Titans plan to start rookie Zach Mettenberger at QB this week

The Tennessee Titans, with nothing to lose in a season headed south in a hurry, plan to start rookie Zach Mettenberger at quarterback this Sunday, according to the Tennessean.

Jake Locker has been banged up and Charlie Whitehurst has played like Charlie Whitehurst in his absence, so the Titans will apparently turn to their sixth-round pick this week against the Texans. Mettenberger isn't a typical sixth-round pick, as character concerns and a torn ACL last season with LSU caused a draft drop. He looked just fine in the preseason, leading the NFL with 659 passing yards and looking very comfortable in the pocket.

The Tennessean said Mettenberger was not in the locker room after practice on Wednesday, Locker was off limits to reporters and Whitehurst was told to not talk to the media. The report said indications are Mettenberger was told of the decision on Tuesday night.

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The Titans have lost five of six, with the only win coming against Jacksonville, and some of the losses have been terrible. Mettenberger is unlikely to turn around the Titans' season. But it's a chance for the Titans to see what they have in him. It might also indicate that the team is preparing to move on without Locker, a former first-round pick who has rarely been healthy in his Titans career.

Mettenberger looked sharp in the preseason. We can see now if that was a product of facing third-string defenses that rarely blitz, or a sign of a new era starting in Tennessee.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab