Did Titans' Mike Vrabel make smartest play call of season?

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel looks on from the sidelines during the second half against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Did Titans' Mike Vrabel make one of the smartest play calls of season vs. Texans?

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 10/19/20

The Tennessee Titans remain undefeated after beating the Houston Texans 42-36 in overtime. As things came down to the wire in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel made one of the best play calls this season in order to manage the clock more efficiently.

With a little over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Texans had a 2nd-and-1 and their odds of converting were high. Vrabel recognized this and purposely put 12 players on the field in order to stop the clock and not burn any of his timeouts with the Titans down 30-29 at the time.

That extra time ended up being used to score a touchdown with four seconds remaining in the quarter, which tied the game and sent it to overtime.

Amazing job by Mike Vrabel. Put 12 men on the field on purpose, gets the penalty, stops the clock. Saves roughly 40 seconds. Uses that extra time to score a TD to tie the game with 0:04 on the clock. So damn smart. I was calling the game and didn’t pick up on it. Saved the game. https://t.co/FGPFprhfA0
— Chad Brown (@chadbrown94) October 19, 2020

This move makes Vrabel look like a genius, though it isn't necessarily surprising to see him make such a smart call. The 45-year-old played eight seasons for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, so he certainly learned a thing or two from his old boss.

In three seasons as head coach of the Titans, Vrabel has compiled a 23-14 record. In both 2018 and 2019, the Titans ended with 9-7 records. This season, it seems like they could put together their best record since 2013, when they went 13-3 under Jeff Fisher.

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