SB Nation - Chris Hope

Big Win at a Big Price - Photos from the Titans - Miami Dolphins game

Titanfan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:12:24 -0000

It was a must win game and a huge win to stay in the wild card hunt. But losing Keith Bulluck for the rest of the season was a big price to pay for it. The loss of Bulluck was evident as Miami mounted their comeback and erased an 18 point second half lead after Keith went down. It felt like the air went out of the defense and seemed like no one knew what they were suppose to do. Bulluck is a big hole to fill because he is usually the one filling the holes and making up for everyone else. Without him and David Thornton in it could mean the season may finish the way it started, with a decimated defense due to injury. Those are big shoes to fill.

More photos after the jump.

I know I've gotten spoiled when Chris Johnson gets 104 yards rushing and it feels like he had an off day. But Miami made some good adjustments in the second half and contained him pretty well.

Jacob Ford got a sack here. Actually he whiffed on this and got up and chased Chad Henne down for his sack. Awesome play.

Bulluck can give that menacing stare across the line as good as any backer in the league.

Tony Brown hit Ricky Williams and forced a fumble. He can play with attitude. Maybe that attitude is, "Albert hell, I'm just damn good."

Not what I wanted to see.

Let's spot that ball right there.

Shoe string tackle.

Chris Hope put an end to that drive with this interception in the end zone.

This concludes my game photos for the season. The final home game on Christmas will find me eating turkey and watching the game on TV with family. There is still some hope of making to the playoffs, but regardless of what happens it's been another exciting and enjoyable season of football. I've enjoyed sharing my football photos with you and I hope you've enjoyed them too. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

MCM's Tennessee Titans Team of the Decade

Jimmy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:06:16 -0000

More photos » by Dave Einsel - AP

I made the team!! (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

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We are continuing our "of the decade" series today with the Titans team of the decade. This list was compiled by August, Hal, Gramsey, and me. It was a fun exercise. Some of the selections were no brainers that were easily agreed on by all parties, but there were a few that were hotly debated.

The team and some comments on it after the jump.

OFFENSE

QB- Steve McNair
RB- Chris Johnson
FB- Lorenzo Neal
WR- Derrick Mason
WR- Drew Bennett
TE- Frank Wycheck
OT- Brad Hopkins
OT- Michael Roos
OG- Bruce Matthews
OG- Zach Piller
C- Kevin Mawae

DEFENSE

DE- Jevon Kearse
DE- Kyle Vanden Bosch
DT- Kevin Carter
DT- Albert Haynesworth
LB- Keith Bulluck
LB- David Thornton
LB- Randall Godfrey
CB- Samari Rolle
CB- Cortland Finnegan
S- Chris Hope
S- Michael Griffin

SPECIAL TEAMS

K- Rob Bironas
P- Craig Hentrich
RS- Derrick Mason
LS- Ken Amato

A few thoughts:

The first debate we really had was between CJ and Eddie George. It seems somewhat blasphemous to keep Eddie off the team, but you can't include 1999 and without that CJ's numbers in 2 years are more impressive.
We all wanted to come up with a way not to put Drew Bennett on the team because all any of us can think of when we think of Drew is the drop in New England, but when you look at the numbers he had to be there.
Gramsey wants Sarge over Lorenzo, but the thing that gave Lorenzo the nod for the rest of us was the decline in Eddie's career when he left.
Everything else offensively is pretty much a no-brainer.
We cheated a little bit on the defensive line putting Carter in there at tackle. He did play some tackle in his time here, but it really came down to the fact that those four guys are the four that it had to be. Who else would you put at tackle? Tony Brown was close, but Carter's numbers were so good that it was justifiable.
Linebacker was a little bit of a debate between Randall Godfrey and Peter Sirmon, but Godfrey was more dominating so he got the nod.
The safety positions might have taken us the longest. Blaine Bishop was the first thought in everyone's head, but when you look at the numbers from this decade his aren't that good. Griff would have made it a lot easier on us had he not gone in the tank this year, but his season last year was better than any season posted by a safety in the last 10 years- ergo he makes the list.
The returner debate is still going on between the four of us as I am writing this post. The numbers are close enough that I can put Mason on the list and not feel bad about it. Gramsey and Hal are all about he who shall not be named. He was electric, but he only did it for 2 seasons. That is how I am justifying leaving him off. Gramsey says I will close the comments so no one can prove me wrong. He doesn't have that "Hater" title for nothing. Have at it..

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Scratch, Bap, Boom, Jazz Edition

August West — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:13:11 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

You gotta love how the University of Tennessee named their locker room after Peyton and not the guy who followed him... who actually beat Florida and won a national championship. /yeah I said it

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Jim Wyatt talks to a couple of the greats who have crossed the 2,0000 yard threshold and lived to tell about it... here's the key stat breakdown:

Through 11 games, Johnson averaged 126.9 yards per game. Over the last six games, however, he averaged 154.7. If he stays at that pace he'll finish with 2,170 yards and be the NFL's new single-season record holder.

Since Chris Johnson shows every defense why he's their daddy, and why he's going to get paid like crazy, why not call him Pappy Check... by Medeski Martin and Wood, who are without a doubt the greatest and most innovative jazz trio of the past two decades. So take a deep breath, get funky and enjoy!

Guess who bought the Manning jersey Jeff Fisher wore 'for charity' (ed note: that rationale is still a crock, by the way. Fisher could have worn anything even mildly football related, signed it and donated it for just as much benefit without pole jocking a bitter devision rival.) Country munchkin songstress Martina McBride.

Follow us through the jump for a taste of something magical...

Titans players know they're on the cusp of something magical, but that won't happen if they don't focus on each week's game like it's their last. The have to remember they're 5-6, even when they're playing like they're 5-0.

Check-out the Sporting News' interview with safety Chris Hope, who says this game will prove if we're for real.

LenDale says he ran out of gas, which made him late for the walkthrough and lead to his deactivation last week, but he's saying all the right things now about doing whatever it takes to make Fisher happy; even if that means being deactivated again should the team need it. There's also a good note hear about former Seminole Chris Hope's reaction to the retirement of Bobby Bowden.

Hat tip to industrious reader/commenter JimR for point us towards this LA Times profile of CJ.

Michael Griffin plans on playing through his shoulder injury on Sunday. Hey, maybe it'll stop him from trying to do too much in supporting the run game.

Paul K delivers the book on the Vince Young 2.0, looking at all of his major failing from the first time around, and how he's laid them to rest so far this year.

I'm linking this not for the drivel from Joe Biddle, but for the hilariousness in the comments, where the first guy doesn't get that 'I bet on Germany in WWII.' is a joke. Good times ensue. **UPDATE: This post has been removed by The Tennessean web hampsters.**

Clark Judge tip-toes around it, but the truth in undeniable: Vince Young's resurgence is complete validation of Fisher's choice to fire Norm Chow and bring back the man he was comfortable with to mold VY.

The mad geniuses at KSK (despite settling on a terrible nickname for CJ) take a moment to roast Colts fans:

Derek [Colts fan]: ...I used to frequent Subway all the time even though some of their employees are jerks. Wanna know why?

Cashier: [Doesn't get a chance to speak]

Derek: Because Jared, their spokesguy, is a Colts fan. And people say the Colts aren’t a glamorous team!

Dwight Freeney was back at practice for the Colts, while left tackle Charlie Johnson sat out for a second straight day...

Every time you read a great Titans-related story on the web and don't share it with the MCM community through the fanposts, fanshots or by emailing me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com Peytoon Manning makes YET ANOTHER commercial. Is that what you want?!!!!?!?!

Pre-Game Recon: Five Questions With Music City Miracles

Jake — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:27:44 -0000

In a continuation of our pre-game cooperation with Music City Miracles, Jimmy was gracious enough to answer five questions I had regarding his Tennessee Titans. Here they are.

1. The Titans have enjoyed a resurgence since starting the season 0-6. Is this due just to the change at quarterback from Kerry Collins to Vince Young, or is there more to the recent turnaround?

MCM: The QB changes has helped because Vince Young has played very efficiently where Collins did not, but there is a lot more to the turnaround. Chris Johnson has had 3 really good games. The secondary has gotten healthy so it isn't the gaping hole that it was for a few weeks. The coaching staff finally decided to go with the young guys on the defensive line, and they have played well.

So while the QB change has helped, and it is what is getting the attention, it isn't the biggest factor in the turnaround.

2. Chris Johnson’s campaign for the Pro Bowl began in Week 2 against the Texans with 3 touchdowns and 284 all-purpose yards. Since Week 3 though, the Texans have stymied opponents’ rushing attacks for an average of 60.5 yards per game. Do you think Johnson will be slowed at all in the rematch, or will he have another huge day?

MCM: I don't expect him to have the same numbers that he did in Week 2, but I do expect him to get his yards. It only takes one or two missed assignments by a defense for CJ to put up big numbers.

The Titans also figured out how to throw a screen pass over the last 3 weeks. It is just another way to get the ball in CJ's hands.

3. The Texans have the 3rd ranked passing attack going against the Titans’ 31st ranked pass defense. How can the Titans slow down Matt Schaub and company?

MCM: By getting pressure on Schaub with the front 4 and the secondary playing their assignments.

It is close to impossible to shut a guy like Andre Johnson down, but the Titans should be able to keep him from putting up the numbers he did in Week 2 by playing their assignments. The safeties, Chris Hope and Michael Griffin, have been biting hard on the run fakes all season. Hopefully they won't do that in this game.

The front 4 has improved since the last time these two played. As a matter of fact, Jacob Ford, one of the best pass rushers on the team, wasn't even active for that game. William Hayes has replaced Jevon Kearse in the starting lineup and is playing well also. They should be able to keep Schaub from getting comfortable in the pocket.

4. Obviously Bud Adams is not an extremely popular person in the city of Houston. What is the your reaction and that of the typical Titans fan of his flipping the bird in Buffalo last week?

MCM: I am not quite sure how to react to it honestly. Part of me thought it was hilarious, and part of me thought it was just sad. I think it is safe to say after getting hammered with a $250K fine Mr. Adams will be on his best behavior for a while.

5. How do you think the game will play out on Monday, an what will the final score be?

MCM: I think this is going to be a very good game that comes down to the wire. I think Vince Young puts up his best numbers of the season and leads the team down the field to set up a field goal in the 4th quarter for the win. 24-21 Titans.

Titans vs Texans coverage

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Same Vince Young, New Mentality Edition

August West — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:53:18 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

CJ will crush your dreams even before he gets into the end zone.

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On Sunday, Chris Johnson said that the team's goal is to try and win 10 straight to close out the year. The Texans, of course, are trying to psyche themselves up by pretending that's a shot at them. Now, I know our guys have been guilty of creating the impression of being disrespected to build motivation (see weeks 1-14 last year), but this just seems pretty ridiculous. What player in the NFL right now isn't trying to run the table for the rest of the year? I can garauntee you even St. Louis Rams back-up players have the same goal.

Indefatigable reader/commenter JimR points us towards this link from when Jeff Fisher was on The Coach's Show with Steve Mariuci. Coach made a great statement about Vince Young's progress:

"There’s a different person wearing number 10,"

And as we banter back and forth with fans from around the league, be sure to keep in mind that pretty much none of them have seen the new and improved Vince Young (or the revitalized front four, for that matter)... yet!

Bravo for this article on Bud Adams, and where he should have directed his double barrel salutation:

But here's the question about Adams: Why isn't he in the Hall of Fame?

... Next year should be Adams' turn. And if he doesn't get it he ought to be spared the fine if he decides to give Hall voters his next one-finger salute.

The Texans have won the last two games against us (though you can argue we game planned more for the Hall of Fame Game this year than that game last year, as we had the no. 1 seed in the bag), and that may be just enough to consider this a rivalry rather than the one-sided beatdown it was before now. Prior to last season's loss the Titans had won seven straight contests.

Follow us through the jump for more links sure to get you pumped for Monday Night Football...

T-Rac, Chris Hope and Jeff Fisher all make this week's edition of KSK's LOLNFL. The Charger's fan holding up the Eagle's nest wins the day, though.

Bet US has the Titans favored by 4.5 points for Monday's contest, which is a damned sizable spread for a road game in the NFL (usually the home team starts out +3 when they're calculating the spread). As much as people want to crow about the disparity in records, it's pretty obvious that Vegas has noticed two things: we're only two wins/losses behid the Texans, and our scheulde has been a little tougher than the Texans' (which included the Raiders at home where we played the Patriots in a blizzard on the road). doesn't know how to read a damned line.

Vince Young's amazing scamper in overtime still haunts several of the Texans, says John McClain. Another tip of the hat to JimR for this one!

I'm posting this usually-inane list of 5 things about the Titans because number 1 is as true of a statements as you'll see all week: Andre Johnson is a Titan killer. Of course, he's one of the best WRs in the game and pretty much smokes eveyone.

Paul Kuharsky dials back on the Vince Young slams to breakdown his key first down scramble from Sunday's game.

Stephen Tulloch delivers a new blog post on VY's turnaround and how important Cortland Finnegan is to the entire defense.

Dave Perkins recaps the long and illustrious history of flipping the bird in sports, politics and pop culture.

Every time you read a great Titans-related story on the web and don't share it with the MCM community through the fanposts, fanshots or by emailing me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com Matt Schaub gains one health point. Is that what you want?!!!!?!?!

Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots Preview

Jimmy — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:00:19 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

Belichick thinks even he could throw for 300 against this defensive backfield. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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The good news about this game is that Tom Brady doesn't appear to be 100% recovered from the knee injury he suffered in week 1 last season. The bad news is that it doesn't really matter. Cortland Finnegan isn't going to play tomorrow which means the Titans secondary will once again be running out two rookies and a practice squad player. Michael Griffin and Chris Hope have been pretty much invisible this season. If the Titans are going to have any shot at winning this game those two are going to need to have the game of their lives.

Another piece of good news is that the Patriots aren't a very good running team (of course neither were the Colts). The Pats come in ranked 20th in the league rushing. The Titans should be able to control the attack of Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney with just their front four leaving the back seven to try and figure out how to stop an opposing QB from throwing for 300 yards. *side note- The only quarterback not to throw for 300+ against the Titans this season was Mark Sanchez. How sad is that?

On offense we will talk again about how this team should re-discover their smash mouth mentality. We have been saying that should be the case for weeks now, and they have still yet to take a shot at doing. I can't help but think that if Jeff Fisher and/or Mike Heimerdinger read this blog every day the Titans would be at least 3-2. In all seriousness though the best defense the 2009 Titans can play is on the sideline watching the offense eat clock. That is especially more important against a quarterback like Brady.

New England plays pretty good pass defense allowing just 212 yards per game. That makes it even more important for the Titans to get the rushing game on track. It would also be nice to see Kenny Britt and Jared Cook on the field early and often. We heard about all of these match-up problems that Cook can create. Why not prove that to us since it is week 6 now and we are 0-5. Just sayin....

It is really mind boggling to look at those numbers the Titans are giving up on defense.

I wish I could have a more positive outlook heading into this game, but it is tough to see a place where the Titans have the advantage. Here's to hoping they can force a couple of turnovers and get some easy scoring chances.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

2 months ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) catches a pass against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman (41) for the game-winning touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/ Jack Dempsey )

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Happy Tuesday, friends. Welcome to what will probably be a somewhat shorter-than-usual version of ST&NO. The first week of every month, accountants get to close the books for the recently ended prior month. As I start writing this opening section, it is 7:17 PM on Monday night, so my day job has unfortunately gotten in the way of my primary goal on a Monday, which is to write this column. (A today-specific secondary goal is to correctly punctuate all text in parentheses, because I am all about continuous performance improvement). I'll be switching back and forth between this and that, probably for the next 5 hours or so. So, the moral of the story is that there's no time to waste. Ready.... BEGIN!!!!

1. I can't remember the last time I felt so good about a Broncos team and its total team performance over a stretch of games, as I do now. I don't think I ever did in 2005, and I know I haven't since then. There's a guy who I was in the Navy with, and knew a little bit, (we mess-cranked together, for anybody who knows what that means). Now, we're Facebook friends. Well, he's from Oakland, and he seems to think that each of these 4 Broncos wins has been 100% luck. Even the Raiders, because, he says they are in a rebuilding ~~year~~ (decade).

What makes me feel so good is knowing that the 4-0 start has absolutely nothing to do with luck, not even the Brandon Stokley miracle play against Cincinnati. That play, in and of itself, was lucky, but being in the position to have a break win you a game was not luck. (I actually feel the same way about the Hochuli Game, incidentally. The Broncos still had to score on 4th down, and win on a 2-point conversion. The blown Hochuli call was not a 39-point play, and if San Diego had won on a fluke play like that, the luck just would have gone in the preconceived-notion-confirming direction). But I digress.

The Broncos are playing well in all phases of the football game, and it's translating into victories, just like they tell you it will in Pop Warner. The formula they are following is time-honored and uncomplicated. Block, tackle, don't throw into coverage, run north and south, catch the ball, and hold onto it when you get it. I'm a simple man with simple tastes, like Floyd Gondolli in Boogie Nights. (Well, not just like him, but you understand what I am getting at).

I am almost troubled by how good I feel. An even bigger worry is how much confidence I have in Josh McDaniels. This is going to sound blasphemous, but I have more confidence in him than I think I ever did in Mike Shanahan. McDaniels put up with all of that criticism and stuck to his program. I have total confidence that he has a plan and that this team will be a consistent winner because of that plan. I always thought the Broncos would be good because Shanahan was such a great offensive coach, but it's been a long time since I felt there was a great, holistic, 1-53, all-phases unified team concept in place with him. There was almost an arrogance that his brilliance on offense would be enough to overcome some other areas which got less focus.

Winners win, and we have one as our coach. Shanahan was a winner too - don't get me wrong, but I like the total approach I am seeing from the "kid from Ohio," as Gil Whiteley derisively called him. (I'd never heard of Gil until Monday, but it's quite apparent that I wasn't missing much). Nobody wins a championship after only 4 games, but you sure can get some naysayers in your own fan base to understand your plan. You can definitely get your players to buy in, even the skeptical ones, like some Broncos have admitted to being. And you can absolutely make some myopic pundits shut up and/or take a seat on the bandwagon. Well done.

2. I absolutely loved this comment from Josh McDaniels:

"What other people thought about our team, what other people who are less educated than the ones inside the building thought about our team doesn't really provide us any reason to feel anything. It doesn't really matter. We know we've won four games and four games will never qualify us for the playoffs, four games will never win our division, and four games won't really get us much of anything, so, we're happy to be four and 0, but we're certainly far from satisfied and we've got a lot of improvements to make. We can play better, we can coach better, and that's what we are after."

According to JeffG, it particularly had the aforementioned Whiteley up in arms, which sounds like a good thing to me, judging from his "writing." We are all less educated than the people in the building, even those of us who are a lot more educated than others. The Broncos' team personnel know what they are trying to do, and we're all trying to understand what they are trying to do. It was a subtle way of sticking it to the information leeches, who enjoyed greater access in the past and rewarded Shanahan and others with mostly-favorable coverage. McDaniels, like Bill Belichick, realizes that if you win, it doesn't matter who likes you personally. I'll tell you one thing: It's really good to be in the sector of the Broncos media which doesn't particularly need access. Nothing has changed for us, and business is booming.

3. Information From My Eyes, Cowboys at Broncos:

a. Due to the wonders of HDTV, I know that Terence Newman is a liar. He claimed that Brandon Marshall grabbed his jersey to get open. That's a bunch of BS. Newman got a weak jam on Marshall in the 5-yard zone, and Marshall hit Newman's outside (left) shoulder with his open, outside (right) hand in getting off the jam. Marshall then got about 2 yards of separation. Newman recovered pretty well, but by the time he caught up, Marshall's hands were up over his head, and he was jumping to catch the pass. No jersey-grabbing whatsoever on that play. You got beat, just admit you got beat.

b. David Bruton is getting so close to blocking a punt - I'm telling you, he's going to get one very soon and change the complexion of a game.

c. The pass interference penalty in the second half on Andre' Goodman was not even close to being legitimate. It was a textbook play on the ball.

d. Jack Williams had a great game filling in for Alphonso Smith as the nickelback. His best play was his sure tackle on Patrick Crayton at the 2 after the Dallas First and Goal, inside of a minute to go. Tony Romo spiked the ball on Second down, and then went after Champ Bailey twice in a row after that. JMFW had a nice breakup on 3rd and 3 earlier in the same drive, right before Romo hit Sam Hurd on that crazy broken play.

e. Speaking of Champ Bailey, he is being asked to do some different things scheme-wise than he has in recent years, but he definitely has not lost a step. The trouble is, Goodman is really tough to beat on the other side too, so where do you really want to go? Teams have to be really reluctant to challenge the outside, and then, that puts you in the business of contending with Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, and others inside, and running the distinct risk of getting your receivers blown up. Ask Roy Williams about that.

f. I really like the way that Wesley Woodyard is being used, and how he is playing. He has mostly been on the field in long-yardage situations, and he's done really well in coverage. On Sunday, he got a free run at Tony Romo on a delayed blitz, and knocked the bejesus out of him, right as he threw the ball wildly incomplete, in going 3 and out.

g. Brett Kern and Matt Prater have been tremendously valuable to the Broncos in winning the field position battle this season. Even when Kern shanks a punt, like his first one on Sunday, he is getting some nice rolls.

h. Kyle Orton played pretty well, once again. His accuracy could have been better in a few spots, particularly that wide-open throw to Jabar Gaffney against zero coverage, but he did a very nice job of taking care of business, and not making mistakes, once again. I could get really used to this.

4. Information From My Eyes. Other Games:

a. The Titans are a mess, and have to be getting close to writing off this season and looking at Vince Young again. The obvious speculation for a reason they're 0-4 would be that they greatly miss Albert Haynesworth, but I don't think that's the case. Their defensive line is the strength of their team, and they're getting excellent play from Jason Jones and Tony Brown. Rather, their back 7 has failed them this season - especially Nick Harper and Chris Hope in the secondary, and their LBs other than Keith Bulluck. Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin have under-performed their star reputations, too (although Finnegan did miss the debacle against Jacksonville).

b. I am Wes Welker's biggest non-fan. I've always thought that he's just a guy playing a well-designed, high-volume role. He kind of reminds me of old friend Mike Anderson in that way. Julian Edelman did just fine in the same role the last two weeks, and the only thing that was particularly lost was Welker's above-average blocking ability. If I were Bill Belichick, I would give some serious thought to selling high on Welker next offseason, like he recently did with Richard Seymour.

c. On Sunday, the quintessential Derek Anderson was on display. Yes, he challenges defenses down the field more than Brady Quinn does, but he also tends to throw the ball to the other team a lot and take a bunch of sacks. Whereas I think Quinn can be a winning player with good talent around him, I think Anderson will always do too many losing things to ever really be that.

d. Brian Cushing continues to be a very good player for the Texans, amid a morass of below-averageness and mismatched skill-sets on defense. In a few weeks, maybe Week 8 or so, we'll review the list of guys I went on record as liking prior to the Draft, and let's just say for now that it's looking really good for my credibility as a talent evaluator.

e. A guy who I didn't like that much, who has done very well so far, is Rey Maualuga for the Bengals. He's playing strongside LB in the 4-3, which seems to be a great position for him. I'm impressed with his play, and the way he's being used. My qualms with him were his reputation for being immature and his lack of range in pass coverage, and as a SLB, he has been off the field in sub packages.

f. The Cleveland Browns' biggest problem has been a lack of anybody for defenses to be scared of, beyond Braylon Edwards. For that reason, the emergence of Mohammed Massaquoi has a chance to save their season, and help them win 4-5 games, if it continues. There has to be somebody who can beat single coverage, and Josh Cribbs lacks the technique as a WR to do so. I wasn't that big a Massaquoi fan in his Georgia days, but he showed me something Sunday.

g. I actually watched a lot of the Browns-Bengals game, and felt like Jerome Harrison looked really lousy. Imagine my surprise to read the box score and see he carried 29 times for 121 yards in the game. He did lose a fumble, which I saw live. I was really sure that he played badly, but he avoids the harsh criticism I had for him, by performing better when I was on other channels.

h. Carson Palmer looked pretty bad for most of the game on Sunday, but talked Marvin Lewis into going for it on 4th down in overtime, rather than playing for a tie - and then running faster than I thought he possibly could to pick it up, leading to the Bengals' winning field goal. It was like in baseball, when a star pitcher wins without his best stuff.

i. The Bengals' special teams performance was abysmal, with bad kick and punt coverage, a fumble by (ST&NO favorite) Andre Caldwell returning a kickoff, and the blocked extra point on what should have been the game-winning TD. Add to that that the eventual winning field goal was only good by inches, and the Bengals deserved to lose, just based on bad play in the kicking game.

j. I've been thinking this all season, and I am picking a pretty unlikely time to say it, maybe on purpose. Matt Forte is a completely average running back, who fits in really well with all of the widespread averageness on the offensive side of the ball for Chicago. He's not really quick or fast, and he runs really upright. I know he misses all the checkdown throws he got from Kyle Orton, and I have to wonder how often Kyle checked into a better running play than what was called in the huddle for him.

k. The NBC crew was talking about how great the Steelers offensive line has suddenly started playing, but the correct observation would be that the Chargers are suddenly really vulnerable on their defensive line, with the exception of Luis Castillo. Even he had his bad moments Sunday night.

l. I'm not the biggest Ike Taylor fan in the world, but he had a nice game on Sunday night, particularly on a couple of deep balls that Philip Rivers normally makes his living completing. On the other side, Antonio Cromartie had a pretty tough night. Taylor isn't that talented but has good technique. Cromartie is extremely talented, but is sloppy and lazy with his technique a lot of times.

m. If I were a Detroit Lions fan (like my friend Chris Dillon), I would feel pretty good about the direction my Lions were going in. With Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith, Calvin Johnson, and Brandon Pettigrew, they have the kind of talent at those positions that could someday rival the Aikman-Smith-Irvin-Novacek group the Cowboys had in the 90s. Of course, those Cowboys had a lot of talent on defense, and the offensive line too, and the Lions don't yet. With Jim Schwartz as their head coach, I expect them to target building up both lines, and really take a leap next season.

n. Jay Cutler looked good on Sunday. ~~His only interception was on a hail-mary play prior to halftime~~. (I saw the play live, but it must have been overturned. Good catch, tfrabotta)

o. I only caught a little of the yawner between Indianapolis and Seattle, but Robert Mathis got two of his three sacks while I was watching. He's really dangerous one-on-one for most RTs in the NFL. Getting down a couple scores is bad, bad news against the Colts, because then Mathis and Dwight Freeney can just come around the corner after your QB, and the back 7 can set up in cover 2. The time-honored way to beat them is to keep the score close and exploit their edges with your running game.

p. If JaMarcus Russell never gets his act together, I'll tell you who should be the next Raiders QB. Jason Campbell needs to play in a vertical passing scheme, and he can be very effective in one. Soon-to-be-former Redskins coach Jim Zorn is married to his West Coast principles and puts his QB in a position to consistently fail, by asking him to be something he's not. Campbell will almost certainly be cut loose after this season, and if I wanted to be a vertical team, I know I could do a lot worse in a buy-low situation.

q. Aaron Rodgers is a great player, but he took a hellacious beating from the Vikings on Monday night. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Packers offensive line is terrible. I'll also disagree with Jon Gruden's assessment that Chad Clifton is "excellent." He is no such thing, but I'll grant that he's better than the alternatives, Daryn Colledge and T.J. Lang .

r. I'm way over Brett Favre, like roughly 100% of MHR community members, but he did look excellent Monday night.

s. I don't really like the way the Packers are using Charles Woodson. They mostly have him covering inside players, with Tramon Williams outside. I think it somewhat wastes Woodson's still-excellent coverage skills, to use him on mostly lesser players.

5. Between The Lines will run separately as a FanPost Tuesday night, due to the aforementioned day-job related time constraints.

6. The key defensive sequence in the Broncos-Cowboys game was one which went unnoticed, (or at least unmentioned) by the football cognoscenti. (HAHA cognoscenti.... I crack myself up.) Anyway, after the Broncos tied the game with a Matt Prater field goal, the Cowboys got the ball back with 5:58 to play. This is a dangerous spot, because a (Bill Williamson Memorial) decent scoring drive can easily kill that whole clock.

1st and 10 at DAL 20	T.Romo pass short left to T.Choice pushed ob at DAL 26 for 6 yards (A.Davis).
2nd and 4 at DAL 26	T.Choice up the middle to DAL 32 for 6 yards (K.Peterson).
1st and 10 at DAL 32	T.Romo pass short middle to R.Williams to DAL 47 for 15 yards (C.Bailey).

Things are suddenly looking bad, and I have to tell you, it's reminding me of every Broncos team since 1999. They've often been unable to come up with a key defensive play.

1st and 10 at DAL 47

T.Choice left end to DAL 44 for -3 yards (M.Haggan).

This is the key defensive play. The play was a naked flip with Romo under center. Ryan McBean and Mario Haggan each got a great read, and resulting penetration, and McBean's presence inside forced Choice to run right into Haggan. 2nd and 13 from midfield.

2nd and 13 at DAL 44

(Shotgun) T.Romo sacked at DAL 40 for -4 yards (V.Holliday).

Another key defensive play, obviously. Holliday beats Flozell "The Turnstile" Adams, Adams' third sack allowed of the game, and sets up a really difficult 3rd and 17. There was good front-side pressure from Le Kevin Smith and Robert Ayers as well.

3rd and 17 at DAL 40

(Shotgun) T.Romo pass incomplete deep middle to M.Austin.

Austin was well covered by Brian Dawkins in a cover-3 zone concept, but Romo could have hit him with a good throw. Smith had pressure again.

After Mat McBriar punted, came this sequence:

1st and 10 at DEN 27	(Shotgun) K.Orton pass short right to B.Marshall to DEN 35 for 8 yards (T.Newman).
2nd and 2 at DEN 35	(Shotgun) K.Moreno up the middle to DEN 49 for 14 yards (K.Hamlin).
1st and 10 at DEN 49	(Shotgun) K.Orton pass deep right to B.Marshall for 51 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

That defensive sequence was where this game really turned, friends.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. Funny stuff from SI.com's Andrew Perloff here. He calls his feature Against The Grain, which tells you he's probably reaching for contrarian stuff. I love this bit here, his equivalent to item 1, if he were writing ST&NO.

1. Congrats to the Broncos for the 4-0 start. And condolences in advance to Denver fans for your team's 4-4 record at the midway point (Their next games are New England, at San Diego, at Baltimore and Pittsburgh). A home win over the Cowboys is supposed to be the crowning win that convinces us all they're for real?

This was the conventional wisdom last week, and now, by being a week late to the party, and as the John Clayton's just left, this is how Perloff brandishes his contrarian-ness? He's still not alone on the Broncos Are Pretenders Train, of course. Adam Schein and Jamie Dukes need somebody to chat with.

Another "pearl" from the same article, focusing on my the Browns:

8. The Browns probably chose Brady Quinn to start this season because he was a first-round pick, even though Derek Anderson looks like a much better quarterback. Now they have to turn their eyes toward another position. Would Braylon Edwards be on the field if he wasn't a high first-round pick?

Of course Edwards would be on the field. He's the Browns' best offensive player, even a little better than Joe Thomas. He has just faced constant double coverage this season, because defenses aren't worried about anybody else. He drops a few passes, but he's their only playmaker on offense. Who should be playing ahead of him? Mike Furrey? Josh Cribbs? Brian Robiskie? Maybe they ought to dust off Webster Slaughter.

9. <Alec Baldwin voice from Glengarry Glen Ross> And to answer your question, pal, I'da thunk it. I'm on record with it, in fact. John Bena got beat up for my 11-5 preseason prediction, but it's looking pretty good at this point.

That's all I have time to write this time, friends. Remember to look for Between The Lines on Tuesday night (as a FanPost,) and Lighting Up The Scoreboard on Saturday. Have a great week, and Go Broncos!

What is Wrong with the Tennessee Titans?

hal41605 — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:31:03 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Have Jeff Fisher and the Titans ever fallen so far short of expectations?

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"And you may ask yourself: Well....How did I get here?"

-David Byrne and Brian Eno

Nothing about the Titans season has gone as planned. A team that most people expected to at least be among the 10 or 12 best teams in the league sits at 0-3. On the bench, one of the most respected coaches of the last two decades holds in his hand a roster that returned all the crucial, marquee players, save one, from a team that went 13-3 last year. It's a roster full of Pro-Bowlers and other assorted veterans, some of whom have rings on their fingers from their previous destinations. The rookies on that roster belong to a highly regarded draft class that provided much to be optimistic about during the preseason.

The Titans lost a coordinator, but promoted from within in hopes of maintaining a great system. They lost an All-Pro, but put trust in the best in the business, Jim Washburn, to turn another nobody into a somebody, yet again, as he has done so regularly throughout his tenure in Tennessee. The players were steaming mad and itching to complete some unfinished business after squandering one of the easier roads to a Super Bowl one will ever see last season with the fiasco at home against Baltimore in early January. This was a team that had absolutely every reason to come storming out of the gates, tough schedule or not, and assert themselves as a contender early on.

And they now sit at 0-3.

The Titans have problems, big problems in all three phases of the game. Some are personnel based, some are errors in execution, and still others are coaching related. After the jump, my take on the State of the Titans and what must happen, starting on Sunday with Jacksonville.

Special Teams

Special teams is by far the worst unit on this football team this season. It is basically impossible to find anything good to say about special teams, as their dead last DVOA ranking would suggest. The Titans have allowed a blocked kick, missed a kick, and done worse than nothing on both kick and punt returns. Football Outsiders gives separate values for each phase of special teams, and an examination of each phase tells you exactly what you already know if you have been paying attention. The best parts of the Titans special teams are the kick and punt coverage units, which both rank near the middle of the league. On field goals and extra point kicks, only 5 teams have done worse so far this season. On kick returns only the hapless Rams are worse and no team in the league is below the Titans on punt returns.

Plenty has already been written about the Titans decision to go without an experienced return man this season. The decision to let Chris Carr walk was, I believe, justifiable based upon his insistence that he have a regular role on defense in the secondary-a role he simply wasn't that good at. But Chris Carr signed with the Ravens on March 18^th. There is no excuse whatsoever for not using the next 5 months between losing Carr and the beginning of the season to find a guy who can return kicks and punts. There simply isn't. This is the first of two massive blunders that the front office made this offseason that should have never been allowed to happen. The Titans recently went crawling back to return specialist Mark Jones, whom they cut after an injury plagued training camp, but how effective he is going to be remains to be seen, considering he failed a physical in Carolina less than a month ago. It must be said, however, as long as he doesn't fumble away touchdowns for the other team, he's an upgrade.

Pass Defense

The Titans pass defense, which has been infuriatingly inept, is currently ranked 29^th in terms of raw yardage and 26^th by Football Outsiders' DVOA metric. From where I sit there are two causes, one schematic, one personnel. In terms of scheme, the Titans are trying their hardest to stick with the Schwartz system of only rushing four lineman 90% of the time. While I have no problem with this being our core philosophy, Defensive Coordinator Chuck Cecil has to do a much, much better job of recognizing when our four-man rush simply isn't getting the job done and blitzing more accordingly. When Roethlisberger was getting all day on every single play in the second half against Pittsburgh, Cecil's failure to adapt and do what was necessary to get more pressure was a huge part of why the Titans lost that game. It should be noted that our four man line ranks 10^th by DVOA against the pass and is towards the top end of the league with 7 sacks this season. It is not the case that our line can't get pressure on the QB, it's that they cannot do it consistently and they cannot do it late in games when they have spent the majority of the game on the field. The line misses Albert Haynesworth, no question, because he made everyone better, but I still think this defense can be just as nasty as last season with a little more imagination in regards to how they bring pressure.

The personnel aspect of our passing defense woes begins and ends with Nick Harper. When you have a cornerback averaging almost 9 tackles per game and who has no pass defenses in 3 games, you have big problems. It has become obvious that Nick Harper simply does not have enough left in his legs to be effective. The pass rush may not be as potent this season, and I do think that is part of the problem, but Nick Harper is leaving receivers open early and often, so it's hard to imagine that he would be serviceable even with more QB pressure. In fact, several times when the Titans have blitzed, it has been Nick Harper's man that served as the safety valve on a quick slant. Through the first three games, it is almost impossible to avoid the conclusion that Harper, at 35 years old, simply cannot play corner effectively in the NFL anymore.

The decision to let all of the experienced back up corners walk this offseason, when they knew they had a starter who was going to be that old, was, in my opinion, the biggest blunder made by the front office this offseason. It is no secret that once a corner loses his legs he is next to worthless in this league. Wide receivers are just too fast. By letting our depth at that position walk, especially Eric King, and only adding rookie replacements, the front office went "all in" on the bet that Harper would be fine this season. It looked like a sucker bet during the offseason, but the events of the first 3 weeks have cemented the choice to not pursue another quality, experienced cornerback as an unmitigated disaster.

While there have certainly been other scheme and execution problems in the secondary, such as Michael Griffin and Chris Hope simply not living up to their Pro-Bowl performances from last year and simply not being as good when asked to cover longer than last year, not having a good 2^ndstring option with which to replace Harper has been, and may continue to be, a fatal error. Now that Vincent Fuller and Cortland Finnegan are both banged up, this blunder will only become more and more costly, as replacing Harper will not be possible if the Titans are too busy dealing with injuries to other players at the same position. If the Titans go quietly into the night the season, this will be as much the reason as anything else.

Offensive Scheme

There are always plenty of opinions about the merits of having a "game manager" at quarterback and even more opinions about what, exactly constitutes a "games manager". Well, Titans fans, the answer is simple. Last year Kerry Collins was a game manager. This year, he is not. The distinction basically centers on how many and what kinds of throws the quarterback is asked to make every game. Last year, Kerry made very few passes deep down field, and got the majority of his completions through tight ends and running backs. As a result, Kerry was among the best at protecting the ball last year and not taking sacks. He made quick, precise throws to short and mid-range targets and it was exactly what a team with a dynamic rushing attack and a bruising defense needed: a game manager.

This year Kerry Collins is no longer being asked to be a game manager. Last season he attempted roughly 26 passes per game. Through three games this season he has attempted 35, 33, and 37 passes, on average 9 more passes per game than last season. Last season, 150 of the team's 265 completions went to people who didn't play receiver, or 56.6%. So far this season the count is 30 to 28 in favor of receivers, or 51.7% in the other direction, a swing of over 7%. Going forward, the Titans need to reestablish their low risk brand of passing game, and getting Bo Scaife and Jared Cook into the game plan after injuries will be key.

Simply put, Collins is being asked to make more plays in the passing game, and make plays he has-both good and bad. Kerry only threw 12 TDs all of last season but is on pace for 21.3 TD passes this season. Last season he averaged 167 yards passing per game. This year he is averaging over 40 more yards per game with 210 yards per game. It becomes clear that when you ask Kerry to do more, he can do more. But what has not yet been said and what most people have probably been thinking while watching the games is that Kerry is also making a lot of mistakes. Kerry was only intercepted 7 times all last season, roughly 1.7% of his passes. This season he has already been picked off 4 times at a rate of 3.8%--more than twice as often as last season. The other big change has been in the sack department. When you make more throws to wide receivers down field, the quarterback is asked to hold the ball longer. Kerry has already been sacked 5 times after being sacked just 8 times last season.

So the situation seems clear. When we ask Kerry to throw the ball more often, especially down field to wide receivers, we get a lot more production of every sort: more yards, more TDs, more critical mistakes. The Titans have seemingly forgotten what made Collins so successful last season and are currently asking him to do more than he is capable of doing without significantly increasing the number of negative plays he makes. Last season, Collins threw less than 11 incompletions per game. This season he is up to almost 16. The Titans have lost the time of possession battle, a crucial stat for a Jeff Fisher team, in every game this season. Adding 5 clock-stopping incompletions per game is part of that. The other part of that is what we aren't doing when we are busy throwing the ball too much.

Last season, Chris Johnson and Lendale White combined to average just over 28 carries per game (remember, Collins averaged 26 passes per game). That number is down over 3 carries per game this season, and it's Lendale's carries that are really suffering. He is down to only 7 carries per game from his average of 12.5 carries per game last year. So not only is the increased load on Collins' shoulders causing him to create turnovers that we cannot afford, it is also contributing to the marginalization of Lendale White, and is thus neutering the vaunted 1-2 punch in the running game.

Lendale is in a contract season, lost all that weight and now we are choosing to pass the ball 35 times a game instead of milking our running game like we ought to. Lendale has NEVER been this good, and the Titans have never used him less. In a word: stupid. Our mediocre at best run blocking (a dark secret about this team that is rarely talked about) has been less than effective much of the time, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that Chris Johnson can't move the pile or wear down defenses. Astute ESPN columnist Paul Kuharsky pointed out how almost half of CJ's touches have gone for a yard or less. Chris Johnson is that fastest man alive in football pads, but Lendale, slimmed down though he may be, delivers a load that Johnson cannot begin to simulate. The Titans desperately need to get him more touches, especially early on, in order to keep the ball moving forward on the ground and to put a strangle hold on time of possession. Lendale's touchdown run against the Jets was an absolute thing of beauty, showcasing an incredible mixture of strength and agility. A big part of the reason why we are losing games late instead of winning them is because we aren't pounding the rock on offense, milking the clock and wearing down the other team. For someone who has watched the Titans ever since they existed, this seems like Jeff Fisher Football 101, but astoundingly this version of the Titans have seemingly forgotten that lesson.

Coaching and Management

As someone who generally regards Jeff Fisher as the best coach in football without a ring, this final section is particularly difficult to write and think about. The simple fact is that, besides the draft, the coaching and player personnel staffs have done a borderline awful job since the end of last season. From a coaching standpoint, this team has been terrible at making in game adjustments. Beyond that, this team has lost its identity.

On offense, the smash mouth, run first philosophy that defined this franchise has gone out the window in favor of a near 60/40 split in favor of the passing game. The Titans have trailed this season, but never to a large enough margin to justify abandoning the run. Offensive Coach Mike Heimerdinger needs to get his head back on straight and remember what it is that this team does well. Yes, the Titans have upgraded their wide receiver corps substantially, but none of those additions comes close to justifying this kind of swing in philosophy.

On defense, the coaches should have realized that losing Albert Haynesworth would hurt our pass rush, at least to some degree. If you know there is a pretty good chance that there will be a decline in quarterback pressure, leaving a 35 year old out there at corner with no quality backup is foolish. I don't think Albert's departure has to be such a big deal, but if the coaching staff continues to use the exact same scheme as if he were still on the roster, the impact of his departure will continue to be magnified.

From Here on Out

As far as I am concerned, last year was a blueprint for exactly what this team needs to be about: clock control (via a run first attack and a safe passing game), winning the turnover battle, stuffing the run and not giving up big plays. The Titans, through three games have failed at three of those four key tenets. Looking at it that way, it should be no surprise that this team finds themselves exactly where they are at this point of the season- on life support. There is simply no way to be successful when you combine a team straying from its identity with the killer lapses in execution on the field. If these Tennessee Titans expect to right the ship and make something of this season, it is imperative that they take a good long look in the mirror and remember what made them tick last season. It is by no means too late to turn things around, but it has to start Sunday against the Jaguars. Stop asking Kerry to be something he is not, reintegrate Lendale into the offense, figure out how to bring more pressure through blitzing, and hope that Mark Jones can get the job done.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Tennessee Titans Pass Defense

John B — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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Last season, the Jets went into Nashville and crushed the Titans in no small measure due to a huge day by Brett Favre. Operating out of spread sets, Favre picked Tennessee's vaunted defense, neutralizing its pass rush by consistently getting the ball out quickly and finding an open target. The strategy will be a bit different this time around with a rookie quarterback. We won't see complicated looks. The Jets have featured a scaled back playbook in the first two weeks. How can you tell? Only two receivers, one tight end, and one running back have as many as 2 receptions. The featured targets have done a great job getting open, and Mark Sanchez has been very accurate, making good decisions.

In some ways, the Titans will not be as difficult of a challenge as the Texans and Pats presented. Tennessee's Cover 2 scheme relies more on execution than aggressively attacking the opposing quarterback with exotic fronts. For the Titans, what you see is generally what you get, a lot of four man rushes. Albert Haynesworth is gone, but the unit has a lot of talent and rotates linemen a lot. Javon Kearse and Kyle Vanden Bosch will start at end, while we'll see Jacob Ford, William Hayes, and former Jet David Ball behind them. Tony Brown, Jason Jones, Jovan Haye, and Kevin Vickerson will line up at tackle. There are a lot of talented pass rushers from this group.

Although they will not have as many perplexing fronts as the Texans and Pats did, the Titans have the best secondary the Jets have faced this season. Cortland Finnegan is a Pro Bowl cover corner. After a rough week against Andre Johnson, he'll have plenty of motivation. I would expect to see plenty of man coverage on Jerricho Cotchery.

Nick Harper mans the other corner spot. The Titans play a ton of zone, which is where Harper is best. This is an area Chansi Stuckey should be able to find some room to work. He has been great at breaking off his routes and finding an opening. If the offensive line can protect Sanchez, Stuckey could have a big day finding holes in the zone. Ditto Dustin Keller working the seam against the linebacker corp of David Thornton, Stephen Tullock, and Keith Brooking.

If you're waiting for David Clowney to have his breakout week, it probably won't be this one. Cover 2 means the two safeties play deep to guard against vertical routes, and the Titans have a pair of really good ones in Chris Hope and Michael Griffin.

It all depends on the men up front. The Jets have been able to keep Sanchez upright the first two weeks. If he has time, he can do damage. I won't expect a game as big as Favre had last season, but there are areas the Jets can exploit the Titans with Stuckey and Keller in particular.

Pre-Game Recon With Music City Miracles

Jake — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:00:21 -0000

As Tim introduced last week, we'll have some rare insight into our opponents every week through that respective team's blogger here on SB Nation. This week August West of SBN's Titans site, who you may have seen around BRB from time to time, was gracious enough to answer a few questions about this week's matchup, the Tennessee Titans. I also answered his questions as well, which can be found over at Music City Miracles.

1. The Titans defensive strength last year was the ability to pressure the quarter back with only 4 rushers. Is that ability still there?

Judging from the early returns, it's a mixed bag. The front four has always been a heavy rotation (Albert actually only played a little over 60% of the defensive snaps for us), but that's even more so the case this year as every guy on the active roster at the DT and DE positions sees the field. Probably the biggest functional difference is that we may not be as consistent at getting the push through the middle that will blow-up either a run or a pass. Tony Brown and Jason Jones are still players who can wreak havoc in the middle on any play, but overall the pressure has come more from the outside edge so far. You'll see a few more blitzes this year under Chuck Cecil, but it'll still be far under any league average.

2. Kerry Collins does not get much respect, but is he good enough to win a game if Chris Johnson and LenDale White are shut down?

I kind of feel terrible for Kerry because in the losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh he was definitely good enough to win the game for us, but the team performances were marred by red zone turnovers, uncharacteristically missed field goals and some bad drops by a receiving corps we still haven't seen at 100%. I mean, those are two of the best passing defenses in the league, and Kerry had over 240 yards against each of them without much of a running game. Last year, we had several games that weren't nationally televised where the passing game was what loosened things up for the running game (the Chicago game last year is the prima facie example of this), and several more where it was Kerry's throws on the final drive that won the game (see the first Baltimore game last year).

Long story short, you can't just completely pole jock a guy who only had 12 TDs in 16 games, but Kerry has shown Titans fans that if the D can keep it close, he can get us in position to win against any team in any location.

3. What match up against the Texans do you think is most important for the Titans?

It's easy to go with the entire Texans' defensive line vs. our offensive line, but I'll focus in on another biggie--our safeties vs. Andre Johnson. Cortland Finnegan has been practicing playing both sides of the field after being kept to one side since he became a starter, and you can believe that Johnson and Reggie Wayne are the reasons why. That being said, Cort won't be asked to cover Johnson on an island for too long, especially in the deep halves of the secondary. That's where Michael Griffin and Chris Hope, both Pro Bowlers last year, will have to be sure that they make the right read every single time. When we blitz, a lot of the time it's with Griffin. On those plays, Hope will really feel the pressure if the rush isn't there in time because Schaub would be a fool not to take some deep shots towards one of the best WRs I've ever seen out there.

4. People forget the Titians won the AFC South last year. What are the chances that Tennessee does it again this year?

Very good. This team is still a Jeff Fisher team through and through; the defense will keep us in games and the new weapons on offense (Nate Washington, Jared Cook and Kenny Britt), while still unproven, are already a huge upgrade over the worst WR corps in the league last year. Health will be the biggest factor in whether or not we repeat as AFC South champions. Looking around the rest of the division, I still believe the Colts will struggle without Dungy once some adversity hits, the Jags are several years away from competing, and then you guys are perhaps the biggest unknown in the league this year.

5. What will the result of Sunday's game be?

28-18, Titans.