Tennessee Titans

This is how Reid rolls: through the air.

  

(4-2) New England Patriots 59
(0-6) Tennessee Titans 0 

I was so excited to see my first snowy game of the year, but I got this ugly blow-out instead. I don’t care what Jeff Fisher says, the Titans gave up in this one. And who could blame them? It was 45-0 by halftime! The fact the Patriots didn’t get to 70 should be a moral victory for them even after Belichick brought in the back-ups. I think it’s safe to say Tom Brady is back. 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 6"

rn things around expect a clean sweep of the coaching staff at the end of the season. 

(0-5) Tennessee Titans at (3-2) New England Patriots 

This is the last week you’ll see Kerry Collins starting for the Titans. When they lose to New England, they’ll be 0-6 and just looking for a spark on offense. Just like last week, Vince Young will probably fund his way into this one by the end if the score is out of hand. The Patriots may be having more issues than we expected this season, but they won’t give the Titans their first win. Tom Brady will dissect a secondary missing its two starting corners. Oh yeah, Junior Seau has un-retired again, without the Favre-like hooplah. 

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 6"

el sick.

 
Stop wearing the damn hoodie! 

(5-0) Indianapolis Colts 31
(0-5) Tennessee Titans 9 

Oh Peyton Manning, you’ll never fail me. As I said, this one was over by halftime thanks to a 93-yard, 47 second touchdown drive to end the second quarter. Even with early Colt turnovers, the win never felt in question. Tennessee brought Vince Young into the game in the fourth quarter, and I think they should start him against the Patriots in week six. You have to see what Young can do in a big game against a good team.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 5"

n the game of the weekend.

 
Happy times in Denver. 

Indianapolis Colts (4-0) at Tennessee Titans (0-4) 

Two teams at opposite ends of the AFC South will face off on Sunday night. Peyton Manning is MVP of the first four weeks, (alongside Drew Brees I say) leading his Colts to a 4-0 start yet again with his aerial assault. Tennessee is a disaster, with a porous secondary and middling pass rush. That spells death from above for the Titans on NBC. This one could be over by halftime.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 5"

 
Seriously. Don't touch him. 

(2-2) Jacksonville Jaguars 37
(0-4) Tennessee Titans 17 

Um, what teams were on this field? David Garrard threw like the QB that earned his massive contract and Mike Sims-Walker is turning out to be the Jaguars’ best receiver. In Tennessee, things are a mess. Their defense is crumbling after the loss of Albert Haynesworth. If they lose to Indianapolis next week (and they should) and fall to 0-5, look for Vince Young to take over for Kerry Collins. Even if its not Collins’ fault, the team needs a spark.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 4"

ing one of the best QB’s in football.

(1-1) Houston Texans    31
(0-2) Tennessee Titans 24

I told you they needed this game, but that didn’t stop the Titans from giving up 357 yards passing and 4 touchdowns to Matt Schaub. After holding down the Steeler offense, Tennessee’s defense looked lost without Albert Haynesworth. Even Chris Johnson’s near 300 yards of offense couldn’t save them. Texans could be on the rise, but give it a week or two, then pass judgment.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 2"

doses of both teams’ running attacks.

Just stay down Jake.

Houston Texans (0-1) at Tennessee Titans (0-1)

In this AFC South contest, the Titans may need a win more than any team this week. The Texans are used to being mediocre, but Jeff Fisher’s squad is coming off a season with a 13-0 start. Falling to 0-2 behind the Texans and Colts would dig them a shallow but ugly hole.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 2"

It's time for the return of the Opening Drive!

Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers

In the Thursday night season opener, we get what should have been last season’s AFC Championship match-up. The eventual Super Bowl winner Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to make another deep postseason run, and they’re talented enough to do it. Running back Rashard Mendenhall is back after spending most of last year on IR with a shoulder injury. During this campaign he’ll begin to see more carries each week as an eventual successor to Willie Parker. Ben Roethlisberger may still have a lot on his mind, but beating the Titans on national TV may cure what ails him. (For now anyway.)

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 1"

w we got here with a look at last weekend’s action in the Final Drive.

Baltimore Ravens 13, Tennessee Titans 10

In a score reversal of their regular season meeting, the Baltimore Ravens imposed their will upon the top-seeded Titans. Despite being dominated in almost every statistical category, the Ravens found a way to win. Their defense created three Titan turnovers, all of which were in Raven territory, stopping drives that at least would have ended in field goals. In two post-season outings, the Ravens have forced the two best teams in terms of turnover differential (Dolphins 1st, Titans 2nd)   into eight giveaways. Cautious not to make mistakes, Joe Flacco and the offense never turned it over, opting instead to punt it eight times and win the field position battle. It turned out to be the formula for success against Tennessee. Well, that and knocking rookie sensation Chris Johnson out of the game. Johnson left late in the first half with an ankle injury and never returned. He was the focal point of the Titans offense, racking up 72 rushing yards on only 11 carries and catching a 28 yard pass from Kerry Collins. After his departure, Tennessee had no luck on the ground, and their only threat came from wide-out Justin Gage, who apparently was saving himself for the playoffs. This loss spotlights the need for more playmakers in Tennessee, because their offense as it stands is too predictable. Collins is not the answer at quarterback, their receivers are well-below average, and their running game can’t support them against great defenses. Baltimore gets to move on in the playoffs, buoyed by John Harbaugh’s fantastic coaching job and Flacco’s ability to manage the game. Now they get Pittsburgh for a third time this season. Congratulations.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Divisional Round"

I get you ready right here, right now. 

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans, CBS, Saturday 4:30 PM (ET)

Week five’s meeting between the Titans and Ravens was a defensive struggle, with Tennessee winning 13-10. Kerry Collins was a mere manager of the game while rookie Joe Flacco was finding his way early in his first season as a pro. This time around things are much different, as Collins has proved his ability to fling it when necessary and Flacco has completed his first regular season in impressive fashion. There are plenty of similarities between these two squads. They both feature a strong dose of running the ball on offense while stopping the run on defense, and their rankings in those categories correlate. Baltimore ranks 4th in rushing and 2nd in overall defense, while Tennessee ranks 7th in both. Each team’s passing game is suspect (Tennessee is at 27, while Baltimore sits right behind at 28), so there won’t be too many plays to be made through the air. I may trust Collins more than I trust Flacco, but the Ravens defense is too scary to ignore. Honestly though, can I really pick a rookie head coach in John Harbaugh over the wily veteran Jeff Fisher? This one is a “pick-em.” You can’t go wrong either way. Just sit back and watch a game that is sure to hearken back to the league’s olden days.

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

  Drew Brees won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.  I can’t argue with that pick.  Anytime you come within a deep out route of Dan Marino’s single season passing record, you can be the Offensive POY.Mike Smith was Coach of the Year.  I can’t argue there either.  Any of the successful rookie head coaches, Smith, Sparano, and Harbaugh, could have won this award.  Smith had the toughest situation before the season started and led the Falcons to the playoffs.  The Patriots franchised Matt Cassell.  That was a no-brainer.  Sure, on the surface, $29 million next year for two quarterbacks seems steep.  But the salary cap is going up about $28 million next year.  Take away the $14 million they are giving Cassell and this still have about $14 million more to spend next year than they did this year.  They sure up the most important position on the offense.  Plus, if they trade him they get a 1st and 3rd round pick.  Who knows, there may be a team out there that is only a good QB away from going to the next level.  Hello Buffalo? (And if you think the Pats won’t let Cassell go to Buffalo talk to Lawyer Milloy or Drew Bledsoe.)Did you see Lil’ Wayne on 1st and 10 on ESPN2?  When I heard he was going to be on I set-up the DVR because I had to watch.  Get this….he was really good.  He knows his sports.  His points were lucid and made lots of sense.  He made some statements that were bold and polarizing, which is what you want out of a talking-head.  I must say this though.  Skip Bayless said he loves Lil’ Wayne’s music and thinks Tha Carter III is Weezy’s Purple Rain.  Am I to believe Bayless really listens to hip-hop?  No offense Skip, but you are probably most buttoned up lily white person on ESPN’s roster.  If you’re not, you are in the team photo with Woody Paige and Marty Smith. 

Continue reading "Quick Hits and Playoff Week 2 Picks"

When I was a sophomore in high school playing on the JV basketball team, we went into our Christmas break undefeated and feeling pretty good about ourselves. Over the break we were scheduled to play one game against a team from the division below us. We practiced a few times, nothing too serious, and went into the game feeling good. But the week and a half layoff killed us and we lost by four, our only loss of the season.

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So, evidently Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is surprised he isn’t the Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

I don’t have the exact quote, but he said something like, “I found out yesterday that I am not the ROY.” 

Continue reading "Chris Johnson and the Rookie of the Year"

Than came Week 15 against rivals Tennessee Titans at home. A Texans fan couldn't seriously think the Texans had much of a chance against the first place Jeff Fisher coached team.

However, Kerry Collins had a bad day as he missed left and right and the Texans defense played and chipped away at the Titans offense the entire game. The Titans could have taken the lead late in the game with a 50 yard field-goal, but coach Jeff Fisher decided to go for it on a 4th and short. Titans drew up a passing play, but the Texans forced a incompletion. Fisher said the wind made him change his mind about having Bironas kick the field goal. Texans escaped with a narrow 13-12 victory. A close win, but a gigantic one at the same time!

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d at Texas Stadium.

Winners - Dallas Cowboys

3) Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans

With a win in this game, the Pittsburgh Steelers would edge the

Continue reading "NFL Week 16 Predictions"

ir offense will not explode against a stout Dallas defensive front.

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) at Tennessee Titans (12-2)

In the first battle for conference supremacy, Pittsburgh and Tennessee are going to bring the pain and leave the noise at home. Pittsburgh has won five in a row thanks mostly to Roethlisberger’s late-game heroics. If they can pull out the victory over the Titans, they face Cleveland in their season finale, making it a strong possibility that they will claim home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. With Tennessee losing two of their last four, a win would propel them right back to the top of the heap, dispelling all of the problems of the past few weeks. Kerry Collins requires a solid running game behind him in order to lead his team to victory and the number one seed.

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Week 16"

; playoff chances after being in the driver’s seat only a few weeks ago.

Houston Texans 13, Tennessee Titans 12

A fourth-quarter decision by Titans head coach Jeff Fisher to go for it on fourth down instead of letting All-Pro Rob Bironas kick a 49 yard field goal may cost his team the number one seed in the AFC. Into the wind or not, Bironas had made four field goals already on Sunday and should have been called on to give his team the lead. Next week the Titans get a rolling Steelers squad who play the same smash-mouth type of football. Houston has surged late this season, winning their last four contests. Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Steve Slaton are cornerstones of an explosive Texan offense that is no longer the laughing stock of the AFC South. With winnable games against the Raiders and Bears left on their schedule, a 9-7 record is not out of reach for Texas’ second team.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 15"

A 1-point win never seemed so mammoth.

Yesterday the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans 13-12 in front of a jam-packed crowd at Reliant Stadium. With the win the Texans evened their season record at 7-7 and recorded their first 4 game winning streak in franchise history. Playoff chances have been done for weeks, but the Texans are still playing tough and like a team with a lot on the line.

Continue reading "Not This Time"

(You didn’t miss much.)

Tennessee Titans 47, Detroit Lions 10

The Titans logged 21 points in the first quarter off of two Chris Johnson runs and an interception return for a touchdown. They added two Lendale White rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, ending this game at halftime. Detroit was never in this game, as is expected from a team who is 0-12. Daunte Culpepper was average at best, but was never helped out by a Detroit running game that only totaled 23 yards. Tennessee ran over the Lions, racking up 292 yards on the ground. This blowout served as evidence for those who think Detroit should not be allowed to host games on Thanksgiving. Also, CBS’ Phil Simms should not be allowed to commentate on nationally televised games, period.

Continue reading "Joey A's Thanksgiving Day Recap"

Let’s get to the best of week twelve in this edition of the Final Drive!

New York Jets 34, Tennessee Titans 13

The balance of power has shifted in the AFC. The Jets are flying high on a five-game winning streak, the latest of which coming against the formerly undefeated

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week Twelve"

;s week twelve in the NFL, and it’s previewed right here, right now.

New York Jets (7-3) at Tennessee Titans (10-0)

Giving the Titans their first loss of the season would go a long way in establishing the Jets as a heavy-hitter in the AFC and give them breathing room in a constricted AFC East race. Brett Favre may be given a lot of the credit for their turn-around, and he obviously deserves a portion of it. The bulk of their success should be attributed to their ferocious defense, which is exponentially improved from last season.

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Twelve Preview"

This season goes down as a vast disappointment for Norv Turner and his squad.

Tennessee Titans 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 14

Jeff Fisher should find a game on the Titans’ schedule to lose, honestly. Not to a serious contender or a trash heap, but a mid-level team that could use the confidence but can’t do anything with it. We all saw what happened with the Patriots. Tennessee was down in this one early 14-3, but rallied with 21 unanswered to remain undefeated. Kerry Collins has been called on to win games, and he has delivered expertly. Vince Young wouldn’t have been able to do that. That's all I'm sayin'.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week Eleven"

top 5 draft pick!

Titans 24 Jaguars 14

Everything is working for the Tennessee Titans. They have kept their composure all season. Down 14-3 yesterday to AFC South rivals Jacksonville, they bounced back and continued what they've been doing all season: playing great defense, running the ball, passing with accuracy. I really thought the Jaguars would snap the streak at 9. I also thought Green Bay and Chicago had a shot the weeks before. But time and time again the Titans have proved me wrong. This team has the parts to go all the way. It's clearly shaping up to be a Titans/Giants Superbowl, but it's still way to early to predict that far down the road. We still have several weeks of football to be played.

Continue reading "NFL Week 11 Fallout"

continues to get more disappointing.

Winners - Indianapolis Colts

2) Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Titans have been the best team in football record wise all year now they take their undefeated record into Jacksonville to take on the 4-5 Jaguars. I've picked the Titans to lose the last two weeks in my yahoo picks, but for some reason my gut is picking them again to lose this week. Now if the Titans win again, I'll have to strangle my gut and put it in a choke hold. A couple of reasons I think the Titans could lose this one: 1) Titans will not go undefeated forever. 2) The Jaguars have had some shaky bumps in the road this season and I think the team will play hard for Coach Del Rio this week against Division opponents Tennessee.

Continue reading "NFL Week 11 Predictions"

for the Bears on Sunday, fans naturally felt more relaxed at the prospect of facing the undefeated Tennessee Titans. The Bears forced a three-and-out on the Titans’ opening drive, then took the ball and went 75 yards to the end zone, taking the early 7-0 lead. It’s just too bad they had to play the rest of the game.  

Continue reading "Bears Latest to Fall to Superior Titans"

Lovie Smith and his Bears want to be among the elite in the NFC, their match-up versus the unbeaten Tennessee Titans on Sunday is the perfect opportunity to show it. Jeff Fisher’s Titans have been the most consistent team in the NFL in 2008, winning each week with a combination of hard-nosed defense and an outstanding running game. They are what the Bears often claim to be, but this season Chicago holds down first place in their division because of its passing game, which is in jeopardy due to the loss of Kyle Orton.  

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performs to their potential, the AFC North is far from decided. 

Green Bay Packers (4-3) at Tennessee Titans (7-0)

Pardon me for asking, but isn’t it just a little early to be rewarding Aaron Rodgers with a fairly hefty contract extension? With this new deal, Rodgers will stay in Packers green and yellow until 2014 and will be paid around $11 million a season. Call me crazy, but I prefer to see my quarterback finish one season before I lock up that kind of money. Rodgers has been impressive, no doubt, and he can justify his new money with a mistake-free performance against the unbeaten Titans. It won’t get any harder for the Packers this season, and since the Bears (with whom they share the division lead) face the pathetic Lions, Green Bay could easily fall from first.

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week 9 Preview"

y by a loss, but the win would sure make things easier down the road.

Indianapolis Colts (3-3) at Tennessee Titans (6-0)

So when are the Colts going to right the ship and win the AFC South for the sixth consecutive year? The answer has to be Monday, October 27th versus the

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Eight Preview"

With everything that is going on in the NFL I am surprised the NFL doesn't fine owners, take away draft pick, or create penalty's for teams that sign these players that don't care about how there

Continue reading "Trouble Players- The Teams need a consequence to"

Donovan McNabb may have to shift into an even higher gear if his Eagles are to play in January.

Tennessee Titans 13, Baltimore Ravens 10

This game was a slugfest, featuring two defensive teams that play smash-mouth defensive football. That being said, it was a questionable penalty that gave the Titans the second chance to win. An awful roughing the passer call against Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs extended a Titan drive, which veteran QB Kerry Collins ensured ended in a touchdown. It was only fair, as two personal foul penalties led to both Baltimore scores. Tennessee should feel pretty good about their ranking after five weeks. Even though they’ll lose eventually, they’ve positioned themselves to hold onto the AFC South, and at the very least are locking into a wildcard berth. The Ravens can’t feel too bad after this tough loss. They’re 2-2, which is probably better than anyone would have predicted, and Joe Flacco is still ironing out his NFL game. He has some rough spots to work through still, but their defense will keep them in most games.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 5"

orn must keep his team on target if they want to rise to 2-1 against their division.  

Tennessee Titans (4-0) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)  

These teams would appear eerily similar on first glance: their defenses are stout and aggressive, their wide receivers are fairly average, and their quarterbacks need to play safe in the passing game. Look closer and you’ll see the huge advantage the Titans have. Their running backs are just plan outperforming the Ravens’ backfield. Lendale White and Chris Johnson are one of the best tailback combinations in the league, while Willis McGahee can’t stay on the field. That puts the pressure on Ravens second year man Le’Ron McClain and rookie Ray Rice to carry the load. Expect each team to stack eight men in the box to shut down the run until either quarterback makes the defense pay for it.  

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Five Preview"

t of the play action pass, which needs a set-up from the running game.

Minnesota Vikings (1-2) at Tennessee Titans (3-0)

Minnesota finally got on the winning track last week against Carolina. Unfortunately, they now have to deal with the buzz saw that is the

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Four Preview"

offensive line troubles, which will make their renowned running game more difficult to maintain.

Tennessee Titans (1-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

The only reason this stinker is on the l

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Two Preview"

 

Yesterday when I read the short article about how Vince Young's mom came out and said he really did not want to play football anymore as he did not like the negative press he got. Now I guess it is time for me to chime in on this one. First Vince got a nice signing bonus and if he did not want to be booed then just retire and hand back the money of course he will not do that. This is not college football and you cannot hide away forever Vince Young you must be accountable and you threw an interception trust me a lot worse things will happen in your life than a turnover.

Continue reading "Vince Young Does Not Like Football Anymore?"

...First, the reality check. You're not quarterbacking the University of Texas anymore and you're not playing in the Big 12 anymore. You're in the pros, where things are SUPPOSED to get tougher. You're big, have a strong arm and have show lots of potential. Suck it up, and you'll be fine.

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elite force in the AFC?  Is this the team that can challenge the Colts to win the division?

Tennessee Titans – After taking a step back last year, can Vince Young take two steps f

Continue reading "NFL Opening Weekend = Christmas in September"

The Tennessee Titans run the ball so much. They usually go through 2 running backs a game and even their quarterback tucks the ball and scrambles around quite a bit. Lendale White is not in the greatest shape, but he makes things happen on the field. He is able to plow through the line and get yardage. His game as well as his stomach is big time. Spelling White this year will be Chris Henry who had a pretty decent year last year. He will have to step it up a bit to aid this offense as the number 2 back, but I don’t think that will be a problem. I am curious to see if the Titans first round draft pick in Chris Johnson out of East Carolina can provide some spark to the running game. He may never see the ball because of the way Vince Young plays. Its simple. Vince Young can’t play well when he throws the ball 40 or more times. Young will run. White will run. Henry will run. This team will try to run their way back into the playoffs.

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*Editor's Note: This piece was written Tuesday night but, due to Internet problems, is being posted just now.

Only the NFL can make headlines with the release of its regular season schedule. Granted, there are only a handful of games for fans to absorb, so the attention given to each week is natural. However, this speaks increasingly to the booming popularity of the league.

Continue reading "Bears Schedule Analysis"