By Jim Wyatt | The Tennessean
Titans Coach Mike Munchak wants to give Matt Hasselbeck the chance to finish what he started.
So the veteran quarterback will remain the starter and rookie Jake Locker will remain the backup going into Saturday's game against the Jaguars.
"If Matt is healthy, I wouldn't see any reason to make a change," Munchak said on Monday. "We are assuming he'll be fine. We are 7-7 and we are still in the playoff hunt and he is the quarterback who got us there. And I think that is what you have to go with, a guy who has the experience and a guy who has been in playoff situations."
Hasselbeck suffered a left calf injury Dec. 11 against the Saints, and his practice time last week was limited.
He was pulled in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the previously winless Colts after throwing his second interception. He finished 27-of-40 passing for 223 yards.
Hasselbeck had some swelling in his left calf on Monday.
Locker was 11-of-16 for 108 yards and led the Titans to their only touchdown in the 27-13 defeat, sparking criticism that Munchak should have pulled Hasselbeck sooner.
Munchak made it clear he's happy with Locker -- "He is going to be special for a long time" -- but stressed that his playing time would depend on Hasselbeck's health.
"Unless something changes between now and Saturday, and Matt is not quite where we hoped he would be, we'd be foolish not to play the guy we thought would be best to win this football game," Munchak said. "If we thought it was Jake, that's what we would do."