What do we think of Mike Mularkey and the "exotic smashmouth" offense now?

The Titans are 4-3, but I'd argue they are the least impressive team that's above .500 in the NFL, and one that is leaking oil on both sides of the ball. They are a good, but not dominant, rushing team, even though that's what they are supposedly set up to be, and they are a mess passing the ball and quite limited defensively. They are set up to have one of the premier offensive lines in the NFL, only they are a bit of a donut -- two stud tackles but a hole on the inside.

And, perhaps most intriguing of all, they are a team most top coaching candidates and out-of-work coaches or currently-otherwise employed former NFL head coaches are quietly rooting against each week. Because, despite Marcus Mariota's stalled ascension and despite some of their roster issues and despite the fact that their bevy of recent draft picks aren't exactly paying huge dividends, the allure of Nashville and the chance to coach Mariota and the ease with which the AFC South can be won any given year make this a prime destination for even some A List guys who believe the Titans are a giant in the making. That's even with ongoing questions about the long-term ownership situation.

Make no mistake, if the Titans decide that they actually want to spend real money for an accomplished head coach and actually prize bringing in a dynamic leader more at the vanguard of the modern offensive game and someone equipped to bring out the best in their potential franchise quarterback, they'll have no shortage of interested, overly-qualified candidates. And, after watching this team for nearly half a season, that's where this thing should be headed.

First off, as much as I am guilty of buying into the Titans hype train in the preseason (I picked them to win the division and they are currently the nominal leaders in the AFC South), let's all keep in mind that Mularkey is a mere 15-17 as head coach in Tennessee. That's even after a gift overtime win over the hapless Browns on Sunday. And he sports a career mark of 31-49 over six seasons, for a staggering losing percentage of .612, because that's a more apt way to portray his career. He has never been a master schemer or a difference maker with the headset.

His lust for the run game isn't exactly paying big dividends in Nashville, where the quarterback has been banged up and limited yet again, where the play calling isn't winning him any games, and where the offense hasn't exactly blossomed in the aftermath of the in-season firing of Ken Whisenhunt a few years back after Mariota first got banged up. And with Mariota hobbled again, and forced into more of a static pocket passer, well, consider me a skeptic that this offense is truly going to open up now.

While the Titans are a top-10 team in rushing yards per game and rushing yards per attempt, they aren't nearly as effective as they'd need to be to carry this team to any sort of January success. The defense remains more or less in tatters and the passing game exists on an occasional lark and big play here or there. And with tight end Delanie Walker, the fulcrum of the Titans passing game, on crutches after suffering what appeared to be a serious ankle injury, I'm doubtful this unit is going to pick up anytime soon, even if oft-injured (and potentially over-drafted) rookie receiver Corey Davis plays in the next few weeks. I don't think he'll be special now, and we'll see about down the line.

Problem is, the Titans rank in the bottom 10 in completions and yards per attempt and yards per completions and completions of 20 yards or more and third-down percentage and gross passing yards, and second-worst (behind only the Colts) with five passing touchdowns. It has been ugly, in a league of ugly passing games.

Taking Walker out for even a few weeks could be crushing -- he is the player with the best chemistry with Mariota, by far, and leads the team in yardage and is second in receptions. Rishard Matthews is the only regular pass catcher on the team averaging more than 10 yards per receptions (no one averages even 15 yards per catch). Eric Decker, the big offseason receiving addition, has all of 23 catches for 226 yards through seven games, and Davis, their top first-round pick, has barely played.

Couple that with a defense that ranks 31st in passing first downs allowed and 30th in sacks and 29th in total points allowed, and, well, you've got some issues to rectify. And with the Jaguars boasting a legit, top-five defense, and the Texans boasting a legit offense with Deshaun Watson under center, the Titans might end up having a difficult time getting back to nine wins from a year ago, much less reaching the postseason.

It says here the last four games tell you who they really are -- a 57-14 loss to the Texans, a 16-10 loss to a Dolphins team averaging an NFL-worst 4.19 yards per play, a 36-22 win over the struggling Colts, and a 12-9 overtime win over the historically bad Browns. Neither team scored a touchdown in that Week 7 game, and the Browns, despite the loss, were the better team. I dare say the Titans' September wins over the Seahawks and Jags will prove to be anomalies and, even with a very forgiving schedule, this team will finish 8-8 at best.

That should beg probing questions about the direction of the Titans, starting with the coaching staff and focused on the evolution -- or lack thereof -- of the quarterback. And there will be many more accomplished head coaches lined up to take over, if the organization is willing to pay and be proactive and reach outside of the offensive staff Whisenhunt originally brought to Tennessee.