by Chad Hollingsworth
Love of NFL Correspondent

If anyone were to tell me before the season, that the Tennessee Titans would be the proud owners of a 10-0 record after Week 11, I would’ve wondered three things:

1) Did they get Doc Brown to go back in time and get the 2003 version of Steve McNair?

2) Did Jeff Fisher reveal that he had collected DNA samples from his 1985 Chicago Bears teammates, cloned them, and kicked everyone off the team except for Albert Haynesworth?

3) Did Vince Young turn his career around?

Of all these scenarios, the third one is obviously most likely. However, I would’ve been proven wrong after Week One of the 2008 NFL season.

After being booed for ineffectiveness and hobbling off the field with an injured knee, NFL fans heard rumors of Young’s off-the-field stories. Without rehashing the details, it’s fair to say that the guy needed some psychological help.

Instead of focusing on their starting quarterback’s drama and injury, the team turned the corner with Kerry Collins at the helm. Since then, the team has used its solid running game and stout defense to carry them to 10 straight victories.

Collins also has been impressive, especially in the past two weeks. In matchups against the Bears and Jaguars (both games on the road), Collins threw for five touchdowns and bailed out the Titans in two closely contested games. The vote of confidence in mid-September when Fisher announced Collins as the team’s starter for the remainder of the season had to help as well.

In the meantime, Young’s presence on the sidelines has been, for the most part, aloof. When Collins comes off the field after each possession or score, the coaches speak with Collins about plays or photos of the opposing defense.

Young, however, stands several feet away seemingly disconnected from the situation. It’s almost like he’s unaware that he’s at a football game, let alone the guy who will be under center should anything happen to Collins.

The crazy part is, third string quarterback Chris Simms is more involved than Young at this point. When Collins confers with Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, Simms is usually hovering around the conversation trying to pick up any tips or pieces of advice.

Whatever advice is being offered to Young obviously isn’t being processed. He actively practices with the second team offense and takes the field for pre-game warm-ups. After the kickoff, though, his facial expression looks similar to Charlie Watts’ mug when he drums for the Stones. Bored, nonchalant, maybe even uninterested could sum up the expression on Young’s face.

It’s obvious that Young isn’t happy with his role on the team this season, but he didn’t get a chance to learn the ropes in his first NFL season. Quarterbacks like Carson Palmer, Brady Quinn, and Jason Campbell all got this luxury. Not everyone can be Matt Ryan, right?

Young came close though. He had a modestly successful rookie year passing for 12 touchdowns and rushing for seven more. However, he regressed in his 2007 season, which led to the current quarterback situation in Tennessee. One would think that Young would take advantage of this situation with less pressure on him and use it to learn more about how the Titans’ offense can be run more effectively. After all, for the time being, he’s still the future of the franchise.

It wasn’t that long ago when Young engineered a national championship victory for the Texas Longhorns, arguably one of the most entertaining college football games this decade.

This isn’t college anymore, though, and he can’t help his current situation unless he acts more professional.