Tennessee Titans Morning Links: This Ivory Leg Is What Propels Me Edition

 LenDale White gave a ringing endorsement of Jeff Fisher yesterday:

"[Fisher] knows how to win in this league," said White, a fourth-year pro. "Everything that we’re doing is the right way. He’s a good person when he needs to get you to do what he needs. He expects you to be a man about your situation. He puts you in position to make a play and he wants you to make a play. If he puts you in a bad position, he’s going to take responsibility. But he expects you to do the same."

Now that's all well and true, but the real news here to me is that the players are hearing enough of the chatter calling for Fisher's head that they feel the need to respond in defense.  That's certainly not a good sign for coach Fish.

 There's been lots of talk around here about how LenDale is getting shafted this year and we're suffering because of it, but I think maybe the problem is that the 'Smash and Dash' moniker isn't intimidating enough.  What's a better solution?  Blood and Thunder... by the reigning gods of metal, Atlanta's own Mastodon!  See, Johnson could be blood because he's such a slasher, and White would be Thunder for obvious reasons. (Side note: this is easily the best song ever written about Moby Dick.  Just throwing that out there.)

 ESPN Stats & Information continues to deliver the goods, as this time they focus on red zone and third down efficiency for WRs.  Turns out Justin Gage is as bad as they come on third down (4 catches on 17 attempts), and Nate Washington is one of the league's best in the redzone (6 catches on 7 attempts with 3 TDs).

Follow us through the jump for more in-depth info on the Titans passing game...

 Overall, Jim Wyatt thinks the passing game is moving along slowly, but when you look at it Justin Gage is the only WR under-perorming in my book.  You can't ask for much more from Britt, and Washington (despite a few costly drops) as been pretty consistent and a great red zone addition.  The passing game numbers were also hurt when Scaife went down with his knee injury, since Jared Cook hasn't been healthy or read enough to produce like we all hoped he would.  Oh yeah, and Kerry's been pretty terrible for at least half of our games.

 Also related to the passing game, Gary Estwick copy and pasted some numbers.  Here's the most interesting tidbit to me:

Receiver Kenny Britt ranks second among NFL rookies in catches (19) and first in receiving yardage (289). Britt has also caught 16 of his passes for first downs, a team high.

 Jevon Kearse is likely out with a foot injury he sustained yesterday in practice... I wonder if this is in the same vein as Allen Iverson's convenient 'back problems' that ended his season early last year.  Word is Kearse went in for an MRI, but the doctor just drove off before the results were ready. 

 Boom King got fined for his low hit on touching Peyton Manning.

 Bill Belichick isn't sleeping on the Titans, and he's giving us the Lou Holtz 'they put their pants on one leg at a time just like we do' treatment.

Tony Dungy will be in town to speak alongside coach Fisher and several others at the Rally for Rocketown next Tuesday.  Odd connection: I saw Mastodon at Rocketown a few years back, and they wouldn't let you bring in smokes... I mean not at all.  We had to stash them behind a bush around the corner because the car was too far away.