Music City Miracles

Music City Miracles and The New York Times

2008-11-22T05:12:25Z

Earlier in the week I was contacted by John Woods of the New York Times NFL Blog, The Fifth Down, about writing a 100 words about this Sunday's game. Here is what I wrote:

The key to this game for the Titans is getting pressure on Brett Favre. Favre has cut down on the interceptions in the last few weeks. The biggest reason for that is the success of Thomas Jones and the rushing game. Teams have had to cut down on their blitzing to try and control the Jets' run game. The Titans get most of their pressure without blitzing and are very good against the run. If the Titans can get some pressure on Favre, they will force him to throw some balls up for grabs. The Titans' secondary is a group of ballhawks and should be able to take advantage. The game will be close in the fourth quarter, but the Titans pull away late with a pick-6 from Cortland Finnegan.

Titans, 31-17.

Here is what Mr. Woods had to say about the game:

Our Titans guys exude the kind of smug confidence that fairly dripped last season from a certain Patriots fan I know. A 10-0 team is nothing to sneeze at (and, kids, please, you should never sneeze at anyone) but the Titans do not measure up well to past 10-0 teams. There is none of the power and drama of the ‘85 Bears, the triumphant pageantry of the ‘98 Broncos or the glitzy style of the ‘07 Patriots. There has to be some reason the Titans have excited little enthusiasm outside the realm of pulled pork and twangy bluegrass.

I'm callin' it. I called it for Obama at 9:30 p.m. on election night, in front of a dozen witnesses, 40 minutes before The Times did. I swear I knew that was a touchdown for the Stihlers before Polamalu even touched the ball. And I am calling this game right now for the Jets. The Titans' ungainly streak across the midfield of our imagination is - thank goodness - about to end. The T-Men have had a lowercase season in every measure but winning: They've been outgained by their opponents in four of 10 victories and only two of their wins have come against a winning team. It is not the stuff Super Bowls are made of.

Jets, 27-17.

Pretty strong words there. Be sure and head over to the site to see what other Titans bloggers wrote about the game. It doesn't appear to me that anyone exuded any kind of smug confidence. All of us just think the team we support will win the game.

The SB Nation NFL Hub

2008-11-22T01:28:35Z

The SB Nation NFL Hub

Check out the NFL page that our SB Nation tech guys put together. It is pretty sweet.

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans Final Injury Report

2008-11-22T01:24:10Z

Chris Carr is going to need to step up big again with Nick Harper out.

NFL.com Jets @ Titans Preview

2008-11-21T22:19:47Z

NFL.com Jets @ Titans Preview

NFL.com breaks down Sunday's Jets @ Titans game.

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans: My Thoughts

2008-11-21T19:59:53Z

The pressure on defense is the key to this game. If the defensive line can get after Brett Favre, and I like their chances a lot better with Kyle Vanden Bosh playing, he will throw some balls up for grabs. We all know what happens when quarterbacks throw the ball up for grabs against this secondary, but if they can't get after him it could be a long day for the Titans' secondary. I think they will force at least 2 interceptions.

On offense running the ball will not be easy again this week. Dinger is going to have to find different ways to get the ball to Chris Johnson. The Jets D is really good against the run (4th in the NFL) but not so good against the pass (28th). Since we have seen Kerry Collins win multiple games this season, I am not nearly as worried about those numbers as I was early in the season.

The scariest part about the Jets might be Leon Washington returning kicks. Washington ranks second in the NFL in kickoff return average at just under 30 yards per return. The Titans kick coverage team has been bad at times this season, but they did a great job against Devin Hester. Hopefully they have figured out where they were getting gashed earlier in the season.

The Jets are a very good football team. This game will be close until the 4th quarter, but I see the Titans pulling away to a 31-17 win. Cortland Finnegan will get a pick 6 to put it on ice.

Leave your thoughts below..

In Honor of Boom King coming back this weekend...

2008-11-21T15:46:01Z

In Honor of Boom King coming back this weekend...

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: I Bet The Chopper Had Plenty Of Gas Too Edition

2008-11-21T14:36:27Z

Jeff Fisher arrived at Titans practice yesterday via parachute after jumping from a perfectly good helicopter with soldiers from the 101st Airborne! Hopefully that'll be the extent of our free-fall this season.

Terry McCormick delivers the first real news on why the heck Nick Harper has been hurt: Harper broke his ankle last year and didn't know it until he had off-season surgery! When the crack healed calcium deposits formed and those have been giving Harper significant trouble. He's the football equivalent of 'day-to-day'.

How I've done these links for so long without a single Kige Ramsey link I have no idea, and to those who aren't aware of this cat I apologize. He may be the web's most visible Titans fan, and an example of everything that's so right with new media.

Jeremy Green makes-up for his disaturous analysis of the Titans' 2008 draft by penning this article about something I've been contending all year: the Titans have the best O-Line in the NFL.

ESPN The Magazine has an excellent story written by NFL players on their personal security away from the field, and the fist installment is written (quite well, might I add) by the Titans' own Kevin Mawae.

Brandon Jones got a $15,000 fine for his Pacman impression during last weeks game, and now he's going to appeal it.

Crazy Legs and Houston's Steve Slaton have both excelled in one area that usually stifles rookie RBs: pass protection.

PFW profiles Chris Carr and his impact on the Titans' season.

Former Panther Kris Jenkins has revitalized his career with the Jets this year, and the match-up between he and Mawae will be a great one to watch. Hopefully though, that match-up will be over shadowed by the blur of blue and dreads that streaks past both of them.

That Bendability index we've been keeping an eye on? Still crushin' it.

How good is our pass defense efficiency according to Football Outsiders? We're leading the league at -33.4%. 2nd place are the Packers at -30.7%, but third place are the Steelers all the way down at 24.5%!

Don Banks did a ton of research on the history of ties in the NFL and came up with some gems, including this one from the Oilers of yore.

The Houston Oilers actually made the 1969 AFL playoffs with the unlikely record of 6-6-2. They went a nicely balanced 4-2-1 at home, and 2-4-1 on the road.

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.)

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans Thursday Injury Report

2008-11-21T05:17:18Z

Looks like Kyle Vanden Bosch will finally make his return this week.

Jeff Fisher's Thursday Practice Report

2008-11-21T01:58:33Z

Jeff Fisher's Thursday Practice Report

Coach Fisher talks about Albert Haynesworth's play so far this season.

Week 12 NFL Picks and Schedule

2008-11-20T20:08:49Z

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20			TIME (CT)	TV
Cincinnati	@	Pittsburgh	7:15 PM	NFLN
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23			TIME (CT)	TV
Houston	@	Cleveland	12:00 PM	CBS
Buffalo	@	Kansas City	12:00 PM	CBS
New England	@	Miami	12:00 PM	CBS
NY Jets	@	Tennessee	12:00 PM	CBS
Philadelphia	@	Baltimore	12:00 PM	FOX
San Francisco	@	Dallas	12:00 PM	FOX
Tampa Bay	@	Detroit	12:00 PM	FOX
Minnesota	@	Jacksonville	12:00 PM	FOX
Chicago	@	St. Louis	12:00 PM	FOX
Oakland	@	Denver	3:05 PM	CBS
Carolina	@	Atlanta	3:05 PM	FOX
NY Giants	@	Arizona	3:15 PM	CBS
Washington	@	Seattle	3:15 PM	CBS
Indianapolis	@	San Diego	7:15 PM	NBC
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24			TIME (CT)	TV
Green Bay	@	New Orleans	7:30 PM	ESPN

Leave your picks below. Updated standings tomorrow.

Week 12 NFL Power Rankings: Getting ready for B-B-B-Brett Favre and the Jets Edition

2008-11-20T18:05:00Z

From BigW:

For a second straight week Captain Graybeard has shredded the defense with his arm, Justin Gage has finally came out of his coma, Chris Carr has a huge game, Bjones steps up, anything else? If one thing can be said about the Titans it's that they are definitely a TEAM. Every week someone else is stepping up to make a play. If you can make Mercury Morris like you then it's a safe bet everyone can!

NFL.com

Vic Carucci keeps us at #1

"With no one breathing down their collective necks, the Titans' challenge is to stay motivated."

I don't see that being a problem with Fish at the helm......

ESPN.com

ESPN has us up top as well.

"They welcome the extra attention that the Jets will bring to Nashville."

Anything that deflects the attention from the undefeated season would have to be welcome.

FOXSPORTS.com

Adrian Hasenmeyer is still singing our praises. Man I'd love to talk to him now that he's changed his tune

"One of the few remaining questions about the unbeaten Titans was how they would respond to a big deficit. How about outscoring the Jaguars 21-0 in the second half, thanks to three second-half TD passes from Kerry Collins -- all to wide receivers? Even better, their defense seemed insulted and held Jacksonville to a mere 75 yards on 36 total plays over eight failed drives ... for a microscopic average of 2.1 yards per play."

CBSSPORTSLINE.com

Pete Prisco is jumping the gun a bit.....

"Now that they've shown they can pass it to win games, where are the weak spots? There aren't any. They can essentially clinch home-field advantage by beating the Jets this week."

COVERS.com

Well we still can't seem to crack the #1 spot with the bookies. It'll come.

"Tennessee outscored the Jags 21-0 in the second half to continue its unbeaten season. Held Jacksonville to 117 passing yards."

ColdHardFootballFacts.com

It's a shame that the only decent sports reporting is coming from blogs.

Last week: Staring their first loss of the season square in the face at division rival Jacksonville, the Titans jumped on Kerry Collins's back for the second straight week, and he responded with three second-half touchdown passes in a 24-14 win.

Cold, Hard Football Facts: In his last two games, wide receiver Justin Gage has recorded 194 yards on just 8 receptions (24.3 yards per catch) while scoring 3 TDs.

Week 12 matchup: vs. N.Y. Jets. The Titans' top-ranked scoring defense (13.1 PPG) will have to contend with the Jets' second-ranked scoring offense (28.9 PPG).

PFT

PFT puts us at the top again. I gotta say I've lost all respect for Florio though. What a douche canoe. (credit August West)

Sports Illustrated

Dr.Z finally hits the nail on the head.

Bill Walsh used to like to draw the analogy between NFL football and a heavyweight fight. On Sunday the Titans got knocked to the canvas in the early rounds. Then they got up and landed the heavy blows. In the second half the Jaguars ran off six series until they crossed midfield. They picked up three first downs in the half. Jeff Fisher believes in multiple subs on his D-line, which is great if you have the personnel. Why are they ranked No. 1 ahead of the Giants? Because they didn't get blown out by Cleveland and NY did.

That's exactly why we should be #1 in every poll.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Brett Favre, Man-Crushes and Tanya Harding Edition

2008-11-20T15:12:43Z

This is the funniest thing I've seen all year: Mapquest directions to Mercury Morris' famed 'neighborhood'! (Note: go here first if that didn't make sense.)

Boom King is a go against the Jets! Now we just have to make sure Peter King doesn't go Tanya Harding on him around the facility this week to protect Favre...

When we start out slow against the Jets, just remember that the Titans have been tied or behind at halftime in 4 of the last 6 games.

Highest ranking MCM power ranker BigW and I heart KSK so, so much.

USA Today has a list of all the previous teams to start at least 9-0 and what happened to them.

I don't like any video on 'Who Could Beat the Titans' that starts with an ad featuring Brian Billick.

Special Programing Note: We now follow the ESPN Man-Crushes for Kerry Collins that have sprung-up from the middle of nowhere today:

Listing the biggest games of Collins' career in college and the pros.

One of the back page writers in the game, Rick Reilly, explains why he loves Kerry Collins:

This is why I like Kerry Collins. Whether he plays like Fran Tarkenton or Fran Drescher, he never makes excuses.

Paul Kuharsky gives the world a heavy dose of Kerry Collins: Debating the battle of the graybeards, Favre and Collins have combined for 57 miles passing over their careers and the QB spot is just the beginning of proving how free agency has been a boon for both the Titans and Jets.

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans Wednesday Injury Report

2008-11-20T03:28:01Z

Anyone have any guesses on how Paul Williams could have possibly gotten hurt?

(On who the unknown player will be this week to step up and make a play) I guess you’ll have to w...

2008-11-20T03:16:05Z

(On who the unknown player will be this week to step up and make a play)

I guess you’ll have to watch and see. So far, it seems like every week we have someone make a play for us that we’ve needed to and a lot of those plays are coming from backup players.

Jeff Fisher's Wednesday practice report. That is a big component in 10-0.

Tennessee Titans Nickel Coverage Podcast

2008-11-19T20:30:03Z

Time for another edition of the Tennessee Titans Nickel Coverage Podcast.

In this edition:

1. Kyle Vanden Bosch Birthday Brawl recap
2. Titans v. Jaguars recap
3. Do the Titans need to open the playbook?
4. Titans v. Jets preview - The Favre Factor
5. The Producer and Jimmy look forward to the remaining schedule

Also be sure and check out Rodney's site for some pictures from the KVB Birthday Bash.

You can download every edition of the podcast on iTunes.

Titans 24 Jaguars 14 Open Game Thread Roll Call

2008-11-19T18:22:10Z

Another great game thread for the Jaguars game. If you haven't joined us during a game yet, you should. It is buckets of fun.

Roll call stats after the jump

Roll Call: Pinoy Titan, DannoE, thawardasa, gotitans27, hal41605, 2tonedBLUE, numbertenox, TrenchantTitan, theologic, Jimmy, nvemvp23, ElectricScissors, jasonkylebates, Zu Long, Rustmeister, BeansCarter, jayosanne, zackmann, LastSd, GingerSnapsTN, runeknightx, SuperHorn, ordie6531, dentureboy, ryansax, Shainoc, DZone, RhiNo6705

Total Users: 28
Total Posts: 1162
Total Threads: 2

Name	# of Posts
jasonkylebates	165
theologic	162
zackmann	99
gotitans27	95
ordie6531	85
numbertenox	66
Jimmy	62
Zu Long	61
LastSd	51
ElectricScissors	40
hal41605	39
Rustmeister	36
DannoE	32
BeansCarter	30
Pinoy Titan	29
nvemvp23	27
jayosanne	20
thawardasa	16
dentureboy	15
SuperHorn	7
GingerSnapsTN	6
Shainoc	6
runeknightx	5
ryansax	3
2tonedBLUE	2
RhiNo6705	1
DZone	1
TrenchantTitan	1

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans Preview: The Stats

2008-11-19T17:07:03Z

Jets	Stat	Titans
125.1 (9th)	Rush Offense	132.7 (7th)
211.4 (13th)	Pass Offense	183.6 (25th)
336.5 (12th)	Total Offense	316.3 (20th)
28.9 (2nd)	Scoring Offense	24.4 (9th)
4.5% (18th)	Offense DVOA	8.4% (13th)
81.3 (4th)	Rush Defense	95.1 (10th)
239.7 (28th)	Pass Defense	186.7 (6th)
321.0 (15th)	Total Defense	281.8 (6th)
22.1 (15th)	Scoring Defense	13.1 (1st)
+1(17th)	Turnover Ratio	+10 (1st)
1.4% (14th)	Defense DVOA	-22% (2nd)
10% (11th)	Weighted DVOA	30.4% (2nd)

This is looking like it is going to be the best game of the season so far. The Jets are very tough against the run so we could be looking at another game that is going to be won or loss by Kerry Collins. I don't know about you, but I feel a lot better about the odds of the Titans winning that type of game than I did 3 weeks ago.

The key for the defense will be to pressure Brett Favre. We all know that he is capable of making big plays for either team, and the way to get him to get him to be the bad "Gunslinger" is to get guys in his face. I really hope Kyle Vanden Bosch can get back on the field for this game.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: How To Clinch A Playoff Spot Before Thanksgiving Edition

2008-11-19T14:57:59Z

Oh how the times have changed: a few years ago the Titans made the playoffs without a single starter making the Pro Bowl. Now Haynesworth, Bironas, Hentrich, Crazy Legs, Mawae, Amano, Scott, Bulluck, Finnegan, Griffin, Hope, Boom King and Kearse all have a good to very good chance of making the Pro Bowl this year. How Amano and Scott are doing better than Roos and Stewart I have no idea, but that's a very impressive tally none the less. ****UPDATE: Paul Kuharsky has a breakdown of where the AFC South players rank in the voting, and their tallies as of yesterday.

I wrote a lot of mean jokes about PK while trying to figure out why I was so annoyed about this armchair diagnosis of VY, but in the end I had to say I kind of agree. If VY makes it back and is successful as the Titans' starter, it'll be a sign of tremendous character and perseverance... on a level that most young, rich and top 5 picks don't show historically. I could definitely happen, but it would be the exception to the anecdotal-rule.

Jim Wyatt lays out the ways the Titans could clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a victory over the Jets.

LenDale White got probation for his mighty lame sounding off-season disturbing the peace incident.

Gary Estwick reports from Boom King's charity Wrestling event on Monday night at the Wild Horse, and there are some odd pics as well...

Not familiar with the career and stories about Kerry Collins pre-Titans? Check out ESPN's Clip Reel on him.

Sports Journalism's Golden Calf, Mike Lupica, says the Giants are the new Yankees, but he also uses this profound logic and expert syntax:

[The Giants] are the class of the sport right now, both sides of the ball, just about everywhere except with personal seat licenses. And that stands whether the Titans are 10-0 or not.

Here's an update on the race for the yearly league awards as measured by the awesomely named Bucky Brooks:

Coach of the Year

1. Jeff Fisher, Titans (1): When your team rolls out to a 10-0 start, you have to be considered the front runner for this award.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

2. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (2): The electrifying runner has been held to fewer than 100 yards in his past four starts, but continues to make contributions as an all-purpose threat. After tallying 88 total yards against the Jags, Johnson ranks second among rookies with 990 yards from scrimmage.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Albert Haynesworth, DT, Titans (1): The one-man wrecking crew put on an outstanding show against the Jags (seven tackles, one sack and a forced fumble). Haynesworth's seven sacks push him into a tie for the league lead among defensive tackles with the Vikings' Kevin Williams.

Veteran commenter and patriot Rustmeister weighs in on the Titans, with a little special hope that Mr. Favre leaves a few divots in the turf at LP Field courtesy of our defensive line.

Your Weekly MCM Fantasy Football League Update

2008-11-18T18:20:09Z

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

It is going to be an interesting last few weeks.

Need Something To Do At Work?

2008-11-18T17:49:09Z

Need Something To Do At Work?

This site has all kinds of list quizzes about sports and gives you a time limit to complete them. It is awesome!