More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Jeff Fisher has a lot to do to earn that smirk...

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 The Titans are preparing for the always dangerous workhorse Frank Gore this Sunday.  If they had trouble tackling MJD on a few plays, they'll need to focus twice as hard on the much stronger Gore.  Wyatt also discuss the new questions surrounding the return game as no one knows if Chris Davis or Alvin Pearman will be returning kicks and/or punts.

 Maybe after all those snaps the defense just Need(s) Some Air... by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club!

 The Sporting News breaks-down Vince Young on the cover, then pairs off the keys for the game as we prepare for San Francisco.  the third one id no breakdowns in the secondary, and given how bad our breakdowns have been (more like meltdowns), I'd bump that puppy right up to number one.

Follow us through the jump for links on disappointments, injuries and a match made in football heaven...

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More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

If CJ's going to get 2,000 yards he's going to need a lot of barf bags, never mind the cars for his O-line.

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 Sunday's match-up will feature a coaching duel steeped in Chicago Bears tradition as former teammates Jeff Fisher and Mike Singletary square-off.  Here, Coach Fisher shares some of his thoughts about his former teammate and current opponent.

 Sunday's game will also feature two highly drafted QBs who are attempting to prove to their respective teams that they have the chops to thrive in the league. Both Vince Young and Alex Smith have lost their jobs and taken a beating in the press at times, and have thrown the exact same number of TDs (23) and INTs (33).

 It's been nearly 40 years since any week 8 rushing leader averaged better than Chris Johnson's 6.92 yards per carry, and that rattling you hear is the 49ers run defense after watching the film reel.  However, the 49ers currently rank 2nd in the NFL at stopping the run (84.9 yards per game), and they handled studly running back Steven Jackson earlier in the year.

 Our recent history west of the Rockies is a bit gory: after a string of 8 straight losses out there, we're sitting at 1-9 in the last 10 games.

Follow us through the jumps for a pile of better than usual links...

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More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Vince continues to say and do all the right things, not the least of which is win.

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 Former Titan Albert Haynesworth and current Titan Kevin Mawae were voted among the dirtiest players in the league by their peers according to an anonymous survey.  Mawae's name has been on that list going way back to his career with the Jets, but you have to know you're dirty if you get voted there while you're the President of the NFLPA.  Albert, on the other hand, has a life-time pass onto the list after his stomping travesty.

 David Climer looks at a possible fracture in the relationship between Bud Adams and Jeff Fisher over the QB position, and wonders if it might be the final straw between the owner and coach:

For years, Jeff Fisher has nurtured his relationship with Bud Adams.

It paid off with uncommon job security and unchallenged authority on everything from hiring and firing assistant coaches to having the final word on personnel decisions.

But the events of the past two weeks have created a disconnect between the owner and the coach...

Publicly, Fisher says the decision to bench Collins and start Young was made "collectively." Don't buy it. The owner had the only vote that really mattered.

 Vince Young surprised the players and coaches of the Brentwood Blaze, a near by pee-wee football team, as they practiced yestreday.  Vince gave the youngsters a pep talk and told them about his younger playing days.  These are the kinds of things I've been saying Vince should be doing for the past year to get the community back on his side, and it's nice to see him get some credit for it.  Being a quarterback in the NFL requires a lot more work than happens in the locker room or on the field.

Follow us through the jump to find-out which announcer apologized for comments aimed at a Titan...

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More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Pass and Dash?

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 Even more important than having VY back at the helm was the secondary being back at full speed, and maybe even better than full speed since it didn't feature Nick Harper.  And there was one interesting thing about Finnegan's performance that I didn't even think about, but remembered it after Jim Wyatt pointed it out:

Finnegan moved from his normal right side of the formation over to the left side, usually manned by injured Nick Harper, and said he hopes the move might be a permanent one.

 Coach Fisher likes what he saw out of VY on Sunday, but now the focus is to get out there and do it week in and week out.  The key to that is making sure the team doesn't get ahead of themselves and act like they're 6-1, not 1-6.

 Case in point: discussions regarding who is the worst team in the league still pop-up when you search Google News for 'Tennessee Titans'.

Follow us through the jump to find-out what personal best Vince Young achieved on Sunday...

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More photos » by John Russell - AP

Vince Young stepped-in for a struggling franchise, and played like a boss.

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How good was Chris Johnson?  Nobody has racked-up more rushing yards in a game over the past two NFL seasons.  Neither Earl Campbell nor Eddie George ever got that many yards as an Oiler/Titan.  With performances like this and what we were witness to in the Texans game earlier in the year, we're damned lucky to be watching a running back with so much talent and ability because they don't come around very often.

 Vince Young made a triumphant return to the starting spot yesterday, and his performance injected the rest of this season with a lot of hope where there had been nothing but darkness.  The playoffs are still a pipe-dream too far off to talk about seriously, but now so is the first overall pick in the draft...

 Nationally there was a lot of scuttle-butt surrounding the future of Fisher with the Titans.  Peter King, Jay Glazer, Chris Mortensen, Adam Scheffter and others all weighed in on the general theme that Adams may be ready to make a move... of course, all of those reports came before yesterday's divisional beat-down.  After the game Adams assured the mediathat Fisher had too many years left on his contract to consider releasing.  Of course, if you read Florio's baseless drivel in that first link there's always the option of offering-up Fisher like Al Davis did with Gruden... a move that has really worked-out well for the Raiders...

 Was I the only one who missed very annoying announcer Gus Johnson's classless comments during one of CJ's big plays?  Not that I'm killing the guy over it, but I just don't get why you'd say something like this:

1. Gus Johnson saying Chris Johnson ran “like he was being chased by the cops” after his 52-yard TD scamper against the Jags in the 3rd quarter.

Follow us through the jump for more on Fisher and the re-born Titans....

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More photos » by John Russell - AP

You know what I'm digging? The realization that we may actually see some exciting plays on offense, even if the results are inconsistent. Maybe we'll finally see a few plays that make us stand up and cheer, if nothing else.

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 In Facepalm news, kick returner Mark Jones won't be able to go on Sunday thanks to a hamstring injury he aggravated earlier in the week.  Dane Looker and C.J. Jones caught punts on Thursday as the team tries to decide if they need to sign someone for the interim.

 Hey, after what we've seen this season we've all got a right to be beyond worried about the return game sans Jones.. heck, we could even feel some Paranoia in B Flat Major... by The Avett Brothers!  Can't wait for their show at the The Mother Church (a.k.a. The Ryman, home of the original Grand Ole' Opry) Saturday night.

 Vince Young is back in the saddle again, and of course everyone in the football-covering national media is talking about it... examples here, here, here and here.

Follow us through the jump to find out what pisses LenDale off...

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More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

For the second year in a row, we're about to bench a quarterback with the Captain's patch on his chest. That's always a good sign.

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 Today, after practice, a decision will be made.  Two quarterbacks remain in the competition, but only one will get the sacred rose from coach Fisher.  Stay tuned to MCM to find out who will be the lucky fella, and who will lose-out... seriously though, there's no way Collins starts Sunday, right?

 NFP's Matt Bowen thinks we should trust Fisher's call on the QB situation, and fears Bud Adams going the Jerry Jones/Al Davis route by dictating who should play.  I think Matt Bowen should shut the hell up.

 Vinny Fuller is back at practice, making it quite likely that he'll be ready to step-in and solidify the nickel spot on Sunday.

Follow us through the jump for the latest on Cortland's health...

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More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

Depressed or oppressed? You decide.

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 Though there still hasn't been an official response by Fisher to the news that Bud Adams wants Vince Young to start, Jim Wyatt says it's a call to jump, and the Nashville football people already know how high.  There is a chance that Fisher and crew are trying to dissuade Bud from sticking to his guns...

 If you're already depressed over this year, this one may send you off the nearest bridge: our Titans are currently on pace to be outscored by 300 points... a feat that never happened in the history of the NFL.  The Rams are on a worse pace than we are, and that fact should console you on the way down.

 Peter King somehow blames this start on Vince Young?  I don't think that's what he means, but his lack of clarity makes it tough to interpret this otherwise.

Follow us through the jump for an attempt at levity...

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