Wow.  Last year I thought Mercury Morris was being a real jerk about the Pats because he didn't want anyone else to be perfect.  Turns out, he just didn't like the Pats being anointed in week 5. As such, he likes our Titans because they're earning it every week, and they're playing old fashioned football.

 Music City Miracles now has some stiff competition in the blog game, and it's from studly middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch!  Make sure you check out the man's blog, because it really is a good look into the life of a burgeoning Pro Bowler.

Congratulations to David Thornton for winning this year's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for the Titans.  The son of a preacher, Thronton's community service and charity work also brought him the honor with the Colts in 2003.

 On the injury front, Eric King may be back before the end of the year after re-fracturing the same arm that landed him on the IR last year, while Boom King, Harper, McCareins, and Jason Jones will all have a shot at playing Sunday against the Jets.

 Next time someone cracks on the Titans' offense, you tell them this:

Among AFC teams, only the Jets, Chargers (254) and Broncos (248) have scored more points than the Titans, who have rolled up 244 points.

 And I will remind you that our defense is still only giving up a stifling 13.1 points per game.

 This week's Yahoo! Team Report touches on the defensive reserves who have come from no where to cover for what could have been costly injuries.

 DJ Gallo jokingly summed up everything I assume media folks are saying a little louder every week that we keep winning:

The Tennessee Titans are now 10-0. They are clearly a legitimate Super Bowl contender, yet they hail from a non-major media market. How annoying. How rude.

 Kissing Suzy Kolber picks-up the torch of the recently ended Fire Joe Morgan ot roasts Peter King's latest column, and the results couldn't have gone better:

PK) Tennessee has to sign Kerry Collins to a fair-market deal, even if it means Vince Young has to sit behind him for two more years … or if it means the Titans lose Bud Adams’ favorite boy toy.

KSK) Never thought Bud Adams and Kevin Spacey had so much in common, did you?

 A former 2nd round pick of the Titans in 2004, Ben Troupe just got cut by the Oakland Raiders after agreeing to an injury settlement.  That's not exactly a career builder.

 Our condolences go out to the family, friends and fans of former Oiler defensive tackle Orville Trask, who passed away last week at age 73.  Trask was an Original Oiler, the franchise's first captain and a corner stone of 2 AFL championship teams while rocking the blue and white.

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.)

10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0! 10-0!

 Would everyone else here please join me in welcoming Justin Gage to the season.

 Chris Carr got his shot as a DB, and boy did he ever seize the opportunity.  Between Carr and the outstanding play of our reserve defensive lineman like Ball and Vickerson, how could any team claim more depth or talent on defense?  Now we just need to get guys like Boom King and Jason Jones healthy again...

 With Kerry's play over the last few weeks ad this defense making opponents question their life-path, it's safe to say we're never going to be out of a game this year.

 Harper is hurt, Eric King is out for 6 weeks, Bulluck is in more pain and the rib is getting worse, Hill has a hip pointer injury and is generally terrible on defense... at least coaches said 7th round draft pick Cary Williams has been showing improvement on the practice squad because he may get the call this week.

 Peter King finally jumps on board the Titans bandwagon, and he gives our guys the first 4 paragraphs of this week's MMQB column:

Maybe if I keep picking against them, it'd be a lock. "Make sure u pick jets next week!'' was the text message from Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz an hour after the Titans came back to beat the Jags convincingly on the road, 24-14. No can do, coach.

 Well whatdaya know, Florio jumped the gun again...

 Paul Kuharsky and I had the same thought after Brandon Jones' odd celebration: did he just reference that off season arrest for gun possession at Nashville International Airport?  If you're going to get a flag, maybe he should get with Crazy Legs and come up with some better celebrations.

 ESPN The Magazine writer Ishita Singh digs up some hilarious Fun Facts on Kerry Collins, including a hilarious Onion Headline:

What a career for Kerry Collins. First he overcomes alcoholism, then racism and now his own incompetence.

 Here's a good sign your team is having an epic year:

And how about this for sheer conference dominance: If the Titans beat the New York Jets next Sunday in Nashville, they'd have a four-game lead in the so-called battle for homefield advantage through the playoffs with five games left.

 

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.)

 

Not having Jason Jones is a blow to the Titans, but not as big of a blow as the Jags not having John Henderson.  I think Keith Bulluck plays but Kyle Vanden Bosch doesn't.

Not having Jason Jones is a blow to the Titans, but not as big of a blow as the Jags not having John Henderson.  I think Keith Bulluck plays but Kyle Vanden Bosch doesn't.

That game puts my mind at ease a little bit.  I was worried about what would happen if an opposing team was able to completely take away the Titans running attack.  The Bears held the Titans to 20 net yards on the ground.  If you would have told me that number Saturday night I would have said there was no way the Titans would win that game.  Kerry Collins bounced back from his worst game of the season last week against the Packers to have his best game of the season going 30 of 41 for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He proved yesterday that he can do more than manage the game when he is called to do so.

The start of the game felt a little like bizzaro world yesterday.  The offense usually comes out and marches right down the field because Dinger is so good at scripting plays to start the game.  Yesterday they went 3 and out on the first drive.  The Titans defense usually comes out strong, but Rex Grossman marched the Bears right down the field for 7 points.

The offense didn't really get going until the third possession.  That drive included 2 catches by Alge Crumpler, one of which was a 20 yard reception of 2nd and long.  I think we are going to see some big things from Alge down the stretch.  That drive ended with the Ahmard Hall fumble on the goal line.  (Sarge didn't have his best game of the season yesterday, but he is still loved here at MCM.)  That play would have been an easy TD if not for the fumble, and I understand they were going for the element of surprise there, but I still would have liked to have seen that play go to The Touchdown Machine, LenDale White.

The Titans defense came up huge following the fumble by not allowing the Bears to convert a first down.   Chris Carr, who has been an unsung hero in this 9-0 start, returned the ensuing punt 29 yards to give the Titans great field position at the Chicago 25.  Four plays later Bo Scaife caught a TD pass from Collins to put the Titans on the board and tie the game. 

That was it for the scoring in the first half.  The only other play of significance was the David Stewart personal foul call that knocked the Titans out of field goal range on the next drive.  The Titans did get lined up for a 49-yard field goal at the end of the half, but Rob Bironas came up well short kicking into the Chicago wind.

The second half opened like the first half usually opens for the Titans.  After the defense forced the Bears to go 3 and out, Collins marched the offense right down the field for the go ahead touchdown.  Collins had completions of 11 (Brandon Jones who should be #1 on the depth chart now), 16 (Justin Gage who suddenly remembered he is supposed to catch it when it is thrown to him), 10 (Scaife), 5 (Scaife) and the 12 yard TD strike on a slant (Gage).  Adam at WCG mentions that the slant call there was probably a result of something the Titans saw when watching film of the Bears.

There wasn't much action after that until the Titans put together a 11 play 52 yard drive that ended with a 2 yard TD plunge from Smash.  The ensuing kickoff was returned 41 yards by Devin Hester.  The Titans kicked to Hester all day and did a really good job of not letting him hurt them.

The Bears would end up attempting a field goal coming off of that kickoff return by Hester.  Jason Jones blocked the kick which prompted an Elaine Benes type celebration from Jeff Fisher (Full disclosure: I stole that from a guy on the radio).

Grossman would get a 1 yard TD run that came from the Titans lovely prevent defense, but that would be the end of it.  The Titans emerged from snowy Chicago 9-0.

At 7-0 we looked at the Packers/Bears/Jaguars stretch and said we needed to win at least 2 of 3.  Done.  Now we look at Jaguars/Jets/Lions and need 2 out of 3.  That seems even more doable.  Here's to hoping we win all 3.

Albert Haynesworth

---

---

Haynesworth is the best defensive tackle in football.  He disrupts the middle of any offensive line he faces and keeps the interior lineman from getting to the second level to block the linebackers.  Fat Albert will probably become the highest paid defensive player in the league this offseason.  I just hope it is the Titans that are writing his checks next season. Grade A.

Continue reading this post »

Vince Young's impromptu fireside chat yesterday gave us a few things I've been wanting to hear, like a level of seriousness and understanding about what VY's role is for this year is everything goes smoothly:

Teammates said they like Young's approach in recent weeks.

"He's been very businesslike, real professional,'' linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "He wishes the situation was different in his favor, but he realizes we have a good thing going.''

"Having to watch from the sideline a little bit, it shakes you up a little bit,'' running back LenDale White said. "But we are going to depend on Vince, he is definitely the future here and everybody knows that. … Eventually he'll step right back up and I know he'll be more than able to make plays.''

Young said he's not so sure when that would happen. Fisher has said Collins will be the starter the rest of the season, barring injury or a big decline in performance.

 Boom King will be bringing his relentless motor right to the Chiefs' kitchen from the opening snap Sunday, and Jason Jones may get his first career start if Tony Brown isn't fully healed.

 The coaching staff put mousetraps with fake pieces of cheese in players' lockers during the bye week.  Players were unsure if this was related to the upcoming trap game, or if coaches feared the recently suspended Pacman might be scurrying around the locker room when the lights were out.

 The thinking-man's reader Hartley passes along this link: Crazy Legs became the first person from his high school to have his jersey retired... I had no idea Johnson's dream school was the University of South Florida.

 If anyone sees Mike Florio walking around Nashville, give me a call so I can pull him aside and tell him something about being a man because there is no way this punk has the chutzpah to say this junk to Vince's face.  It's a temper tantrum befitting a petulant child.  Florio has never been accountable for the salacious-yet-false things he posts or the offensive innuendo he drops (like his amateur-hour decision to site an absurd message board post claiming VY was shooting at cops).  The 'rainbow flag' comment in that piece were way out of line.  The day there is a competitive alternative to PFT I'm all over it and done with this no-talent windbag.

 And here's the article on VY Florio used to launch that temper tantrum.  It's a much better read.

 

There's a whole lot of internet out there, so if you have a great 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.)

 

The 3rd preseason game is the most important for most teams because it is the game where they play their starters into the 3rd quarter.  That is not how the Titans will handle this game.  Titans' Coach Jeff Fisher said on Thursday that the starters will play only the first half this week, and then next week against the Packers they will play into the 3rd quarter.  Here are some things to watch for in tonight's game:

 

Offense

• The Titans have done a little more game planning this week than they normally do in the preseason in order to give the offense, particularly the passing offense, some much needed confidence.  Look for them to come out with a set number of scripted plays on their first drive like they would in a regular season game.  Dinger is very good with the opening drive, so don't be surprised to see a TD to open the game.
• We are still waiting for a receiver to step up and prove he can make plays.  Lavelle Hawkins did it last week, but he is out this week with an ankle injury.  Can Brandon Jones or Justin McCariens prove something on the field?  I would say at this point McCareins, Justin Gage and The Hawk are the only locks to be on this roster opening day.  Everyone else is playing for their lives.
• I am always excited to see what Chris Johnson is going to do.  He is supposed to return kicks in the first half.  I would love to see him break one.

Defense

• The defense has looked pretty solid in both of the games thus far.  I look for them to get all over Falcons' rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. 
• Stephen Tulloch will get another start with Keith Bulluck out.  It was fun to watch him fly all over the field last week.  He is going to prove to be a very valuable part of this defense because he is backing up all 3 linebacker spots.
• Jason Jones, William Hayes, Antonio Johnson, and Jacob Ford were all impressive in camp.  It is time for them to make some plays in live action.

The Falcons are not expected to be very good this year.  The Titans' starters need to look sharp in this game to continue buliding momentum towards the regular season.

Be sure and stop in tonight for the open thread that will be up at 5:00 p.m. central.

 

Terry McCormick's recap which includes the news that Nick Harper suffered a mild concussion on the first defensive play of the game.  Hopefully he won't miss much time so we don't have to watch Reynaldo out there chasing receivers.

The veteran defensive lineman are impressed with the play of rookie Jason Jones.

"Including my rookie year, I've never seen a rookie that far along," said Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, a seventh-year pro. "If he keeps working like he is, he's going to be really, really good."

That is pretty high praise there.  If the coach of this team was anyone other than Jeff Fisher I would say that Tony Brown should be worried about his starting job, but as we all learned by watching Lamont Thompson run out there game after game, Fisher doesn't unseat veterans very easily. 

Chris Johnson is fast and is going to be a stud.  He shows the vision and patience that you need to be a really good running back in this league.  I can't wait to see what he will do when they really unveil how they are going to use him in this offense.  Did you see Dinger's face when CJ broke that run? 

Let me say again that I love Lendale's attitude about having CJ on the team:

"I am so impressed. I am ecstatic. I am a fan of football as well as my teammates. How can you not like that?'' White said. "I see a guy that breaks off a 66-yard run and makes it look so easy. … I love it.

"I feel like they did the right thing by drafting him, and the 1-2 punch is definitely there. I am just excited to get this thing going. It's going to be fun.''

White, who had a good night himself with 6 carries for 36 yards, was one of the first people to congratulate CJ when he came off the field.

Titans postgame quotes after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Tonight there is real life football taking place on the field.  Even though it is a preseason game, it is our first chance we get to see the 2008 Titans take the field.  The first preseason game can get a little boring in the 4th quarter, but there are plenty of things that we can watch for early in the game:

• How Vince Young handles Dinger's offense.  Most of the stuff they will run tonight will be very vanilla, but it will be important to see how VY gets the team in and out of the huddle and if he and the receivers are still on the same field.
• How Chris Johnson looks against live competition.  The reviews of CJ in camp have been fantastic.  It will be interesting to see how much the Titans give him to do tonight.  I doubt we will see him going in motion or splitting out much tonight because they want to save that for the regular season, but the exciting thing is that he can take it to the house anytime he touches the ball.
• Which receiver steps up under the lights.  It has been pretty obvious all through camp that Justins are the top 2 receivers.  McCareins isn't going to play tonight so that will give someone else a chance with the first team.  Who will step forward to prove they are worthy of the #3 spot?
• Jason Jones will probably be getting the start tonight at defensive tackle because of Tony Brown's shoulder injury.  How will he do in his first live NFL action?
• How much pressure will the #1 defensive line be able to get on Marc Bulger and company?  The key to the defense being as good as it was last season is the pressure from the front 4.  How will the new additons on defensive line fit in?
• The return game.  Last year the Titans were horrible in kickoff and punt returns.  Chris Carr was brought to the Titans pretty much just for that purpose.

Don't forget to stop by Turf Show Times for the Rams prospective on tonight's preseason opener.  There will be an open thread for tonight's game going up later today.  Be sure and stop in during the game and leave your observations/comments.