SBNation.com User Blog: Sweet Tea Harvey

A Little Holiday Cheer (for those in/around Nashville)

Sweet Tea Harvey — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 01:32:54 -0000

Good evening, fellow Titans fans and MCMers! Sorry that I haven't been as active around the board for the past week or so... Christmas happenings, family time, and travel have consumed my attention for the most part recently and I haven't had much time to access MCM.

So here's the deal... It's pretty simple. I'm a Titans season ticket holder (first-year!) and I have a pair of seats upstairs in Section 342 (Loge) Row C. I live in Texas, and the plan was for me to make it to 2 games myself this year... the first was the Thursday Night Football game vs. Pittsburgh (AWESOME game), and the second was going to be this week vs. Jacksonville. But, things have changed, and I've had to cancel my New Year's trip to Tennessee for a variety of reasons.

But one man's loss is another man's (or woman's) gain! Because I'm in the holiday spirit, I'd like to treat a fellow MCMer to my seats for this Week 17 showdown vs. the Sparkle Kitties. There's no catches, no gimmicks, and no price. It's a Christmas gift from me to you. Here's all you need to do to snag them (first MCMer I hear from will get them):

1. I'd prefer to give them to an MCM regular that I'm familiar with, instead of a first-timer I've never really heard of. So when you email me, let me know your MCM name, please.

2. Please USE the tickets for YOUR personal use (or family member, etc.). Don't sell these tickets or do something weird with them!

3. If you'd like the tickets, just shoot me a quick email letting me know... you can send it to joey.w.harvey@gmail.com.

4. Once I have someone to claim the tickets, I'll email them thru my Titans account manager. I'll also post a comment here saying they've been given away.

Merry Christmas from Santa Sweet Tea, and a Happy Holidays to all you Titans fans. Let's beat the Jags and end the season on a high note!

1. I'd prefer to give them to an MCM regular that I'm familiar with, instead of a first-timer I've never really heard of. So when you email me, let me know your MCM name, please.

2. Please USE the tickets for YOUR personal use (or family member, etc.). Don't sell these tickets or do something weird with them!

3. If you'd like the tickets, just shoot me a quick email letting me know... you can send it to joey.w.harvey@gmail.com.

4. Once I have someone to claim the tickets, I'll email them thru my Titans account manager. I'll also post a comment here saying they've been given away.

Merry Christmas from Santa Sweet Tea, and a Happy Holidays to all you Titans fans. Let's beat the Jags and end the season on a high note!

Titans Election Night

Sweet Tea Harvey — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 03:43:24 -0000

Good evening, fellow Titans fans. We all know the magnitude of tonight in the United States landscape, as it's, of course, Election Day for the President of the USA. As a nod to that, I'd like to post a new concept here tonight, in the light of Bud Adams's recent comments about changes being made from top to bottom. It's Titans Election Night, and what the goal is is to explore several different "incumbents" on this team, and to either vote to re-elect them to another term (season), or to nominate a replacement (giving reasons why they're your nomination). Hopefully we can have a little fun with this and get some good discussion, all in the spirit of Elections.

I know there have already been plenty of discussions and arguments already these past few days about who needs to be booted from the office and team. This isn't quite about that. This is a forum to voice your opinion not only on who should stay/go, but also thinking of who you'd want as a replacement. For the players listed below, that comes in the form of scheduled free agents and/or projected draft picks.

So let's get started. Here are your current candidates up for re-election:

GENERAL MANAGER: Mike Reinfeldt

HEAD COACH: Mike Munchak

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Chris Palmer

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jerry Gray

RUNNING BACK: Chris Johnson

#1 WIDE RECEIVER: Kenny Britt

CENTER: Eugene Amano

TIGHT END: Jared Cook

STRONG SAFETY: Jordan Babineaux

FREE SAFETY: Michael Griffin

Have at it!

So let's get started. Here are your current candidates up for re-election:

GENERAL MANAGER: Mike Reinfeldt

HEAD COACH: Mike Munchak

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Chris Palmer

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jerry Gray

RUNNING BACK: Chris Johnson

#1 WIDE RECEIVER: Kenny Britt

CENTER: Eugene Amano

TIGHT END: Jared Cook

STRONG SAFETY: Jordan Babineaux

FREE SAFETY: Michael Griffin

Have at it!

A Visit to the Defensive Coordinator's Office

Sweet Tea Harvey — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:09:30 -0000

Welcome to the defensive coordinator's office. Here we are at 3-5, a day after a heartbreaking loss to the division-rival Indianapolis Colts. Even though the rest of the AFC is hovering around .500, we are deflated, and looking back at the box score, our defense continues to depress. It's time for some soul-searching and accountability on the part of Jerry Gray's squad. And if I were Jerry Gray (or more realistically, if I were hired as defensive coordinator today after Gray were fired), these are the talks I'd want to give today to each of our defensive starters heading into the Bears game this Sunday...

1. DT - Jurrell Casey: You are the rock of this defense. The A gaps are your throne. You are a hoss, and all of our run defense begins with you. You're big enough to plug the holes and strong and quick enough to mess up pass blocking schemes. You are the #1 DT on this team (and it's not even close) and your role here is to dominate the center and guards. You also have to be a leader and anchor on this line. Also, if it was you complaining earlier this season about coming from the #1 high school in the country and the #2 college team in the country and "now this"… that has to stop. There's no place on this team for that, and you have to be a bigger man than that.

2. DT - Sen'Derrick Marks: You've had flashes of solid play, but haven't done much to make you stand out. It's the reason many of us are clamoring for Karl Klug and Mike Martin to get more playing time. But you're a vet; those guys are still young. We've seen glimpses of your speed in chasing down RBs, FBs, and TEs on short routes, but you've got to be able to shed more blocks on the line of scrimmage to prevent runs from happening. Your leash is short, shorter than any other starter, because of Martin's solid season so far and his unmatchable motor. Step it up, or step aside. Your choice.

3. DE - Kamerion Wimbley: You were brought in for one main reason - to up our pass rush and to sack the QB. You haven't caused a JJ Watt-esque ruckus so far this year, but you also haven't been a Mario Williams either. You've been right in the middle, and have been improving over the past few weeks. As much as I want QB pressures from you, though, you still have to commit to stopping the run. We need your help in that, too. There's not much (read: any) depth behind you, so there's a lot riding on your performance.

4. DE - Derrick Morgan: You're finally healthy (knock on wood). Now it's time to see why we spent that 1st-Round draft pick on you. I'm pleased with your steady improvement in the pass rush game, and I think you've done pretty well against the run so far too. But it can be better. You and Wimbley need to become a Dwight Freeney-Robert Mathis style tandem on this DL, because you two are all we have on the ends. Behind you, there's nothing. You've been good; but as a 1st Round pick, I expect greatness.

5. MLB - Colin McCarthy: This is your defense. You've proven in your short time here that you are one of the best (if not THE best) players on this defense. You always seem to be in the right place at the right time, and are one of our best tacklers. Our whole team tackling is spotty, though, so that's not saying much at this point. You've been gimpy all year with a bum ankle, and we've seen that you have problems covering TEs across the middle. I'm taking you off that duty, and it's going to be your responsibility now to make sure the run is recognized and contained. You're simply not fast enough right now to cover effectively, so I want to use you in a spot you're better suited for at the moment.

6. SLB - Akeem Ayers: Your game has been improving, and you're clearly finding a niche in the pass rush. I like that. But your speed is also useful in pass coverage as well. You've got a year of experience over Brown, so I like mixing you in and out of coverage and pass rush duty. McCarthy isn't in a position right now to be able to cover without help, so I want you to step in when needed. When called upon to rush the passer, I want aggressiveness and I want pressure and sacks. I also need discipline from you. Dumb penalties kill us, so I need you to play with your head on straight. You keep doing this, you'll be a fine staple in this defense for years to come.

7. WLB - Zach Brown: Nice job. As a 2nd Round pick, you've already unseated veteran Will Witherspoon as the weakside LB, which I think is a solid place for you right now. Your speed is incredible, and I want to utilize that to help cover flanking RBs and any TEs that might find their way to your side of the field. Prove to me that you can tackle, because we desperately need the help in stopping the run.

8. CB - Jason McCourty: You have the easiest assignment on the field from now on: Cover the #1 WR. Simple as that. I don't care if he's lined up outside, in the slot, or in the backfield, he is your guy. Gone are the days where we are fluid with coverage, rotating between you, Verner, and Mouton depending on where the #1 lines up. You are now McCourty Island until further notice. That starts this Sunday with Brandon Marshall. On obvious passing downs, we'll give you LB help with Brown or Ayers, or safety help with Griffin, but Marshall will be your responsibility. This is why we paid you. Become the lockdown we all hope you can be.

9. CB - Alterraun Verner: Hopefully, McCourty can do a well enough job that it will force more looks your way, in regards to the #2 WR. To this point in the season, I honestly feel that you've made fewer mistakes than McCourty, but it's probably because he's seen more looks. You've done a fine job, and we all know you've made plays before. Cover the secondary and checkdown WRs, and occasionally we'll use you for corner blitzes as well. You're probably the most intelligent player on the defensive field, so if you can continue to use that strength and combine that with sure tackling, you'll continue to be one of the cornerstones of this defense. And your pay day will come.

10. FS - Michael Griffin: Play back. Way back. When you think you're back far enough, move back a few more steps. I want you running forward every play. You should never find yourself running backward. You are our center fielder, vacuuming up any deep passes thrown your direction. Let no ball behind you, and you'll do just fine. Your run support is appreciated; your tackling style, however, is not. When we talked about playing with reckless abandon, we didn't mean we wanted you to launch yourself like a dreadlocked torpedo at every ball carrier. You can play fearlessly while making textbook tackles. I want you to remind me that you DO indeed know how to wrap up and tackle. Trust me, when you do the fundamentals well, the big plays will still make themselves available to you. Help us in the tackling game, gobble up a few deep balls and fumbles, and I'll be satisfied with your contribution. Also, thanks for the special teams help.

11. SS - Jordan Babineaux: I don't know what's happened over the course of last year to this year, but I just find myself seeing you run around lost or missing tackles on too many plays this year. The good news for you is that our other options aren't any better than you. You've made some key plays when it matters, but I need more consistency. Make up your mind that RBs are not going to beat you, then tackle them with assertiveness. Your contributions on special teams are appreciated, but we miss the "big plays" that gave you the name "Big Play Babs." I feel like if you commit to making yourself better fundamentally on every play, you'll find more opportunities to make the memorable plays that we all love you for.

To all of you: The Bears come to Nashville this weekend. Their OL is suspect, their QB can get easily frustrated, and their run game is tough. Let's man up, earn some time in their backfield, and give our offense some better opportunities to win this game. LWSS.

Steve McNair: A Football Life

Sweet Tea Harvey — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:33:17 -0000

What, no post to discuss this AWESOME piece by NFL Films?

Man, I tell you what, I definitely had some dust in my eye tonight watching this documentary. It was so eerie learning again about the mantra that he grew up with: Surround yourself with the right people, and don't let anyone too close; they could hurt you.

He was a loner, he kept to himself, and he cautioned kids against developing a lifestyle where they surrounded themselves with the wrong people.

And then, July 4 happened. Because the one main time he didn't follow his own rule. He was caught in one wrong, very wrong situation and it cost him his life.

When they showed the police officer reading the details of how exactly it took place, and when it showed his mistress's mugshot, I cussed angry at the TV. It was unbearable to hear, and it's extremely sad how it happened to the last man on earth you thought it would.

So many times he had put himself in the right situations and made smart decisions. Just one of the times he didn't, though, man. All it took was just that one time. RIP Air

Oh, and side note: Bud Adams wasn't interviewed, but he was made out to be a money-greedy monster, when it was said "Our owner called me (Titans GM at the time) and asked if Steve got injured (this was after he was ruled out for the season with back injury and was rehabbing), would we have to pay him? And I told him, well yeah." And that's when they locked Steve out of the training room, eventually leading to his trade to Baltimore. I mean come on, yes it's a business, but that doesn't mean you have to treat your franchise QB, your AFC Champion, and the all-time greatest Titan like pond scum. That's disgusting.

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts, if you watched the special.

What, no post to discuss this AWESOME piece by NFL Films?

He was a loner, he kept to himself, and he cautioned kids against developing a lifestyle where they surrounded themselves with the wrong people.

And then, July 4 happened. Because the one main time he didn't follow his own rule. He was caught in one wrong, very wrong situation and it cost him his life.

So many times he had put himself in the right situations and made smart decisions. Just one of the times he didn't, though, man. All it took was just that one time. RIP Air

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts, if you watched the special.

The Yoke of the Playmaker

Sweet Tea Harvey — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:31:25 -0000

It's time to move on from Chris Johnson.

No, not like that. This isn't a post about that. That was last week. You can read about my thoughts on CJ here.

But what I mean is that it's time to shift our offensive focus away from him. It's time to rethink what the Titans are all about, and it's time to build upon a new foundation.

And as it turns out, Chris Johnson was right all along.

A week ago, Johnson gave an interview to Titans Insider that you can find here in which he said that the Titans "need somebody in this locker room to make plays and give us a spark."

Thinking back to when Johnson reportedly demanded "playmaker money" during his contract holdout last year, a lot of us became annoyed at his quote last week, disappointed that he wasn't taking responsibility and owning up to what we feel his role should be as the team's playmaker. His holdout + his lack of performance since has left us rubbed raw, and his comments that placed the yoke of the "playmaker" tag on the shoulders of a yet-to-rise teammate.

That teammate has now risen, and it's time for our offensive coaching staff to put that yoke fully on his shoulders. It's time to build our offense around tight end Jared Cook.

The Steelers game in itself was the encapsulation of this school of thought. I wrote last week that it was time to part ways with Chris Johnson, because he he wasn't contributing to the greater good of this offense's goals. With the weapons we have at our QBs' disposal, Johnson's role needs to be contributor, not playmaker. He did just that on Thursday night, with 91 yards on 19 carries (a 4.8 YPC). He got 1st Downs when we needed them, and he enhanced our drives. But he wasn't the sole focus.

Neither was Jared Cook, but after Thursday night, it's officially time to establish him as the centerpiece of our mantle. He had 4 catches (on 4 targets) for 54 yards, including the crucial crossing-route catch-and-run against James Harrison that put us in FG range and allowed Bironas to win the game.

With his physical tools, his reliability, and his proven (flashes of) success, Jared Cook should become the focus of the Titans' offense moving forward. With the success the Patriots and Saints have had while featuring Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham, respectively, why not emulate that same formula (in what is cliche'd as a "copycat league" anyway) and see if teams can stop it? The Steelers have long been acclaimed as one of the best defenses in the league, but they couldn't stop him. The Bills shouldn't be able to, either. So why not exploit that?

Our WRs are a nice bunch to have, and have performed well even without Cook being the dominant receiver. But if we make our focal point Cook, who can beat LBs in coverage and will draw the aide of DBs, it will open up the field for Wright, Britt, and Washington even more. Once the defense puts in more DBs to help in coverage, at that point it's time to catch them offguard with a CJ run through a man-down line for 5 or 6 yards. But it all starts with establishing Cook.

It doesn't hurt matters that Cook is in a contract year, and no news has come out from the front office that there have been any negotiations at this point. That's worrisome. Cook is a great talent, and he's a caliber-character guy that we need in the locker room as well. His interview on Nashville radio (which you can hear here) was concerning last week when asked about his role in the offense. It gives you the feeling that all might not be well between employee and boss when it comes to Cook.

After our success Thursday night in a game that no one gave us the chance to win, and because of the formula that led to that success, maybe the coaching staff will open its eyes and realize that it's time for Cook to become the playmaker that CJ was talking about all along.

The Curious Case of Chris Johnson

Sweet Tea Harvey — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:51:59 -0000

I can't believe it's come to this.

I have long been a defender and supporter of Chris Johnson as the Titans RB. Anyone who can rush for 2,000 yards in a season and set the record for most offensive yards from scrimmage deserves respect and appreciation. For the past few seasons, I stood behind him and defended him to critics, because of the fact that he gave the Titans a little bit of relevance 4 seasons ago. He did it by putting his name next to greats such as Barry Sanders, OJ Simpson, and Eric Dickerson. He did it by becoming a fantasy football dogbone that owners slobbered over. I've worn his jersey, bought his bobbleheads, and clung to hope (and even argued) that he'll one day return to his 2009 form eventually.

He was the most explosive back in the league, with the ability to shed tackles, visibly separate from defenders chasing him down, and even take big hits and get up smiling afterward. He hardly missed a game and was always reliable in terms of health, for the most part.

He also did his job as a civilian and a good person, never getting into trouble, and even protecting Kenny Britt a few times out in public when Britt found himself in not-so-ideal situations.

But I don't know what's happened in the course of four years. Where did all of that go? Sure, he's still a good citizen for all we know, but that's to be expected as a professional, not rewarded.

How did it come to this… when Sunday, I watch our first two plays from scrimmage (handoffs to CJ for little to no gain) and I knew, right then and there, that our day was over. If we were planning on "establishing the run" against the Vikings and building our offensive gameplan around Chris Johnson, we were fish in a barrel. And that dread I felt after those first two plays proved to be legitimate; the game played out exactly like I feared - Johnson finished averaging less than 2 yards per carry and the Titans went home blown out 30-7.

And what's frustrating is that we just don't know how to run the ball on basic plays. I can watch two Division-II schools on ESPNU on a Wednesday night if I want to see a more competent and effective run game than the Titans are producing right now. It's just simply baffling as to how bad we are running the ball. And at some point, fans have to quit being apologetic of the man carrying the football.

Let me start by saying again that I appreciate and respect what Chris Johnson has done for us. Despite the fact that we went 8-8 in 2009 and missed the Playoffs, CJ gave us all some excitement and something to cheer and look forward to every Sunday, and we all wondered if we were going to see "the big one" when he got the football in his hands. Regardless of what he's done since, the fact that the Titans can say we had one of the few 2,000-yard rushers in history is a pretty cool note.

But that's in the past, and we have to look at what's best for our team moving forward. And the fact of the matter is that if our running back's name was Player A instead of Chris Johnson, he would not have a starting spot on our (or maybe ANY) team. Taking only this season into account as a sample size, he is one of the worst RBs in the league at this point in the season.

ESPN currently ranks 49 NFL running backs in the Yards Per Rush statistic, and CJ currently ranks 45th on that list, at 2.9. Players ranked above him include, among others, Danny Woodhead, Bilal Powell, Ben Tate, Daryl Richardson, Shaun Draughn, Jackie Battle, and Brandon Bolden. CJ also currently has zero touchdowns on the season. We are five games in! Over a quarter of the season!

I'm not going to get into the comparisons of CJ's salary to those other guys listed (it's way too obvious), but before you mock the Jaguars because they're the Jaguars, consider how they handled MJD's contract situation as compared to how we handled CJ's. Moving on...

Looking past the statistics, CJ doesn't even past the eye test, either. Seeing the explosiveness and effectiveness that ~~Adrian Peterson~~ Toby Gerhart showed Sunday made me realize that I don't remember the last time I saw Johnson do anything that resembles that. I haven't seen Johnson hit a hole that quickly, that assertively, and that confidently in years. When he does break off big gains, it's as if he is as surprised as we are. He dances around a few seconds and is stunned when there's green grass ahead of him. He then trots ahead for a few yards and scampers for about a 15-yard gain. And that's it. And that's on a GOOD run.

I'm not even asking CJ to be the star of the offense. The teams in the NFL who are winners have proven that that's not the key to success. I want him to be a contributor. I want him to enhance what our passing game can get accomplished. But five games in, it's apparent that he can't even do that. It's to the point that when we hand the ball off, I expect a 3-yard gain at most, and I'm not surprised if CJ is taken down in the backfield. Frustrated? Yes. But not surprised.

It's time for Player A, he of 2.9 YPC and zero-touchdown fame, to find a new home. It's unbelievable that I'm sitting here wishing that we had Toby Gerhart running the ball for us when we have a player on our team who's in the same elite club as Simpson, Faulk, and Sanders. It's really mind-boggling how that can be the case.

But if Johnson can't contribute to our offense, and if he can't enhance what we are trying to get accomplished, then why keep him here?

I appreciate all he's done for our team, but it's simply time to move in a different direction. It scares me to death that we might see a resurgence of CJ once he's a Jet or a Bronco or a Ram, but at this point, it's better for us control what we can control and find a back that can contribute to our program. Let's turn a new page. It's time to change our major from Running Back History into Offensive Engineering.

Categorical Scheduling: Week 4

Sweet Tea Harvey — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:12:11 -0000

It's no hidden secret how big this week is for us as we hit the road to play Houston in our first of two games against the Texans this year. A win this week would be huge. That's a given. But what did last week's big, crazy win over Detroit mean in terms of categorical scheduling, and what kind of advantage do the Jaguars have now that they've earned their first division win against Indy? Let's take a look.

Again, if you're unsure what the hell I'm even talking about, and what all this "obsessive, over-analytical, and totally unnecessary" view on the NFL schedule even is, check out my first-ever post about categorical scheduling here.

More details after the jump.

(Matchups in bold italics are Week 4 games. COLTS are on bye this week.)

Category 1: AFC South

1. Texans: 1-0 (W @JAX) (remaining: TEN, @TEN, JAX, IND, @IND)

2. Jaguars: 1-1 (W @IND) (L HOU) (remaining: TEN, @TEN, @HOU, IND)

2. Titans: 0-0 (remaining: HOU, @HOU, JAX, @JAX, IND, @IND)

4. Colts: 0-1 (L JAX) (remaining: TEN, @TEN, HOU, @HOU, @JAX)

Category 2: AFC East

1. Texans: 1-0 (W MIA) (remaining: @NWE, @NYJ, BUF)

2. Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: NWE, NYJ, @BUF, @MIA)

2. Colts: 0-0 (remaining: @NWE, @NYJ, BUF, MIA)

4. Titans: 0-1 (L NWE) (remaining: NYJ, @BUF, @MIA)

Category 3: NFC North

1. Titans: 1-0 (W DET) (remaining: @GB, @MIN, CHI)

2. Texans: 0-0 (remaining: GB, MIN, @CHI, @DET)

3. Colts: 1-1 (W MIN, L @CHI) (remaining: GB, @DET)

4. Jaguars: 0-1 (L @MIN) (remaining: @GB, CHI, DET)

Category 4: AFC West

1. Texans: 1-0 (W @DEN)

2. Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: @OAK)

2. Colts: 0-0 (remaining: @KC)

4. Titans: 0-1 (L @SD)

Category 5: AFC North

Titans: 0-0 (remaining: PIT)

Texans: 0-0 (remaining: BAL)

Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: CIN)

Colts: 0-0 (remaining: CLE)

Jacksonville's come-from-behind victory last week on the road vs. Indianapolis was huge in terms of gaining ground within the division. An 0-2 early hole would have been hard to climb out of, and the fact that they snagged the win on the road was even sweeter. The win puts them at 1-1 against the AFC South, sending the Colts to 0-1 on the early season. Jacksonville's window of opportunity continues this week with what I believe is a very winnable contest at home vs. their AFC North opponent this year - the Cincinnati Bengals. Both the Jags and Bengals finished in 3rd in their divisions last year, and this game will be first between the two divisions this season. Because the Jags are leading off in this category, a win here would be nice for them, since both us (Titans) and the Texans will face stiff opposition against Pittsburgh and Baltimore later in the year.

Indianapolis put themselves in a less-than-ideal position by letting that lead slip away at Lucas Oil vs. the Jags. They head into their very early bye week with an 0-1 record in the AFC South category, and their only win so far has come in the NFC North, which the Titans matched last week vs. Detroit, wiping out Indy's advantage there. The downside is that the Colts have already lost one NFC North game as well, so they only have two more opportunities to gain ground there to the Titans' three. The Colts will idle this week while hoping the Bengals can top the Jaguars and while the Texans slug it out with us.

Denver didn't help us much last week, as the Texans were able to beat them and solidify a 1-game advantage over us in the AFC West category, meaning we'll need to make up that ground elsewhere. The good news is that we are already off to a good start on that quest, as we were able to start out 1-0 in the NFC North category with that win over Detroit. If we can finish one game (or more) ahead of Houston in the NFC North, then the AFC West category will have been a wash. Time will tell.

There's no doubt that our game vs. the Texans is the biggest game in the division this week. The Texans have already established a 1-0 record in the AFC South category, and we have yet to play a game in that group. If we can top them, getting off to a 1-0 start while sending them to 1-1, we'll be in a very good position early on. This will no doubt be one of our toughest and most important games of the year, since Houston poses the biggest threat to us, and this is the road game version of this matchup. Don't let the fact that it's only Week 4 fool you. A win here is huge, and a loss would put Houston in a really good place. Not only would they be 4-0 overall (again, overall record isn't as important here as knowing who's been played and who remains on the schedule), but they'd be 2-0 in the AFC South and sitting in a pretty good position in several key categories.

Categorical Scheduling: Week 3

Sweet Tea Harvey — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:56:02 -0000

What did Week 2's result mean for the world of the AFC South categorical standings? Well, it meant that we all need to become Peyton Manning fans this week, and also that the Jaguars could find themselves in a hole very quickly in the most important category.

If you're unsure what the hell I'm even talking about, and what all this "obsessive, over-analytical, and totally unnecessary" view on the NFL schedule even is, check out my first-ever post about categorical scheduling here.

More details after the jump.

(Matchups in bold italics are Week 3 games)

Category 1: AFC South

1. Texans: 1-0 (W @JAX) (remaining: TEN, @TEN, JAX, IND, @IND)

2. Titans: 0-0 (remaining: HOU, @HOU, JAX, @JAX, IND, @IND)

2. Colts: 0-0 (remaining: TEN, @TEN, HOU, @HOU, JAX, @JAX)

4. Jaguars: 0-1 (L HOU) (remaining: TEN, @TEN, @HOU, IND, @IND)

Category 2: AFC East

1. Texans: 1-0 (W MIA) (remaining: @NWE, @NYJ, BUF)

2. Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: NWE, NYJ, @BUF, @MIA)

2. Colts: 0-0 (remaining: @NWE, @NYJ, BUF, MIA)

4. Titans: 0-1 (L NWE) (remaining: NYJ, @BUF, @MIA)

Category 3: NFC North

1. Titans: 0-0 (remaining: @GB, @MIN, CHI, DET)

1. Texans: 0-0 (remaining: GB, MIN, @CHI, @DET)

3. Colts: 1-1 (W MIN, L @CHI) (remaining: GB, @DET)

4. Jaguars: 0-1 (L @MIN) (remaining: @GB, CHI, DET)

Category 4: AFC West

1. Texans: 0-0 (remaining: @DEN)

1. Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: @OAK)

1. Colts: 0-0 (remaining: @KC)

4. Titans: 0-1 (L @SD)

Category 5: AFC North

Titans: 0-0 (remaining: PIT)

Texans: 0-0 (remaining: BAL)

Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: CIN)

Colts: 0-0 (remaining: CLE)

By far, the most interesting matchup in the division this week is the Houston @ Denver contest. Our Titans couldn't get the job done in San Diego in Week 2 to give us a win in the AFC West category, so in order to keep pace with the Texans, it'd be really nice if Peyton Manning and the Broncos can bounce back from a Monday Night loss to beat the visiting Texans. If the Texans pull off the victory, as many experts are expecting they can, then that'll put a 1-game separation between us and them in that particular category, and it's one that we can't gain back. We'll have to hope for better success elsewhere.

These standings should also send us another message: There's no need to panic. The Texans hold a 1-0 lead in two categories, but they still have to play 3 or more games in each of those categories, so there's still plenty of time to shift around in the standings. We'll have our own chances to beat Miami and Jacksonville a little later on this season, and if we can pull those wins off, we'll have matched the Texans in their success so far this season.

As far as the Titans' Week 3 challenge in particular are concerned, we have a chance to build some early success in the NFC North category, as a win at home vs. Detroit would put us at the top of that category for now. Indy and Jacksonville have both lost to NFC North teams already, but Indy also has one win. An early upset of the Lions would give us a really solid start in this category, and put a little pressure on Houston to keep pace once they begin play here as well.

Jacksonville becomes the first team in the division to play its second AFC South game this week, hitting the road to take on Indianapolis. The Jaguars are in an early hole, and falling to 0-2 within the division would be a very rough start, obviously. A loss this week would hurt the Jaguars more than it would hurt the Colts, because the Jaguars would have less opportunity to make up the ground in this particular category after falling to 0-2.

Sad Tidings We Bring (from San Diego)

Sweet Tea Harvey — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 02:37:19 -0000

Hello, Titans fans, from San Diego, California. Here lies a pro/con first-person account of this southern California bloodbath that was called the Titans vs. Chargers game. Although I think one of those teams forgot to get off the bus. Regardless, I'd like to give a little review of my experience here, since it's only 9:39 local, and I've got some inspired words fueled by frustration and Hawaiian craft beer.

The Pros

San Diego really is a lovely city, and everything you've heard about it is pretty much true. The weather here this weekend was apparently a little warmer than normal, but since I live in Texas, this felt just fine to me. I didn't mind sitting in the sun during the game.
The heat also allowed certain fans of a certain gender to adorn themselves with a little less material, and that was all right by me. Nice scenery at the game.
I met two Titans' families: Michael Roos and Craig Stevens. The Roos's were very happy-go-lucky, taking photos during the game and definitely thanked me for my support. Michael's sister-in-law said she'd try to get him to shout me out on Twitter (although he might be a little grumpy tonight). The Stevens's were a little more pissed, as I saw them after the game when I was walking to the trolley. They were complaining because Stevens isn't getting as many looks in the passing game (or as many snaps) as Cook is, even though Stevens' track record of catching passes and getting open for Locker is better, according to them (take homerism for what it's worth). But there is definitely frustration in the Stevens household with the current State of the Titans.
I'm casting my vote for Brett Kern as team MVP. Wonderful game by him.
For the most part, the Chargers fans were pretty fun to jostle with. There were plenty around me in the stands of course, and there was plenty heckling, but nothing too out-of-hand that didn't end in laughs when I made a wisecrack about how bad we were playing. Made several Chargers-friend buddies around me to have good conversation with, take pictures with, etc. and even got some free booze off some a few seats away.
Speaking of saying nice things about Chargers fans, they had a pretty good turnout today, and the stadium looked pretty cool in all-white. They had pretty good participation in the "White Hot Sunday" promotion they were doing. And the team looked sharp too in their all-whites. If only we could get our team to wear TITANS BLUE on CODE BLUE SUNDAY.
Special shout-outs to MCMers shawneriksmith and HospitalSausage for meeting up and tailgating a bit in B1, although we couldn't find D_Rod2408. Still nice to meet some fellow blog members and share some drinks.
The Patriots got beat by the Cardinals.
The Saints lost.
The trolley system in San Diego is pretty cheap/convenient. The lines are kind of long and the travel/wait times are a little lengthy as well, but it's very much worth it. Kudos to the City and the taxpayers for that transportation system.
A lot of people complain that Qualcomm is really old and should be torn down in favor of a new stadium. While I agree and prefer modern state-of-the-art stadiums, I went into today's game thinking that Qualcomm was going to be an absolute dump, based on what I had read. I found that NOT to be the case at all, and in fact thought it was a pretty decent stadium to watch a ballgame. The restroom waits were no longer than 5 minutes (and that was at halftime!), it was pretty easy to get concessions, and the view was just fine. I'm also a bigger/taller guy, and the seats and legroom were plenty comfortable. All in all, I think the Q gets a bad rap, but I enjoyed it as a stadium. A videoboard upgrade would have been nice, though.
We don't have Kona Big Wave beer in Texas, but I wish we did. It's a really good beer.
I was in the stadium early enough to witness the Junior Seau jersey retirement ceremony (and even met/shook Dan Fouts's hand after the game in the parking lot). That was a very cool moment to be a part of, and we can somewhat relate since OJ Murdock also took his own life. God bless these NFL players, especially after they are done playing. We don't need anymore suicides.

The Cons

How in the hell does a team have a healthy 2,000-yard rusher on the team and stay LAST IN THE LEAGUE IN RUSHING?
I really had nothing to cheer for, beside the quick TD to Kendall Wright. You better damn believe I overreacted and overcelebrated, too, because that's pretty much all we had to cling to. Hopefully this is the first of many Locker-to-Wright connections.
Why did Damian Williams see so much action? He played pretty well, but still, why did he seem so much like the primary target so many times when there are weapons (!) like Britt, Washington, Wright, and Cook available? Just seems like we went to Damian a little too much when he's not our best target.
Locker couldn't throw worth a damn. I don't know if it was because of pressure or what, but his accuracy was just not there today. There's no way we're going to pull him though, so brace yourselves for a long growing-pains season.
In-stadium beer situation: $10 per beer, NO beer vendors walking through the stands (why the hell would I want a frozen lemonade or kettle corn?), and when halftime is over, you can only buy 1 beer at a time (it's 2-at-a-time before that). Easy to get around, though, by going to one beer line, stuffing that beer in your back pocket and covering it with your jersey, and getting another one from another line right after. That technique worked for me.
When I go visit a new stadium, I like to go visit the official Fan Shop just to walk around and see all the different merchandise they offer. Oftentimes you'll see local-specific stuff that isn't offered online, and that kind of stuff is cool to me. However, I tried to go to the Fan Shop three separate times, and all three times, the line was out the door and wrapped around the building. Maybe next time.
The Texans won.
The Colts won.
The Cardinals are 2-0. We are 0-2.
Actually met a (drunk?) old man who legitimately asked me if Steve McNair was still working with our team. Really dude? Thankfully I was able to keep a cool head and tell him that he had passed away 4 years ago, much to his legitimate surprise. It really seemed like it was news to him. God bless Steve McNair.
To hell with the pansy ass zone defense. That shit is garbage.

That's about all that's coming to mind right now. All-in-all, this was a pretty good trip, even though we didn't come away with the W. San Diego is a cool city to visit, and I'm glad I came. I'll close out with what became my motto for the day after the clock hit 0:00: "We will have better days." Go Titans. LWSS.

Categorical Scheduling 101 and Week 2 Preview

Sweet Tea Harvey — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 23:25:22 -0000

First things first, I'm a nerd. And I like to overanalyze things and look at things in a different light. Let's get that out of the way first.

Secondly, I love the NFL scheduling format, and you can count me in the party of those who side against expanding the schedule to 18 games (or reducing the games, or changing it from 16 at all, for that matter). I love the way the NFL organizes its schedule. The formula it uses, the way it schedules marquee games on certain holidays and days of the week, and the way Playoff seeding and matchups are determined are just wonderful to me.

That's why I enjoy keeping up with standings throughout the season by flipping the traditional NFL schedule on its head. Tearing it apart, removing chronology from it all, and seeing what goes into making for a successful season is what categorical schedule analysis is all about. And my hope here is to let you in on my nerdy, over-analytical and completely unnecessary world.

First things first, I'm a nerd. And I like to overanalyze things and look at things in a different light. Let's get that out of the way first.

I'm also a big Titans fan, so of course, this (hopefully) weekly examination will take a look at the AFC South, and how we stack up compared to the Colts, Texans, and Jaguars in categorical scheduling. Since the NFL follows its certain formula, we, as educated fans, should know better than to get frustrated when our Titans fall behind by a few games after Week 4, because we know that there are games in certain categories that we can gain ground on. Sure, we may be behind chronologically, but when you take a look categorically, there's still plenty of areas where we could gain ground.

I'll begin by making sure we all know the formula for the NFL 16-game regular season. Did you know that 14 of our 16 matchups were already determined YEARS ago, way before the calendar page even showed 2012? When this scheduling formula was introduced in 2002, the template was already set for us to play our AFC South division foes twice each (6 games - 3 home, 3 away), the NFC North (4 games: 2 home, 2 away) and the AFC East (4 games: 2 home, 2 away) this season.

(You can read more about this here and here.)

The non-AFC South divisions that we fully play every season rotate on a yearly basis, so that every 4 years, we'll play every NFC team, and every 3, we'll play every AFC team. The other 2 games are made up of the teams from the OTHER two AFC Divisions (in this season's case, the West and the North) whose teams finished in the same place as we did in the division standings in the previous season. This year, we'll see the Chargers from the West and the Steelers from the North, both of whom are fellow 2nd-place finishers in their divisions.

So there we have our 16 opponents that make up our 16-game schedule:

AFC South: Texans x2, Colts x2, Jaguars x2

AFC East: Patriots, Jets, Bills, Dolphins

NFC North: Packers, Lions, Bears, Vikings

AFC West: Chargers

AFC North: Steelers

Now that that's settled, and the NFL plugs in when we play each team, our 16-game schedule is built, along with all other teams in the AFC South, and the NFL. So that's where the quest for our Division title (and a Playoff berth) begins, and we know what categories we need to win.

Now, we begin our weekly examination of where we stand in each category, and what needs to happen in other categories to give us advantages within the division. Let's take a look at where we stand after Week 1.

(Matchups in bold italics are Week 2 games)

Category 1: AFC South

Titans: 0-0 (remaining: HOU, @HOU, JAX, @JAX, IND, @IND)

Texans: 0-0 (remaining: TEN, @TEN, JAX, @JAX, IND, @IND)

Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: TEN, @TEN, HOU, @HOU, IND, @IND)

Colts: 0-0 (remaining: TEN, @TEN, HOU, @HOU, IND, @IND)

Category 2: AFC East

1. Texans: 1-0 (W MIA) (remaining: @NWE, @NYJ, BUF)

2. Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: NWE, NYJ, @BUF, @MIA)

2. Colts: 0-0 (remaining: @NWE, @NYJ, BUF, MIA)

4. Titans: 0-1 (L NWE) (remaining: NYJ, @BUF, @MIA)

Category 3: NFC North

1. Titans: 0-0 (remaining: @GB, @MIN, CHI, DET)

1. Texans: 0-0 (remaining: GB, MIN, @CHI, @DET)

3. Jaguars: 0-1 (L @MIN) (remaining: @GB, CHI, DET)

3. Colts: 0-1 (L @CHI) (remaining: GB, MIN, @DET)

Category 4: AFC West

Titans: 0-0 (remaining: @SD)

Texans: 0-0 (remaining: @DEN)

Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: @OAK)

Colts: 0-0 (remaining: @KC)

Category 5: AFC North

Titans: 0-0 (remaining: PIT)

Texans: 0-0 (remaining: BAL)

Jaguars: 0-0 (remaining: CIN)

Colts: 0-0 (remaining: CLE)

So taking a look at the categorical scheduling and standings, we see how truly important it is this week to get a win vs. San Diego. It's our only chance to gain an advantage in one of the categories of the schedule, and since we play one of the toughest teams in the AFC West, it would be huge for us to take away a win. Houston will have a tough time going into Denver and beating Peyton Manning, while the Jaguars would also be traveling far west to take on the Raiders. The Colts-Chiefs matchup could be a toss-up, but Arrowhead is always a tough place to play as well.

We lost some ground last week in the AFC East section due to losing to New England, while Houston beat Miami. However, you can see here that we shouldn't panic after one loss, because Houston still has to travel TO New England, and the Patriots could definitely help us out with a win there. If we can combine that with a win over Miami on the road, we'll be right back even with Houston.

Let's get a win this week in San Diego to put the pressure on the rest of the division. I think if we can win this week, it'll put us in a good position to gain a game advantage over Houston, since I think it'll be tough for them to get a win in Denver this year.

So there's my new (and totally unnecessary) way to look at the NFL schedule. Take out chronology, break everything up into categories, and you can start to see how to build a successful season and gain ground where our division opponents falter. What do you think?

Bulldog Deli changing its name

Sweet Tea Harvey — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 02:01:11 -0000

Bulldog Deli changing its name

[Editor's Note: this was bumped to the front page due to it being a slow Tuesday. It was also bumped to the front because a lot of people feel strongly one way or the other about the name change. What do you think?]

This is bull. So sad to see this tradition end.