SB Nation - Alge Crumpler

Nice To Be On The Other End Of A Blow Out - Photos From The Titans - St. Louis Rams Game

Titanfan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:11:47 -0000

When the Patriots clobbered the Titans by 59 points it didn't look like there was anyone out there that the Titans could beat. So even though the Rams were coming in with a 1-11 record I still had my apprehensions about this game. I'm glad that it didn't take long for those fears to be put to rest. It's been a roller coaster of a season with lots of highs and lows and after the Colts provided the low of not winning out this game provided lots of high marks. They are still in the playoff picture and that's a pretty remarkable feat to be able to say in December after the September and October they had. They just keep coming on.

More pics after the jump.

The first offensive play for the Titans was this 31 yard completion to Kenny Britt.

66 yards later Chris Johnson took this five yard pass for a touchdown.

Vince Young pulled up after gaining 44 yards on this run with a strained hamstring muscle. He was on his way to having a big day until that happened.

Insert Kerry Collins and the Titans keep moving.

Chris Johnson almost gave me a Heisman pose here. Stick that arm out and it'd be perfect.

Keith Bulluck and the Titans Defense held the second leading rusher in the NFL to 47 yards. Bulluck had 2 interceptions and 10 tackles in the game.

A huge Defensive performance by the Titans. Cortland Finnegan high stepping after the first of his two interceptions.

Steven Jackson is a huge individual.

The high point for St. Louis was this fake punt for 51 yards.

Alge Crumpler scored his first TD in Nashville since joining the team last year. He's had a tradition of seeking out a youngster in the stands and giving them the ball after scoring. So that was the first time Alge had been able to do that in Nashville. I headed for home shortly after this and just as I got out the gate Vinny Fuller intercepted a pass and ran it right towards my seat for a 45 yard TD. That probably would have made for my best photo of the day. (still kicking myself)

Miami comes in here Sunday in a make or break game for either team to maintain playoff hopes. It don't get any better than playoff atmosphere. I'm looking forward to it.

Rams vs Titans: Compare and Contrast

VanRam — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:18:17 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Offensive foundation, Chris Johnson

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It doesn't seem like it was all that long ago, when you looked at week 14 on the St. Louis Rams schedule and thought they could very well get a win against an equally hard-luck Titans team. Not anymore. The Rams are now 13-point underdogs for their trip to Music City.

The Titans are now playing for a trip to the playoffs, after starting out 0-6. That sixth week of the season featured the Rams overtime loss to the Jaguars and the Titans getting shut out by the Patriots who scored 59 points (running up the score? stay classy Bill). My how things have changed. There are some parallels in the stories of the Rams and Titans this season, maybe a lesson or two even.

The Centerpiece

Like the Rams, Tennessee has a running back at the center of their offense. Chris Johnson has been collecting ridiculous amounts of yardage. The last time he had fewer than 100 yards on the ground was week five against the Colts, when he had just 34 yards on 9 carries. Steven Jackson, the centerpiece of the Rams offense, has been trying his best to carry the team, but has only been able to do so much for a team unable to make much else happen around him.

Quarterback

The Titans started the season with Kerry Collins at QB. Collins, after all, was at the helm last season when the Titans had a 13-3 season. One more season was more than the 36-year old Collins had left. Through six games he completed just 54.8 percent of his passes and a 5/8 TD to INT ratio. A 2-for-12 performance against the Patriots sealed his fate, and Vince Young replaced him on the last three drives of that game. The Rams started the season with an older QB carrying the signs of abuse much more prominently than many of us had expected. Eventually, a younger backup QB took over, but the similarities end there.

Going Young

The Rams had Kyle Boller, the Titans had Vince Young ready to take over QB duties. Boller has entered the backup QB stage of his career and has quickly reminded everyone why after a few games. Young still had some potential after struggling in his first two seasons and holding the clipboard for Collins last year. One thing the Titans have done to help Young, besides feed Chris Johnson the ball, has been their re-writing of the offensive script.

The Playbook

Rams fans are continually frsutrated by the logic-defying playcalling coming from the sidelines. It's not the Rams offense has been pass averse, rather the offense has done little more than dink and dump passes that ultimately go nowhere and make things easier for opposing defenses. Just a few more play actions, is that too much to ask? In Tennessee things have been different. The coaching staff there has smartly written a game plan around Chris Johnson and taking advantage of Young's strengths as a QB making lots of option calls and keeping defenses confused. The Rams have done nothing similar to take advantage of Steven Jackson's considerable gifts and their quarterback's lack fo gifts. Of course part of the problem has to do with the receiving options on each team.

Talent

Kenny Britt, the Titans first round pick out of Rutgers, has proven to be good get for the Titans. He runs routes well and overcame the pre-draft questions about his concentration, etc and works the middle. Behind him they have Nate Washington, who's been servicable as a role player. They've also used TEs Bo Scaife and Alge Crumpler with some effectiveness. The Rams just don't have much going for them at WR. Laurent Robinson was establishing himself as a solid possession guy before he got hurt. Keenan Burton was improving in a similar role when he got hurt. Brandon Gibson looked like he might be that guy, but he's fallen off considerably after his impressive debut against the Saints. Add to that the situation at QB for the Rams.

Join us tonight for some Turf Show Radio, 7:30 p.m. Central.

Bills Fantasy Friday: Week 10 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em

Kurupt — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:52:42 -0000

It seems like an eternity since they last played, but Buffalo Bills football returns this Sunday as the team travels to Nashville to take on the "surging" Tennessee Titans. The Bills last took the field in Week 8 and saw the offense put up another feeble effort as the defense finally fell apart in the fourth quarter, losing 31-10 at home to Houston.

The lack of fantasy success for Bills skills players continued, and there may be no end in sight. Trent Edwards returns from his concussion suffered way back in Week 6 with low expectations. It's been a struggle for him following a decent start to the season, as both he and the Bills' offense has become totally out of sync. The bumbling Bills will be facing a hot Tennessee offense led by the NFL's leading rusher, Chris Johnson. Things could get ugly for the Bills' run defense this week.

Let's take a look at the individual fantasy players of note for this week, after the jump.

Quarterbacks
Trent Edwards - Edwards hasn't played since being knocked out in the 2nd quarter of the Bills victory over the Jets back in Week 6. The offense was just as bad without him, and maybe worse. Don't be surprised by an early jolt of life from Edwards and the Bills offense, especially going against the league's 32nd ranked pass defense. However, with the way he's played since mid-September, it'd be hard to believe he'll have the success that other quarterbacks have seen against the Titans. Pro Bowl Cornerback Cortland Finnegan has come back the past two weeks, after a hamstring injury, to help the Titans defense allow a very respectable 181.5 passing yards per game. The Titans pass defense has also allowed just 4.4 yards per passing play the past two weeks. To me, the Titans defense, with a healthy Finnegan, is much closer to the past two weeks' performances than of the prior six. I expect Edwards to have some nice plays in his return, but struggle for the most part. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Vince Young - Young has led the Titans to both wins this season after replacing the ineffective Kerry Collins. He hasn't produced big numbers (297 total passing yards, 44 rushing yards, 2 total touchdowns), but has limited his mistakes (no interceptions, one sack taken) during this time. Young won't be much of a threat through the air, though the Titans like to go deep, but could really hurt the Bills with his legs. He's done it before. Still, I wouldn't expect much production yardage-wise, but he could find the endzone multiple times. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Running Backs
Marshawn Lynch - While the Titans pass defense has improved significantly the past two games, their run defense has taken a hit allowing 325 yards on the ground, 3 touchdowns and 9.0 yards per carry. Lynch and the Bills run offense have really struggled all season. Lynch is averaging just 43.4 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. Also, after 11 receptions in his first two games back from suspension, he has caught just six passes in the past three games. It's tough to recommend starting anyone on the Bills offense at this point, but in this matchup, Lynch might be the top choice. With Edwards back in the lineup, expect to see Lynch utilized in the passing game more. He's a flex option and not much more. Verdict: Start 'Em as a flex only

Fred Jackson - Jackson has just 14 carries in the past two games, and hasn't caught a pass since the Cleveland game. I wouldn't expect a huge spike in production this week, so keep him on your bench once again. He needs to be given more touches again before he is fantasy worthy. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Chris Johnson - Johnson leads the NFL in rushing with 959 yards. Johnson is averaging a ridiculous 6.7 yards per carry. Johnson has 12 rushes of over 20 yards (the Bills have four). Johnson has six rushes of over 40 yards (the Bills have one). Johnson has five 50+ yard touchdowns (the Bills have none). Simply put, he's damn good. Going against the Bills feeble rush defense, ranked 32nd in the NFL, looks like a major mismatch....and it is. I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson rushed for well over 200 yards this week, and fully expect him to have some big plays. If you have him on your fantasy team, be happy about it. If you don't, sit back and hope the Bills can miraculously shut him down. Verdict: Start 'Em

LenDale White - White has just 56 carries for 198 yards this season, and looks to be losing nearly all his touches as Johnson gets better and better. He's no longer a touchdown vulture, so he has little value to fantasy owners. Don't expect much. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Wide Receivers
Terrell Owens - As of right now (Friday morning), it's looking like Owens will be very iffy come Sunday. He is battling a hip injury that came out of nowhere on Tuesday, and is said to be "struggling" with it. It's not looking good for him this week. Knowing Owens, he's likely to try and play through the injury, but he'll probably be even more ineffective than usual. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Lee Evans - Evans saw a bit of a revival with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, but struggled in his last outing against the Texans finishing with just 2 catches for 29 yards. With Owens potential out, and Finnegan playing at a high level again, it could be another stinker for him this week. I did what I said I wouldn't do again this season and recommending starting Evans against Houston. Never again! Let him do the opposite of what I say! He should see more looks this week, but don't expect a huge game, or even a good game. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Nate Washington - Washington leads the Titans with 23 receptions, but has just 202 yards to show for it. He has a respectable 4 touchdowns on the season, but hasn't been the deep threat that Tennessee expected. Expect the Titans to throw only when they really need to, so Washington isn't much of a play this week. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Justin Gage - Gage leads the Titans with 302 receiving yards and looked good last week hauling in 4 passes for 97 yards. Young seems to like him, and the Titans will probably look to get him deep, so the potential for some big plays is there. Unless you are really desperate, look elsewhere. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kenny Britt - Britt has just 3 catches in the last four games. I still think he's going to be a very good NFL WR, but it'll take some time (and a better QB). Keep an eye on him in the future. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tight Ends
Shawn Nelson and Derek Fine - Nelson returns to the field this week following a concussion and subsequent migraines. Fine is still the starter. Neither have been effective this season. Fine has just three catches since week 3, and Nelson has flashed his potential only occasionally. Going forward, it'll be imperative to work Nelson into the lineup and passing game much more. Let's hope he responds with some production. Neither is fantasy relevant though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Bo Scaife - Watching the Titans the past three or four seasons, Scaife proved to be one of Vince Young's favorite targets. He has six catches since Young returned to the lineup this year, and could be a sneaky play this week. The Bills defense has struggled against tight ends all season, so there should be opportunities for Scaife underneath. Don't be shocked if Scaife puts up nice numbers this week. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Alge Crumpler - Crumpler isn't a fantasy option anymore. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kickers
Rian Lindell - Lindell is tied for 8th in the NFL with 13 field goals made for the season. He's been one of the few bright spots for an otherwise desolate team for fantasy purposes. Going against one of the league's most generous defenses could give Lindell more chances than usual. Still, it's tough to use the kicker for one of the worst offenses in the league. Go with a kicker from a better offense. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Rob Bironas - See Lindell, Rian. Bironas has more value because the Titans have the ability to move the ball on the ground. If the Bills can get stingy on 3rd downs in their own territory, Bironas could be a nice option this week. Again, I'd go with a kicker for a better offense, though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Defense/Special Teams
Buffalo D/ST - The Bills defense has been quite opportunistic of late, forcing 13 turnovers and adding 6 sacks in the past three games. However, the Titans, under Vince Young, haven't turned it over and have allowed just one sack. Something has to give. If the Titans can control the ball and run wild on the Bills, as expected, sack and turnover opportunities just won't be there. But if the Bills defense can slow down Johnson and force some 3rd and longs, Young could be forced into some mistakes. I tend to believe it's more likely the former will happen. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tennessee D/ST - The Titans D/ST has really taken a hit this season after performing as one of the better fantasy units the past few years. They are coming on though. In the past two weeks, they've forced six turnovers and accumulated eight sacks. I'd expect the sack numbers to continue. Playing at home could give them a nice boost as well. This unit makes for a good one week fill-in, if that's what you're looking for. Verdict: Start 'Em

Sleepers
Buffalo - Honestly, I don't see one. The offense has been so bad, it's hard to imagine any player making an unexpected huge contribution.

Tennessee - I'd say the Titans D/ST makes for a quality sleeper this week. It's unlikely many teams have been starting this unit this year, so they could put up an uncharacteristic total against the struggling Bills offense.

*****

It's hard to believe it's already Week 10, but here we are. It's the stretch run for fantasy leagues, so time to pull out all the stops. Make some trades to pick up players who will get you wins now, and go with the guys who have been producing this season. Good luck to all, enjoy the games and go Bills!

The Return of Vince Young: Ready your barf bags

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:23:46 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

2 months ago: Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, center, and quarterback Kerry Collins (5) leave the field after their 59-0 loss to the New England Patriots in a NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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There's a pretty big blog out there called The Big Lead, and its head writer is a good guy by the name of Jason McIntyre. Jason really is the model for independent bloggers, building his site up from nothing and into a huge traffic hog. Jason has also managed to do this while not becoming an obnoxious douche, like, say, Mike Florio.

However, despite Jason really showing all of us how to do it right when it comes to sports blogging, the guy does not know jack-friggin-squat about NFL football.

Just look at last year, where Jason boldly predicted the Colts would not make the playoffs. After Indy's 3-4 start, Jason was feeling pretty good about himself. After Indy reeled off 9 in a row and clinched a playoff berth (while the New England Patriots sat at home and wondered "What happened?"), Jason did what any self-important blogger does: Blame someone else (namely, former-Texans QB Sage Rosenfels).

Did I mention Jason is a Jets fan? I think that fact alone explains his attitude and knowledge about football.

Anyway, the reason I'm raggin' on Jason by bringing up his (lack of) football knowledge is that once again he is getting all self-important when talking about the NFL. And, like with his "bold" predictions last year, Jason is wrong.

This time, it involves the Titans and Vince Young. After the news broke about Vince Young returning to the starting QB role, Jason seemed to do a little happy dance in his office, located somewhere in the Tri-State New York area. The reason for Jason's euphoria is he stated back in August that Vince would indeed win his job back.

With the Titans starting the 2009 season 0-6 and their chances of making the playoffs pretty much nil, moron owner Bud Adams made some strong suggestions that veteran QB Kerry Collins be benched in favor of Vince Young. You all remember that, back in Week One of last year, Vince Young quit on his team during a game. It was very public display of adult pouting that distanced Vince from his Titans teammates. But, rather than panic, Kerry Collins entered the game and helped the Titans win that game and 12 more in 2008.

Now, with Kerry Collins benched and Vince Young is back as the starter, Jason somehow thinks the time is now for Vince to prove he can play in this league. Thing is, most of us AFC South fans already know Vince cannot play in this league. Jeff Fisher knows Vince can't play in this league. That's why he resisted Adam's "order" to start Vince. The woeful body of work Vince has compiled over the last three years more than tells the story of this over-rated, pampered brat who never should have been drafted by the Titans in the first place.

And if anyone out there still thinks that Vince can somehow salvage his career by playing well over these next few games, those people are suckers.

Here's Jason's take on the QB change:

Enigmatic Texas legend Vince Young will start at QB Sunday against Jacksonville. Did Jeff Fisher cave to pressure from his owner? Fisher will talk about the decision at 3 pm. Either way, we're thrilled to have been right about this back in August. Is anyone really surprised ancient Kerry Collins crumbled? He was serviceable last year and the Titans' defense (plus Chris Johnson) carried Tennessee to the playoffs. Anyone could see the significant dropoff coming. Young has to be the starter for at least the next three games. The rest of this lost season would probably be best. If he's awful, and doesn't appear to have a future with the team, obviously think QB in the draft.

And it's here where I point out that Jason really needs to go back and re-watch the Titans from years 2006-2008. We already know Vince Young stinks. We don't need three games to prove what three years have already shown. Vince Young is lazy, apathetic, entitled, and pampered. When things don't go the way he likes them to, he storms off the field, hides from the media, and seemingly threatens suicide.

A smart coach like Jeff Fisher knows this, which is why he resisted starting Vince again. But when the meddling hand of Bud Adams entered the equation, effectively chopping off Fisher's nuts, the writing was on the wall that Vince would return. Remember, Jeff Fisher did not want to draft Vince Young in 2006, but Bud Adams did. However, last year's success was a direct result of Vince Young getting benched and Kerry Collins assuming the job fulltime. So, in a not-so-subtle way, Fisher showed Bud Adams up for the ignorant fool he is.

Sorry, but to toot our own horn here a little bit, we have been saying Collins was better for some time now, and if you actually, you know, WATCH Titans games you know that blaming Kerry Collins for their 0-6 start is not an accurate assessment.

Vince Young's career in Tennessee is over. Everyone knows it. Everyone also knows that Vince Young's football career is likely over. He is simply not a motivated guy looking to improve himself as a player. We're in year four and Vince still can't read a defense, and a QB who can't read a defense is like a running back with no feet.

I feel a bit sorry for Kerry Collins and Jeff Fisher. Despite Jason's silly assessment (that Collins is a "fossil," and thus the reason the Titans are 0-6), Tennessee's wretched pass defense is the main reason they are sans a win. They are ranked dead last in the league, having surrendered 1,864 yards and 19 TDs. QBs are also completing 73% of their passes on them. I don't care if Joe Montana is your QB; in the modern NFL, if you are unable to stop the pass, you will lose a lot of football games.

I know that kind of analysis isn't as "sexy" as saying "BENCH THE QUARTERBACK!" but it's the truth.

Also, I am aware that Tony Dungy said Vince should play a few weeks ago on NBC. Again, Dungy is not at practice every day the way Jeff Fisher is. If Vince were indeed a better player at QB over Collins, Fisher would have started him. However, it was not the QB that has fumbled easy receptions (like Alge Crumpler against the Colts) or started fights after plays had ended (like Jason Jones against the Texans in Week Two) or surrendered 19 passing TDs in six games. The Titans just aren't a good football team, and changing the QB won't alter that very real, very stark fact.

The simple truth is nothing Vince Young does over these next three games should change anyone's assessment of him. If it does, then I have some junk bonds I'd like to sell them real cheap, if they are interested.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: There Was A Time I Could Move, There Was A Time I Could Breathe Edition

August West — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:30:51 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

You know what I'm digging? The realization that we may actually see some exciting plays on offense, even if the results are inconsistent. Maybe we'll finally see a few plays that make us stand up and cheer, if nothing else.

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In Facepalm news, kick returner Mark Jones won't be able to go on Sunday thanks to a hamstring injury he aggravated earlier in the week. Dane Looker and C.J. Jones caught punts on Thursday as the team tries to decide if they need to sign someone for the interim.

Hey, after what we've seen this season we've all got a right to be beyond worried about the return game sans Jones.. heck, we could even feel some Paranoia in B Flat Major... by The Avett Brothers! Can't wait for their show at the The Mother Church (a.k.a. The Ryman, home of the original Grand Ole' Opry) Saturday night.

Vince Young is back in the saddle again, and of course everyone in the football-covering national media is talking about it... examples here, here, here and here.

Follow us through the jump to find out what pisses LenDale off...

Think the Titans' record is due to lack of effort? Then LenDale White would like to have a word with you in this back alley:

"It pisses me off," running back LenDale White said. "I know all the people on my team work hard. I know that everybody does when we go out there for game day. I know everybody out there was fighting to get a win. Everybody went out there and prepared to get a victory.

"Nobody quit on us. We gave effort. Believe me, we did what we could. We tried very hard, but it is what it is."

Forgive me for not shouting hooray over the fact that Collins takes losing well.

Paul K asks, so if Fisher knew Vince Young was getting the nod, why did he waste first team reps by splitting them up on Wednesday? Shouldn't Vince get the most practice time possible?

David Boclair delivers a timely list of costume suggestions for Nashville sports figures, including this gem:

Alge Crumpler ought to sport the Lester Hayes look.

After all, the Tennessee Titans' tight end has had some issues with fumbles at inopportune times. There was the one against the Ravens in the playoffs, which brought an end to the team's 2008 season. Then a remarkably similar one on the first drive against the Colts two games ago seemingly started a stretch in which the team since has been outscored 90-9.

Hayes, of course, was the Oakland Raiders' defensive back who famously kept a gooey adhesive dubbed "stick'em" on his socks so he could rub it on his hands throughout the game — an act that later was deemed illegal by the league.

That type of goo would have to be good for Crumpler.

I love Thom Abraham's show (he, along with his sometimes co-host and former Titan Brad Hopkins, put this together), but this Terrible Towel business has to stop. Your weakness is defined by your superstitions. I mean the people of Pittsburgh have an excuse for this crap: they're surrounded by damned run-down nuclear plants*... you'd expect that to mutate some brain cells. (* - edited for accuracy)

If you see anything good or Titans related on your travels around the internets, be sure to send it to mcmaugustwest@gmail.com!

Recap Week Five: Colts 31-Titans 9

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:52:13 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

2 months ago: Indianapolis Colts safety Tim Jennings (23) celebrates after intercepting a pass intended for Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nate Washington in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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While blocking his man in the first quarter on a punt return, much maligned Colts cornerback Tim Jennings was doing everything he could to contain the Titans gunner he was assigned to block. Jennings entered the game on thin ice already, it seemed. Having been the primary back-up to Kelvin Hayden and starting in three games at cornerback already this season, Jennings was benched to start the game in favor of a rookie free agent, Jacob Lacey. For the past few weeks, opposing QBs had been picking on Jennings, known for playing too soft in coverage by providing WRs with too much cushion off the line of scrimmage.

While engaged with the gunner on the punt, Jennings (who did not know where the ball was) heard the call for "short punt." This meant the ball was kicked shorter than everyone anticipated, and that it was likely the ball was in his vicinity. But the call was too late for Jennings to disengage from his blocker and get out of the way. Instead, Jennings bumped into Colts return man T.J. Rushing, causing him to muff the punt, which was recovered by the Titans on the Colts 34 yard line.

The Titans faithful cheered wildly. Colts fans went ballistic. Tim Jennings walked off the field, seemingly disgusted with himself.

Despite the Colts building an early 7-0 lead off an Alge Crumpler fumble that was converted into a Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne touchdown, early miscues and mistakes, like Jennings bumping into Rushing on the early punt return, kept the Titans in the game. While the continued stellar play of Peyton Manning (81% completion, 309 yards, 3 TDs) will likely generate all the headlines around Yahoo, CBS Sports, ESPN, and likely Peter King's Monday morning opus, it was really the play of the Colts defense that mainly helped Indy win its fourteenth straight regular season game, dating back to October of last year.

Despite the early miscues with turnovers, penalties, and sloppy play on offense and special teams, it was the defense that played hard, tough, inspired football. They harassed Titans quarterback Kerry Collins all night, and completely and utterly stoned dynamic running back Chris Johnson (9 carries, 34 yards).

And, at the end of the night, as the Colts walked off the field with a three game lead in their division as they head into a bye week, one of the big heroes of that defensive effort was none other than Tim Jennings. More after the jump...

Again, most of the "morning after" press will praise Peyton, claiming his efforts alone were the reason this team blew out the Titans for the second time in as many meetings. Yes, Manning was Manning, which is to say he continues to re-write the definition of greatness as a quarterback and continues to make bumbling buffoons like NBC announcer Chris Collinsworth sound like nothing more than blathering ear noise.

During the fourth quarter, Collinsworth made the claim that before anyone can start calling Peyton Manning as good or better than Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, or Sammy Baugh, Peyton had to win "multiple championships." Considering that Manning's statistics absolutely shatter all four of those men save Marino (who never played on a Super Bowl championship team), it pretty much shows you that NBC went from one idiot blabbermouth (John Madden) to another this year when John Madden returned and was replaced by the fumble prone choker at wide receiver who likes his girls young and extremely stupid.

Peyton Manning is better than all those players right now. It's obvious, and most people agree. Those that don't simply don't know anything about football, and are likely the same sad idiots who once claimed Peyton "couldn't win the big one." I now understand why Peyton watches football games on mute. After another Sunday listening to idiots like Gus Johnson, Joe Buck, and Chris Collinsworth try everything they can to focus attention away from the action on the field and onto them, it is becoming near impossible to watch games and listen to these self-important morons in the booth.

The best, period. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Back to the game, Manning's 309 yards and amazing accuracy in the face of a very aggressive Titans pass rush were big reasons why the Colts essentially ended the Titans season, but it was not the reason. For the third week in a row, the Colts defense dominated an opponent's offense, and they are doing so by completely shutting down the opponent's run game. The Titans ran for 90 yards on 21 carries, but even that stat is skewed. 20 of those yards came in garbage time, with 6 minutes left in the game and the score 31-9. Prior to that, Tennessee had 62 yards on 17 carries.

For three weeks, the Colts have held an opponent under 100 yards rushing. This time, it was (arguably) the best back in football that was held in check: Chris Johnson. Johnson entered the game averaging 6 yards a carry and leading the league with over 400 yards rushing. Last night, a relentless Colts defense limited him to 3.8 a carry, preventing him from getting outside the tackles and into open space, where Johnson is so very good at making defenders miss.

With Johnson neutralized, the unfair burden fell on veteran quarterback Kerry Collins to dig the Titans out of an early hole. However, despite early Colts miscues (like Jennings' mistake on special teams) giving the ball to the Titans in Colts territory, Collins was unable to get his offense into the red zone. It's fair to say that the fault was not Collins', though already many Titans fans are screaming for Vince Young to regain his starting job. Collins had to contend with a fierce Colts pass rush, turnovers by his receivers (Crumpler), and some outstanding coverage by the Colts secondary.

The conventional feeling is that the game essentially "ended" when, about one minute prior to halftime, Peyton Manning drove the Colts offense 93 yards in 57 seconds, capping the drive with a 39 yard TD pass to rookie wide receiver Austin Collie, who continues to remind so many of us of a young Brandon Stokley. The TD was made with 17 seconds left in the half, giving the Colts a 21-9 lead and seemingly breaking the will of the Titans. During the drive, the Titans were called for three roughing the passer penalties, one of which involved Kyle Vanden Bosch violating "The Brady Rule" and attempting to tackle Manning's knees. The play gave Indy a first down after starting on their own seven yard line.

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Keyunta Dawson #96 of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball after intercepting a pass during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

But while the TD before the half was indeed a crucial play, it was not the play that, essentially, called it a night for the Titans. That play belonging to none other than Tim Jennings.

The Titans got the ball to start the half, and it almost goes without saying that if they had scored on the opening drive of the second half, this game would have gone much differently. However, on a third and 6 on the Titans 24 yard line, Collins slung a quick out to wide receiver Nate Washington. Covering Washington at the time was Tim Jennings. This play was the sort of typical pattern that receivers had been killing Jennings with for weeks now. Jennings would provide too much cushion, the receiver would come back to the football, and the result was usually a first down.

Last night, ole Tim would have none of it.

When the ball hit near Washington, Jennings was right there with him, and fought for the football as if he were a hungry man and the ball was the last loaf of bread on Earth. When both players hit the ground, Jennings had firm control of the pigskin, and the Colts had created yet another Titans turnover in their territory. The Colts offense took over, and Manning hit Collie again for a touchdown, this one from 6 yards out.

Colts 28-Titans 9. Ballgame.

Later in the contest, the Colts would tack on an Adam Vinatieri chip shot to pad the lead, but for all intents and purposes, this game ended with Tim Jennings' magnificent interception. For you "old timers" out there, it reminded me of one-time Colts (and current Titans) corner Nick Harper fighting the football away from Derrick Mason in the endzone back in 2004.

Jennings' INT capped off one of his better games as a Colt. Despite the early game miscue, Jennings seemed all over the field on special teams, making tackles left and right and preventing the Titans from mounting any kind of comeback. It was actually quite inspiring to see Jennings rise up and play this way. The key for him moving forward is to play this way consistently, but for one night, Jennings was brilliant.

We have the rest of the day to talk about the bad elements of this game (aka, Tony Ugoh), but for this recap, I think we should focus on the many positives. This team is 5-0 heading into the bye week. They have managed to do this without Bob Sanders, Anthony Gonzalez, and Kelvin Hayden for much of the season. All those players are expected back after the bye. We've seen young players like Austin Collie mature quickly and we've seen maligned veterans like Tim Jennings rise up and play the way we all know they can play.

This is a talented, tough, no-quit team that seems to reflect the convictions of their head coach, Jim Caldwell. I cannot say enough good things about how well Caldwell managed this game. From the decision to go for it early on fourth and goal to starting Jacob Lacey at corner, Caldwell outcoached Jeff Fisher. That is no small feat.

As always, thanks to Jimmy and the Music City Miracles crew for some excellent blogging leading up to the game. You can read their game recap here.

For two weeks, we get to enjoy being undefeated. Take it in and soak it up, because last year this time, our guys were 3-4 and looking like a bunch of bums. Fourteen straight regular season wins later, these guys look like something special.

Go Colts!

Colts vs Titans coverage

Poll

Week Five game balls?

CB Tim Jennings: 5 tackles, 2 passes defended, 1 INT

48 votes

QB Peyton Manning: 82% completion, 309 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

219 votes

WR Austin Collie: 8 catches 97 yards, 2 TDs

416 votes

FS Antoine Bethea: 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble

52 votes

DE Dwight Freeney: 1 sack, numerous pressures

4 votes

739 votes | Poll has closed

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Tennessee Titans Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:30:52 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

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This is going to be the best offensive line the Jets have faced all season. From left to right respectively, Michael Roos, Eugene Amato, old friend Kevin Mawae, former Colt Jake Scott, and David Stewart are an elite front. Kerry Collins is one of the least mobile quarterbacks in football, but he was only sacked 8 times a season ago. He's gone down twice in 2 games this year. Rex Ryan's Ravens only sacked him once in 2 games in the 2008 season.

The injuries to Lito Sheppard and Donald Strickland are some cause for concern. Tennessee does not have a vaunted passing attack, but they do have a pair of deep threats at the position, Nate Washington and Justin Gage. Darrelle Revis can take one of them away. If Sheppard and Strickland are out, there will be Cover 1 tilted to the side of the other side of the field. Rookie Kenny Britt from Rutgers had a big game against the Steelers in the opener. He's a more refined route runner than you would usually see as a rookie. I can see him taking Drew Coleman to class if they're in a one on one matchup.

The Titans have a trio of good receiving tight ends. Bo Scaife may sit this game out due to an injury, but Alge Crumpler had 4 catches in his place last week against the Texans. Jared Cook is a rookie from South Carolina. He was injured in Week 1 and did not make much of an impact in Week 2, but he does concern me. He might be faster and more athletic than Dustin Keller. The Jets might have to use Kerry Rhodes on him to contain him.

I'll finish where I started. It all comes down to getting heat on Kerry Collins. Collins is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the game in my book. You never hear anything about him other than him being the weak link of the offense. He was a top 10 pick. He took a team to the Super Bowl. He took another to a Conference Championship Game, and the Titans to the top seed in the AFC last year. He makes good decisions. He has a solid set of receivers even if there is no Randy Moss or Andre Johnson. Against a potentially depleted secondary, one of them will eventually get open if he has time. Tackling will also be key as Collins can check down to Chris Johnson, a speedy back who had the game of his life last week.

The Perfect Stereotypical Texans Game

bigfatdrunk — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:06:55 -0000

Alternate picture: Sally Field as Sybil Dorsett.

Two stat lines tell about 95% of the game. First:

Houston	Comp	Att	Yds	Pct	Y/A	Sack	YdsL	TD	INT	Rating
M. Schaub	25	39	357	64.1	9.2	0	0	4	0	127.8

I took the liberty of highlighting what I believe are the most important stats up there. Second:

Tennessee	Rush	Yds	Avg.	Lng	TD	FumL
C. Johnson	16	197	12.3	91	2	0

I'm going to leave off Chris Johnson's 87 yards receiving.

The difference between our spanking last week and a win this week was simply Matt Schaub staying upright. Nothing else was different.

Defensively, we are a nightmare. We gave up 449 yards today a week after allowing the Jets to pound us for 462. Last year, the Jets averaged 331 yards/game and the BE-SFs 314. Yes, we have been abused by two poor offenses. The Jets hung a more expected 254 on the Pats today.

We won today despite our defense, not because of what they accomplished. Even Vodka Collins' fumble was accidental, not because of a great hit (if you didn't see, Collins attempted to dribble the ball downfield a la Matt Nordgren). Our defense is still vagina soft, and we even lacked the blitzing aggressiveness we at least tried against the Jets. Not only is the defense still sorry, but we seem to be regressing under Frank Bush. Fred Bennett, especially, has become a pathetic shell of himself. Two pieces of good news on defense.

John Busing seems to have become the man at strong safety, which is also kinda scary considering he couldn't find playing time for three years with the Bungles. BUT, he's still an upgrade over Dominique Barber, and Busing was all over the field in the second half. Barber appears to be the one who blew the coverage on the "Chris Johnson is invisible!" play.

And Brian Cushing is improving, especially his tackling. However, as well as he plays against the run, the problematic reverse corollary is he's equally bad against the pass. He had a tough time covering Alge Crumpler, which is just mind boggling.

462, 449, and we have one sack all year...by Super Mario, of course. Just three turnovers (and, really, only two created). So much for our new and improved defense.

Offensively, our run game is worrisome, though we have faced two good run defenses in the Jets and BE-SFs. Steve Slaton's Reggie Bush-esque numbers are painful to see. Outside of this, our offense looks like a JUGGERNAUT. Today, Schaub reminded me of the time I watched Dr. DeBakey perform open heart surgery. The offensive line did a solid job keeping Schaub's uniform clean, and Owen Daniels and, of course, Andre Johnson both stepped up with huge games. Jacoby Jones is now averaging 31 yards/catch over the last two years (too bad it's just five receptions), but his touchdown (and it was, Steve Tasker, you little bitch) catch was a thing of beauty.

On special teams, Kris Brown was perfect (as usual) and the aforementioned Jacoby, after not dropping a damn thing all year, decided to botch a punt. We got mighty damn lucky on the call.

This game was a perfectly played Texans game. It was a stereotype. Piss-poor defense, dominating offense, and a "fumble" by Jacoby. It's your 2008 Texans in 2009.

Next week, we get the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that failed to stop the juggernaut that is the Kurt Warner experience. Warner didn't take a single sack. If the Jaguars are equally unable to pressure Schaub, another shoot-out is in the works.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: More Cook, More Brisket Edition

August West — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:38:33 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

It would be weeks later until Chuck Cecil learned that Coach Fisher had attached the clapper to his headset just to mess with him.

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Fisher declared that Nate Washington will be ready to start on Sunday against the Texans, provided he doesn't have any setbacks this week. This is good news as we closer and closer to seeing the passing game at full strength for the first time since all of the turnover at WR.

Bobby Wade is headed to Kansas City, and Fisher reiterated that he's happy with the return game personnel we already have...

... and part of the reason for that is Ryan Mouton's rapidly improving health. In slightly more awesome news, Jared Cook will be a go this weekend!

Follow us through the jump to find out how you can order Vince Young brisket...

Vince Young Foods has a website up... the line of meats has been out for years, but this is the first I've seen of the website. No word yet on if the brisket is slow smoked over mesquite or a nice benchy pine.

This article is an understatement in terms of how badly 0-2 would play around here. This team is better than that and they can't be screwing around early on in the season.

Paul Kuharsky isn't above borrowing from his old buddies at the Tennessean, so here's his first stock report.

Still to low in the rankings for my Titans (though not stupid low ala Peter King), but I love Pro Football Weekly for comments like this:

8. Tennessee Titans: That's about as good as a team can look in defeat.

Strong safety Troy Polamalu won't need surgery despite his knee being crunched by the full weight of Alge Crumpler... maybe we can make this Alge's new signature move. Name ideas?

Willie Parker says the lack of preseason work hurt him against us last week, which is funny because I'm pretty sure it was the lack of holes and running lanes combined with an overwhelming amount of defensive penetration into the backfield that hurt him. Who knew it was missing those silly exhibition games that resulted in that mound of suck. Good to know.

If there's anything you would like to share with the MCM community, please take advantage of the comments, fanshots and fanposts to do so! Or, you can always email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com.

Steelers 13 Titans 10: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Jimmy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:18:05 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

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Last night was a tough way to open the season, no doubt, but it is important to remember that it was only one game. Here is what I take away as the good, bad and ugly from last night.

The Good

The run defense. The Steelers had 23 carries for 36 yards. We will take that.

Kenny Britt. Britt had 4 catches for 85 yards last night. I think that already makes him the best rookie receiver the Titans have ever had.

The Bad

The defensive play calling. I still can't understand how they don't either blitz, press the receivers, or both in overtime. And don't come at me with the crap excuse that blitzing Ben Roethlisberger doesn't work. How did giving him all day to do that stupid pump fake work out for you? Combine that with giving his receivers a 10 yard cushion, and you have the recipe for not seeing the ball in overtime.

Dropped passes. Alge Crumpler let a ball hit him in gut. Justin Gage dropped a catchable ball in the end zone (now in fairness, he may have had that ball knocked loose when he got popped afterwards). Gage also had the final third down of the game go off his finger tips. They never gave us a replay that showed us how catchable that ball really was, but an NFL receiver needs to make that play.

Offensive play calling. Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for 23 carries in the game. That simply isn't enough, and it wasn't like the run wasn't successful. They averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Now that isn't setting the world on fire, but it is more than serviceable against the Steelers' vaunted defense.

The Ugly

Special teams. All facets of special teams were bad last night. Stefan Logan averaged 29 yards per kick return while Javon Ringer averaged 19.7.

Cortland Finnegan looked lost on punt returns, but you can't blame that on him. The blame for that falls squarely on the shoulders of Jeff Fisher. Cort had only returned 4 punts in the NFL before last night. He looked lost because it is something he has never really done, and it killed the Titans last night. Signing a guy that can help in the return game should be the #1 priority before the game against the Texans. Heck, I don't care if you bring Mark Jones back with only one hamsting. At least he catches the ball when it is punted.

Craig Hentrich shanked a punt at the most inoportune time.

And then there was the field goal team. It really doesn't matter if you blame Rob Bironas, Ken Amato, or the line. In the end all that matters is both of those kicks have to be made.