Music City Miracles

Week 13 in the NFL: The Jets Crash Back to Earth

2008-12-01T16:36:41Z

Here are some thoughts about what happened around the NFL this weekend:

The Colts got another ugly win, but as Shake said, a win is a win. I would like to thank them for giving the Titans's defense the opportunity to tee off on Ken Dorsey this weekend. The Colts could end up with the 5 seed in the AFC because they have a weak schedule down the stretch (Cincinnati, Detroit, @ Jacksonville, and Tennesee in a game that might not mean anything to the Titans).

Giants 23 Redskins 7

The Giants are rolling. The Plaxico Burress thing could serve as a distraction, not because of Burress so much because they are probably better off without him, but because their starting middle linebacker, Antonio Pierce, apparently tried to help him get rid of the gun. There is something like a 3 1/2 year mandatory sentence for unlawful possession in New York, and that is why Pierce was trying to help him out. Pierce might face criminal charges for his role in the whole deal.

Falcons 22 Chargers 16

Philip Rivers went nuts on an intentional grounding call.

3 Questions about this one:

Is there a bigger tool in the NFL than Rivers?
Is there a bigger disapointment in the NFL than the Chargers?
Is there a bigger surprise in the NFL than the Falcons?

Steelers 33 Patriots 10

The Steelers are really good. It is going to be quite a game when they come to LP Field week 16. It is always fun to see the Patriots get thumped. How much, if any, does this hurt Matt Cassel's free agent value?

Broncos 34 Jets 17

The Jets are a good football team, but that should end the they are the best in the AFC talk. Everyone dismissed the Titans last week for getting beaten so badly at home. It will be interesting to see if those same people will dismiss the Jets for the same reason.

Jaguars @ Texans tonight is a match-up of two teams that give the Chargers a run for their money in the most disappointing team race.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Scorched Lion > Deep Fried Turkey For Thanksgiving Edition

2008-12-01T15:05:56Z

Gary Estwick details the long road Titan CB Nick Harper took to the NFL after stops in division II Fort Valley, the CFL and a Subaru nicknamed 'Doo Doo Brown' (named for this super-awesome 1991 rap song, which contains one of the best old school breakbeats/bridges you'll ever hear starting at about 1:50).

One more win, and we clinch the Titans' first AFC South Division crown since 2002.

I'd like to thank the Colts for making that task much easier by injuring Derek Anderson's knee, meaning we'll be facing for Miami Hurricane legend and perennial NFL 3rd stringer Ken Doresy.

Apparently VY refused to speak to the Nashville media after the Lions game, but did speak to a reporter from Westwood One. That's not going to win VY any supporters and makes him look like a baby.

William C. Rhoden wrote a very good feature on Vince Young last week, and ends it with a good observation when you piggy back this comment with a list of the most recent first round QB draft success like Cutler, Rivers, Flacco and Ryan:

Young’s benching is the end, for now at least, of new-age quarterbacks on the brink of redefining of the quarterback position. With Michael Vick behind bars, Young on the bench and Donovan McNabb morphed more or less into a pocket passer, the league’s quarterback pool has reverted to the statue-like signal-callers who hang tough in the pocket, protected by rules designed to keeping defensive linemen and linebackers at bay.

Jim Wyatt breaksdown the AFC playoff race.

PFW says the comments LenDale made last week were indeed as quickly squshed as the report made it seem, and there's no doubt the big man will get another healthy dose of work against an awful Browns team this week.

AOL Fanhouse driveler Will Brinson brings us some video of LenDale White using some salty language during the Lions game, giving an army of slightly racist commenters the ammo they need to start with the whining.

Scout.com with Foxsports.com on MSN (high-fives for corporate synergy!) breaksdown how ugly of a mismatch we're going to see Sunday. You can definitely blame the Browns skuckiness for why this game didn't get flexed to primetime.

There's a whole lot of internet out there, so if you have a link you'd like to submit for tomorrow's Morning Links, email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com! (Be sure to include your commenting handle so I can give you semi-anonymous credit.)

NFL Week 13 Open Game Thread

2008-11-30T17:00:08Z

It is always a sad Sunday when there is no Titans game to watch. Here in Nashville we get the Colts @ the Browns and the Giants @ the Redskins early. The late game is Steelers @ Patriots. Here's to hoping the Browns can pull off an upset and give the Titans the AFC South crown today.

Use this thread to discuss all of the day's action.

GO BROWNS!!

Jeff Fisher's Friday Press Conference

2008-11-29T19:15:57Z

Jeff Fisher's Friday Press Conference

Coach Fisher held his normal Monday press conference on Friday because of the Thursday game.

Pick Contest Standings through Week 12

2008-11-29T14:00:07Z

The updated standings are after the jump. 10 people within 4 games of the lead.

Name	Win	Loss	Last Week
Super Horn	62	25	10-6
KnoxtheFox	61	26	10-6
TitanFreakinKnox	60	27	9-7
Pinoy	59	28	9-7
Rustmeister	59	28	9-7
NotMyForte	59	28	11-5
Dzone	58	29	10-6
Cajuncub	58	29	10-6
TitanRob	58	29	11-5
Jimmy	58	29	11-5
Titan Blue	57	30	9-7
DenverBroncos01	57	30	11-5
Ordie	57	30	10-6
Coler0kw	57	30	12-4
Rhino	56	31	8-8
2TonedBlue	56	31	10-6
Mgrex03	54	33	11-5
Michaeltastic	54	33	9-7
DannoE	54	33	9-7
Number10ox	54	33	8-8
Hartley	52	21	11-5
KazukiRecords	47	26	8-8
Nvemvp	43	16	9-7
Shake	20	11	10-6

Titans 47 Lions 10: The Recap

2008-11-28T22:48:56Z

Well this game was pretty much over on the second play of the game when the Titans defense recovered a fumble. Two plays later, a Brandon Jones 28 yard run and a Chris Johnson 6 yard TD run, it was 7-0 Titans, and they would never look back. This was a game the Titans very much needed after getting beat by the Jets last week and after a few weeks of getting away from what the Titans do best.

The Titans defense did allow the Lions some hope on the next drive when they allowed them to get a field goal, but 4 plays later Crazy Legs took the ball 58 yards untouched for another touchdown.

The funniest play of the day was the screen pass that Dave Ball intercepted and ran back for a touchdown. He did some type of flying turkey as he crossed the goal line. I love to see him make plays because you never know what he type of celebration he will end up doing.

As predicted by me, LenDale White got his share of carries in the game yesterday. Smash ended the game with 23 carries for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those 2 TDs gave him 13 for the season and moved him into a tie for the league lead with Michael Turner. He even got to take a handoff from Vince Young. VY had the best day of his career with a QB rating of 118.8. Quarterback controversy?

A few other notes:

CJ now has 958 yards rushing on the season to lead the AFC
I could have down without Jeff Fisher challenging the completion to Calvin Johnson and the waive that followed.
Why did they try to throw at the end of the 2nd quarter on 3rd and 1?

Again, I realize this was against the Lions, but it was a good opportunity for the Titans to get back to what they do best. They face 2 more weak rushing defenses in the next 2 weeks, so expect more of the same in those games. That should give them the momentum and confidence needed to finish out against two tough teams.

ESPNews talks about the Titans win over the Lions.

2008-11-28T06:11:12Z

ESPNews talks about the Titans win over the Lions.

Titans 47 Lions 10 Post Game Quotes

2008-11-28T06:04:32Z

Titans 47 Lions 10 Post Game Quotes

Coach Fisher and the players talk about the win over the Lions.

Tennessee Titans 47 Detroit Lions 10: Quick Recap

2008-11-27T22:18:01Z

This was the best kind of short week. It was good to come off a terrible loss last weekend and put away a team in the first quarter. Now the Titans have a week and a half off to get healthy and get ready for the stretch run.

This game was pretty much what we expected. The Titans got back to running the football gaining 292 yards on 46 carries and only allowing 23 yards to the Lions. That should help this team rediscover it's identity, even if did come against a bad team. Excpect a lot of the same next week when the Browns come to LP Field.

I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy the rest of the holiday. Check back tomorrow for a full recap.

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions Open Game Thread

2008-11-27T15:30:04Z

Tennessee Titans (10-1)	GAME #12	Detroit Lions (0-11)
	VS.

Date:	November 27, 2008	Location:	Detroit, MI
Time:	11	Stadium:	Ford Field
TV:	CBS	Weather:	Dome
Radio:	103.3 WKDF	Line:	Titans -11
SB Nation:	Pride of Detroit	MSM Coverage:	Detroit Free Press

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Here's to hoping we get to celebrate the holiday with a big win by the Titans.

I will be at the in-laws today where they know no internet so I won't be joining in the game time fun, but there will be much coverage later tonight. Let me know how you like the new look game thread.

GO TITANS!!

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions Final Injury Report

2008-11-27T02:11:04Z

Good to see Nick Harper and Jason Jones were full participants in practice. Hopefully they can both be back next week if not tomorrow.

NFL.com Titans @ Lions Preview

2008-11-27T01:01:49Z

NFL.com Titans @ Lions Preview

NFL.com previews this weekend's game.

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions Statistical Preview

2008-11-26T17:00:08Z

Titans	Stat	Lions
124.7 (9th)	Rush Offense	83.4 (29th)
188.4 (24th)	Pass Offense	187.2 (25th)
313.1 (23rd)	Total Offense	270.5 (28th)
23.4 (15th)	Scoring Offense	17.5 (29th)
9.2% (12th)	Offense DVOA	-17% (30th)
103.8 (15th)	Rush Defense	166.7 (32nd)
189.5 (7th)	Pass Defense	222.0 (19th)
293.4 (7th)	Total Defense	388.7 (31st)
15.0 (2nd)	Scoring Defense	31.5 (32nd)
+11 (1st)	Turnover Ratio	-7 (27th)
-17% (4th)	Defense DVOA	31.4% (32nd)
24.7% (3rd)	Weighted DVOA	-46% (31st)

It is formula day here at MCM:

First loss of the season last week+the league's worst run defense=return to Jeff Fisher smash mouth football

Prediction from Jimmy: LenDale White will not be complaining about his role in the offense after this game.

Week 13 NFL Picks and Schedule

2008-11-26T15:16:57Z

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27			TIME (CT)	TV
Tennessee	@	Detroit	11:30 AM	CBS
Seattle	@	Dallas	3:15 PM	FOX
Arizona	@	Philadephia	7:15 PM	NFLN
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30			TIME (CT)	TV
Indianapolis	@	Cleveland	12:00 PM	CBS
Baltimore	@	Cincinnati	12:00 PM	CBS
Miami	@	St. Louis	12:00 PM	CBS
San Francisco	@	Buffalo	12:00 PM	FOX
Carolina	@	Green Bay	12:00 PM	FOX
New Orleans	@	Tampa Bay	12:00 PM	FOX
NY Giants	@	Washington	12:00 PM	FOX
Atlanta	@	San Diego	3:05 PM	FOX
Pittsburgh	@	New England	3:15 PM	CBS
Denver	@	NY Jets	3:15 PM	CBS
Kansas City	@	Oakland	3:15 PM	CBS
Chicago	@	Minnesota	7:15 PM	NBC
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1			TIME (CT)	TV
Jacksonville	@	Houston	7:30 PM	ESPN

Leave your picks below. I know I promised updated standings last week and did not deliver, but I assure you that there will be updates standings before the games kickoff on Sunday.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: You're Doing It Wrong Edition

2008-11-26T14:59:44Z

Other than seeing the Titans get back in the saddle after Sunday's loss, I'm excited about because Thursday's game will give us a long look at the WR I'd hope we break the bank for when he gets sick of the Ford family: Calvin Johnson.

Teresa Walker knows what's up: we need to get back to pounding the ball, and making them pay with the play action pass when they get 9 guys in the box.

Nick Harper and Jason Jones returned to full practice yesterday!!! Harper's value is obvious, but Jones has been pretty productive as one of the first D-lineman to come off the bench. He could be a beast due to match-ups over the next few games if he's really healthy

If the Titans win and Indy losses this week, we'll clinch a playoff spot.

A Nashville sized hat tip to LenDale for being a man and apologizing for those stupid comments after the game Sunday. It was also good to hear from several people who were at the game that Vince was the first one there to cool LenDale off on the sideline as the big man bickered with RB coach Ernest Byner over playing time.

Paul Kuharsky updates us on the Pro Bowl voting (vote or die, as Puffy once said); if you'd have told me in June that Crazy Legs would be getting more votes than LaDainian Tomlinson at this point, I would have said 'That's awesome, future man!' and posted it in the links.

Peter King doesn't like a few ticky-tack things about the Pro Bowl voting, while I'm more than a little hacked about a few trends with it as well: Like how Bret Favre is leading the QB spot in the AFC? I thought only lineman got in on reputation even if others *cough*Philip Rivers*cough* are playing light years ahead of them.

We've slipped to a season-low 4th place in the Football Outsiders' DVOA stat for defensive efficiency.

Your weekly Benadibilty Index report: still crushin' it.

Jim Wyatt delivers 5 things we should know about the Titans - Lions match-up, including these ugly numbers for the opposition:

The Lions play every Thanksgiving, and some believe they save their best performances for the special occasion. That’s an outdated belief, however. The Lions have lost four straight — by 11, 17, 20 and 32 points — and six of their last seven on Thanksgiving. The Lions are 33-33-2 overall on Thanksgiving. The Titans/Oilers, meanwhile, are 4-2 on Thanksgiving (1-0 at Detroit, 1992). Their last Thanksgiving game was 1997, a 27-14 loss at Dallas.

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions Tuesday Injury Report

2008-11-26T13:52:10Z

Everyone practicing=good news for the Titans.

Jeff Fisher's Tuesday Practice Report

2008-11-26T13:49:44Z

Jeff Fisher's Tuesday Practice Report

Jeff Fisher talks about the short week and the Lions.

MCM Fantasy Football Update

2008-11-25T15:46:53Z

Here are the standings from the Official Music City Miracles Fantasy Football League on Flea Flicker.

The fight for the wild card spots is really tight with Boom King's Minions, Sweep the Leg and 5 Dollar Footlongs, and Pinoy fighting for 3 spots.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Worst Researched Edition

2008-11-25T14:53:18Z

More details have come out on the LenDale White situation on Monday, and it sounds like whatever beef the big man had has been effectively squashed.

Here's Terry McCormick's take on the same situation.

The Titans had to submit a projected injury list yesterday due to the short week, and there are some key names on it that we're going to need down the stretch. So, the question is, so we sit them against a hapless 0-11 Lions squad?

Easily the worst researched, most poorly thought-out piece of newspaper opinion I've seen in years, and it's from someone who certainly didn't watch Sunday's game. Last time I checked Kerry Collins wasn't dropping easy passes on 3rd down or playing line backer as guys ran past him.

The Yahoo! Team Report for this week reveals the that newest Titan, CB Tyrone Poole, will gladly tell you all about his fountain of youth.

Mike Freeman wrote an article on Vince Young that is largely stock, but contains one rather disturbing paragraph:

Then there was the craziness of Fisher calling the Nashville police after a therapist informed Fisher that Young had thoughts of suicide (Young has denied this). The police have since made an addendum to their original filings, the New York Times reported, and it's somewhat worrisome. "I asked him, ‘What made her worry about him?' " Lt. Andrea Swisher wrote, speaking about the therapist. "He stated, 'His mood, his emotions, he wants to quit, and he mentioned suicide several times.' He went on to state that he left the house with a gun."

NFL.com's Gil Brandt pulls this interesting stat that somehow went unnoticed last week:

Interesting note: This was just the third game in NFL history featuring two starting QBs with a combined 100,000 career passing yards. One of them, Favre, broke yet another record as he became the first QB to win in 32 different stadiums, passing Dan Marino.

Afraid that a dedicated TV network, games broadcast by the largest sports-broadcast machine in the world, year-round coverage by every reputable media outlet and an army of bloggers/fantasy football addicts aren't enough, the NFL will go 3-D soon.

Jets 34 Titans 13 Open Game Thread Roll Call

2008-11-25T14:47:45Z

Well the Titans stunk on Sunday, but the open game thread did not. If you haven't caught a game with us yet, you really should. It is a lot of fun.

Stats after the jump..

Roll Call: 2tonedBLUE, thawardasa, ElectricScissors, TitanFreakinKnoxville, titansfanastic1982, gotitans27, theologic, Zu Long, GingerSnapsTN, TrenchantTitan, hal41605, nvemvp23, DonFrancisco, LastSd, dentureboy, numbertenox, ordie6531, Pinoy Titan, jayosanne, NotMyForte, Rustmeister, DannoE, asian phil, Lovejoy, BigBeefe, jaketitan427, Jimmy, FaninEcuador, SuperHorn, RhiNo6705, coler0kw

Total Users: 31
Total Posts: 883
Total Threads: 2

Name	# of Posts
theologic	117
NotMyForte	85
hal41605	77
jaketitan427	76
Zu Long	73
gotitans27	58
numbertenox	57
ElectricScissors	53
Rustmeister	32
DannoE	31
BigBeefe	31
thawardasa	31
dentureboy	23
Jimmy	21
jayosanne	17
DonFrancisco	16
LastSd	14
GingerSnapsTN	13
Pinoy Titan	13
ordie6531	11
nvemvp23	9
Lovejoy	8
FaninEcuador	7
2tonedBLUE	2
TrenchantTitan	2
coler0kw	1
RhiNo6705	1
SuperHorn	1
asian phil	1
titansfanastic1982	1
TitanFreakinKnoxville	1