Sep 21, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker (10) is sacked by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard (21) at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 33-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Robert Griffin III has gotten unrelenting attention for his repeated injuries and the lack of development, or even regression, that follows such injuries, but is Jake Locker any different? The blunt reality is he is not. 2014 is Locker’s fourth year in the NFL, and not once has he played more than 11 games in a season. In the three seasons prior to 2014, Locker had played in 23 of 48 games, and only started in 18 of those 23 games.
Locker seems to be his own worst enemy in the sense that his physical health is the biggest factor as to why he did not progress for three years, as well as why he has shown obvious decline in 2014. Locker did not play in the Titans week four game because of a wrist injury, but it is not as if his presence was much of a help to the team. Through the first three weeks of the season, Locker was subpar and had shown regression in his awareness and ball placement.
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Whereas Locker’s pocket presence in 2013 was at least adequate, Locker has mightily struggled there in 2014. Not only does he look less aware of rushers and where the open areas of the pocket are, he is also more skittish when rushers are in his face. More often than not, he will “jump fade” away from pressure and make a lazy throw, which rarely ends well. Nothing has been seen from Locker this year to suggest that he is confident or capable in the pocket.
Likewise, Locker’s accuracy has fallen off. His accuracy was already shaky, especially when going deep, but this year, it has looked noticeably worse. High, wide, low; Locker is missing in every way imaginable and it is for no reason other than him simply not having the ability to be accurate anymore. His form and footwork are typically sound, yet he still misfires.
More so than anything, the worst repercussion of Locker’s decline is the effect it has had on not the offense’s efficiency as a whole (that is an obvious issue), but the effect it has had on the perceptions of Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. Wright is one of the best route runners in the league and a threat after the catch, but Locker has struggled to identify him and create situations for him to excel in space. Although Hunter is a different beast, he also looks worse than he is. Hunter is a large, daunting receiver that thrives off of beating corners deep down the field, but Locker under throws him on most occasions.
Just as his physical attributes have seemed to worsen, Locker’s mental ability, which was never more than average to begin with, has also regressed. Instead of getting through his reads, Locker tends to bypass shorter throws for the long bomb. It is odd that he chooses to do so because, as emphasized, he tends to miss most of his deep shots. It may be Locker overcompensating for thinking he has to make “big” plays in order to keep his job, or it may be him struggling to mentally keep up with the offense after spending more time off the field. Either way, it is unacceptable.
Through the three weeks he played (as well as the one he did not), Locker has painted an ugly picture of himself. He has deteriorated physically, and is now struggling to keep up mentally. it is tough to accept, but the former first round pick is a lost cause. Although, with 12 games left to play, what do they do? If public image is their concern, the Titans continue to play Locker and try to fill his position in the off-season. If they accept that the season is lost because they do not have a definite answer at quarterback, the staff could give Zach Mettenberger the keys and see what their fourth round pick is capable of.
Of course, Mettenberger is not necessarily the answer, but at the least, he may prove to be somewhat more competent than Locker and allow the Titans to win a few more games. Ultimately, the goal should be to give up on the injury prone, deteriorating quarterback that is Jake Locker.