Titans QB decision for must-win Week 18 game should be easy for Mike Vrabel

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has declined to name a starting quarterback for his team's must-win Week 18 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the answer should be obvious. And you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see it.

Josh Dobbs, who has worked as an aerospace engineer with NASA, should start at QB when the Titans (7-9) play the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8) for the AFC South title. 

That might be a stunning sentence to read given that Dobbs was on the Detroit Lions practice squad a little more than a week ago. But the way he played in Thursday's 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys sure made it look like he gives the Titans the best chance to win.

With veteran starter Ryan Tannehill sidelined due to injury, rookie Malik Willis figured to be next in line. But the offense has been ineffective in Willis' first three starts, as he completed just 50 percent of his passes for 245 yards. He did not top the 100-yard mark in any of those starts. 

Dobbs, meanwhile, played Thursday night on a short week, against one of the league's best teams and surrounded by a preseason- caliber starting lineup, and threw for 232 yards and a touchdown. And that was while Tennessee's best and most important offensive player, superstar running back Derrick Henry, did not play, removing the threat of the running game.

Dobbs' numbers would have been better had the Titans wide receivers held on to a few catchable throws. 

Willis can still be the future in Tennessee, and he might even end up being a good quarterback. He has the tools. But when he was drafted this year, he was viewed as more of a long-term project who needed time before he was ready to be thrown into the starting role. His play so far this season has only confirmed that. 

Dobbs has little regular-season game experience, but he has been around the NFL for six years and showed Thursday that he has a feel for the NFL game and ability to make plays downfield. 

The Titans do not need him to play like a superstar or a long-term answer. They need him to be good for one game against Jacksonville.

With Henry and the rest of the Titans starters back in the lineup, he can give them that and help Tennessee snap a six-game losing streak and sneak into the playoffs.