Jim Wyatt John Glennon knows 5 things about the Titans, but I know one thing for sure related to this week's game against Jacksonville: Come Sunday night, we're going to know who on this team is a winner and who quits when things aren't going their way. This isn't like last year's 0-6 start where the team was mostly healthy, playing well in several major areas, getting huge games from Chris Johnson but losing very close contests to things like uncharacteristically missed field goals, final drive fumbles and dropped kick returns. This is a very good team that has completely imploded mid-season. The offense, which a month ago lead the league in scoring, hasn't scored an offensive touchdown in 9 quarters (plus the overtime period against Washington) and has scored a measly 3 touchdown passes since Halloween.
Win or lose, this game will tell you if this team has enough pride and fight in them to overcome adversity and get the job done when everyone has counted them out. Who on this roster has the passion bucket deep enough to re-focus on beating the man standing in front of them on ever single play, and who is going to throw their hands up and just go through the motions until next year? We don't know that today, but that's what this game is about. It's not about the Jacksonville Jaguars, or payback for the Monday Night game. It's about the offensive-line and the defensive-line blowing putting a helmet on a helmet. It's about CJ running with confidence. It's about every receiver expecting the ball on every play. It's about stopping the dumb penalties and overcoming the natural ones. It's about feeling like you own that damned ball on every play and nobody but the official is going to take it from you.
Plenty of teams have made it to the playoffs with 6 losses, and these teams usually have some things in common, whether it's injuries, personal and personnel drama, crazy ownership key mistakes or all of the above. But ever last one of those teams had one thing that made the difference: they weren't afraid to prepare like champions.
Sunday we'll learn who's afraid to be great, and who deserves to wear that shield of fire on the side of their helmets.
/extends arm, drops mike, jumps for the rest of the links.
Nashville Metro District Attorney General Torry Johnson has announced that a Grand Jury has cleared Kenny Britt of any threat of prosecution related to the bar brawl before the Eagles game. The grad jury returned an indictment for Bradford Miser for assault related to the incident.
Cortland Finnegan's agent put Mike Florio's ass on a tee, and knocked it out of the park and onto the adjacent highway. You simply must read this whole thing, but here's a gem:
"The General Manager that hid in his office and called Cortland an ‘absolute scumbag’ is a coward," agent Terry Watson said via unsolicited e-mail. "If he wants to share an opinion on a player in the league that is harsh, he can identify who he is or keep his opinion to himself. Additionally, he clearly has no idea what Cortland is about. Cortland simply plays as hard as one can on the field and is a charity fixture in the Nashville community off of it. Have there been times when he has been too aggressive on the field? The League Office thinks so. Are there other players that have been fined more this year for their actions? Yes."
If there were wide receivers applauding Andre Johnson for whaling on Cortland, there should be a lot of fans of rational thinking and logic who join in a hearty slow clap after that linguistic beat-down.
The Titans are still in the top 10 in DVOA, anchored largely by a defense that, while annoying to watch sometimes, is still getting the job done enough to win games, and a special teams unit that continues to win all phases of it's game.
Paul K gets a link for looking outside the mainstream for a change (whether or not he links to us, I think ESPN would benefit more from this kind of stuff in their regular spaces).
No, Tony Kornheiser, Andre Johnson didn't avoid suspension due to ratings. His punishment was on par with Seymour's from the week before, and Johnson would have just appealed the suspension and played on Thursday anyways. Take off the tin foil hat and put that thinking cap you borrowed from Dan LeBatard back on.
Email me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com, and follow me on Twitter @AugustWest_MCM