Writers Terez Paylor & Charles Robinson discuss how the Titans’ decision to use the criticism they’ve garnered for their COVID-19 outbreak into a motivational tactic for their season, does not sit well with them or the majority of the NFL. Hear the full conversation on the Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
TEREZ PAYLOR: I thought our Dan Wetzel covered this pretty good. Taylor Lewan, after the game, said, quote, they hate it. They're angry at us, he shouted as they walked off the field. They felt we did everything wrong. Don't put us in adversity.
CHARLES ROBINSON: OK.
TEREZ PAYLOR: I mean, you guys put yourselves in adversity.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Yeah. What a--
[LAUGHTER]
Let me tell you something.
TEREZ PAYLOR: That was unbelievable.
CHARLES ROBINSON: No, that's not unbelievable. It's horse [BLEEP]. I mean, it is. Like, come on, man. It's completely ridiculous. Like, when I saw it-- well, OK. Now, first off, let me say something. Taylor Lewan runs his mouth. Like, that's what he does. He loves to run his mouth. He's a chippy guy. He loves to chirp. And everybody knows that. He's got a history of that. But this idea of you're bastardizing this whole they don't believe in us crap. And saying, like, oh, it's someone else's fault that we were in this position. It's someone else's fault that, you know, people are upset we broke our own protocols. And, oh, by the way, it was your rules you broke. It was your rules.
TEREZ PAYLOR: Yeah.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Those facility rules, also, are implemented by your frickin' facility. So just stop it already.
TEREZ PAYLOR: Well, Tannehill also mentioned, like, I didn't quite understand why we were under such heat. I think this speaks to the fact that NFL teams would do anything they can to create the us against the world mentality, man. And I actually disagree with you. It is unbelievable. Because, I mean, it can be horse [BLEEP] and unbelievable at the same time. Because I honestly didn't think it would be totally possible to, like, kind of spin it that way. But they found a way to do it. And, here's, you know, yeah, people are mad. Yeah, people were mad. Because, you know, because of this, this cost teams bye weeks. Like, there's, like, far-reaching implications of it. Like, yep, teams are mad. And you better not do it again. Because now this stuff is in writing now, about possible punishments.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right.
TEREZ PAYLOR: Like, this in writing now, about possible punishments. So, you know, say whatever you need to say to get the win, man. But there better be an understanding that what just happened there can't happen again.
CHARLES ROBINSON: I'm just saying, if I was the Steelers--
TEREZ PAYLOR: Oh, yeah.
CHARLES ROBINSON: I'd be giving up a big F-you today. You know? I'd be like, really, bro? OK. We prepped for a game that didn't happen.
TEREZ PAYLOR: And we lost our bye week. Thanks.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Yeah. That was our bye week, prepping for you. Awesome. Thanks. Really appreciate it. And, frankly, I'm going to tell you right now, I just hope the Steelers, if and when the opportunity arises, I just hope-- I hope they have a chance to put it on them. Because, straight up, like, I'm going to sit here and I'm going to tell you, like, if I was the Steelers, that is the team I would want to see. I'd be like, let me see you. I want to see you, because I have some business with you.
TEREZ PAYLOR: You know, it's interesting, too. Because, like, they've talked a little bit about how, like, unhappy they are about losing that bye week, you know. Like, JuJu Smith-Schuster, to me-- like, Ben kind of mentioned it. Like, yeah, I think that's something they're going to remember. Because one thing those players do appreciate and covet are those bye weeks. And the Steelers kind of had those taken from them.
