NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Good football teams with good coaches often take on the personality of that coach, at least to a degree.

Are the Tennessee Titans in the process of taking on Ken Whisenhunt’s personality, even as he works to show he's deserving of their buy-in?

“Our head coach’s personality is rough, tough, very physical and outspoken,” tight end Delanie Walker said. “I don’t think we’ve taken on that personality yet. I think if we had that personality, we wouldn’t be sitting at 2-6. We need to take it on. I think we have it in us, but I haven’t seen it come out yet.

“At certain times, when we’re losing and it’s the fourth quarter and we need to get points on the board, that’s when I see it, but it’s too late at that point. We need to have it at the beginning of the game.”

While Whisenhunt is straightforward, he’s not simple. Players deal with him a lot more than I do, and in far more situations. They should have a better read on who he is and how they might follow his lead.

I still have trouble characterizing his personality. He’s direct and fiery. He clearly likes to be in control. He has great conviction in his methods and systems. He can be a bit stubborn. He’s got a sense of humor. He'll listen. I think at times he can make people nervous.

“I’ve never looked at a team and been like, ‘Oh, they’re a lot like that guy,’” cornerback Jason McCourty said. “I would leave that up to you guys [in the media] being able to analyze that from the outside looking in.”

Said nose tackle Sammie Hill: “Coach is a winner and we see it and he demands that and that’s what we demand of ourselves. We haven’t fared the way we wanted to in these past eight games, but there is still another half of a season ahead. We know what we’ve got ahead of us.

“We’ve got his attitude, so we know what we can do when we get it all together.”