–High-priced cornerback Malcolm Butler has been bad enough that he needed a vote of confidence from head coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday after giving up two touchdown passes to the Cowboys.
The Titans won, 28-14, but both Cowboys scores came because Butler, who signed a five-year, $61 million deal as a free agent in the offseason, twice lost his man in coverage.
“When you play man coverage, you have to look at your man. Malcolm (Butler) knows that, and we’ve talked about that, and we continue to practice it, we continue to coach it and we try to show it to him,” Vrabel said. “When he does that, it’s pretty good, it’s competitive. He challenges the receivers. When you look back at the quarterback, your man has a tendency to go in another direction.”
Vrabel was asked if Butler might be replaced in the lineup by third-year pro LeShaun Sims but said he will stick with Butler.
“I don’t think he’s as good as Malcolm (Butler), and the way he practices, and where I see him going. We’ll continue to evaluate that like we do all the positions on the roster. But, I don’t think that’s necessarily the case, not right now,” Vrabel said. “I think that if he had to go in, when Simsy (LeShaun Sims) has gone in for us, he’s done some good things, and there’s some things that he needs to continue to work on and practice. We like where (LeShaun) Sims is at, and we want him to continue to develop and be a leader on our special teams, and be able to help out at corner.”
Butler addressed his woes on Wednesday.
“I just have to play my game and be more disciplined and do the little things right. It’s the little things that are affecting me,” Butler said. “I’m trying to make plays when they’re not there, and I’ve got to be more disciplined.”
–Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota will face off against arguably the greatest quarterback of all time when Tom Brady visits Nashville. Mariota said he respects the way Brady plays and won’t dare compare his own game to the Patriots legend.
“I’d never compare. I think you get yourself into trouble. When you try to compare yourself amongst other players, you tend to try to be better than them instead of being the best that you can be,” Mariota said. “With that being said, you can always learn. I do my best in watching and seeing what I can emulate in my game. But I always stay away from the comparisons.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 5 – The number of touchdown passes for QB Marcus Mariota this season after two TD throws against Dallas Monday night. He also has five interceptions this year.
