For their Week 6 game in New England, the Tennessee Titans continued the NFL's 50th anniversary celebration of the eight original American Football League teams by wearing their throwback road uniforms.  But even if it was the 1984 Houston Oilers (who began 0-10) that they chose to honor, they still may have went a little overboard.

59-0 was the final.  The most lopsided shutout loss in Oilers (and Titans) history and tied for any game since the AFL-NFL merged in 1970.  The 45-0 halftime lead was also the largest in league history. 

For Tom Brady, the five 2nd Quarter TD passes are the most anyone has thrown in a quarter since 1950.  For either the Boston Patriots or the New England Patriots, the 59 points scored and 619 total yards were both franchise records.

In the aftermath of a loss so humiliating, certainly many in the Titans organization were both saying and hearing many four-letter words today.  But none hurts worse than QUIT.

After watching the Boston massacre Sunday and with over 300 miles to travel Monday (almost as many yards as Brady put up on the Titans defense), I thought about when was the last time I saw an NFL team beaten so badly. Not just any pro football team, but one who thought they had a winning swagger and too much talent to be embarrassed in such way.

The best I could come up with was the 1999 Miami Dolphins.  Dan Marino was their quarterback and Jimmy Johnson their coach when they traveled to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoffs on January, 15, 2000.  (Side Note: Jacksonville finished 14-2 that season and lost in the AFC Championship game.  All three losses were to Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans.)  With almost 2 minutes remaining still in the first half, the Jaguars led the Dolphins 41-0.  The final score was 62-7.

Dan Marino would never play again and Jimmy Johnson has never coached since.

 I'm sure Jimmy would appreciate me remembering

For the Titans, the same dismantling needs to take place and when their owner, Bud Adams, said after the game that he wouldn't fire Jeff Fisher or his staff during the season, he did say he'd evaluate the positions following 2009.  Adams also said he wants Vince Young (who, after being selected to be the future of the franchise in 2006, is heading into the final year of his contract) at quarterback and not veteran Kerry Collins.

Whether or not the Titans players quit during the 59-0 loss in New England, the perception is that they did.  Just like it's a perception that makes some inaccurately label Jeff Fisher's head coaching career as a success.

In his 16th season, Fisher is currently the longest tenured coach in the NFL.  But that longevity is more due to the loyalty of the team's ownership than a virtue of Fisher's success.  In the volatile world of NFL coaching, most aren't allowed 6 years to produce their first winning season or survive through 5-11, 4-12 and 8-8 droughts 5 years removed from the team's only Super Bowl appearance.

Supporters will mention that 1999 Super Bowl team and Fisher's 6 playoff appearances as stripes on his coaching resume, but my math sees it as more, well, average.

Number of teams in the AFC - 16
Playoff teams each season- 6 (about 38%)
Super Bowl teams each season - 1

Number of Jeff Fisher coached seasons - 16
Playoff appearances - 6 (about 38%)
Super Bowl teams - 1

Very average, one might add.