AFC South: No run game, no problem for 9-0 Titans
Sports Network | November 11, 2008
(Sports Network) - The Tennessee Titans rolled through the first eight weeks of the season on the legs of running backs LenDale White and rookie Chris Johnson. Both have contributed immensely this season, but each were held in check in last Sunday's 21-14 victory over a tough Chicago team at Soldier Field.
Tennessee didn't panic and showcased its mettle in a hostile environment by turning to veteran quarterback Kerry Collins to lead the team out of the Windy City with the NFL's only unblemished mark intact. Collins led the Titans like Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of Bull Run, passing for a season-high 289 yards with a pair of touchdown strikes and no interceptions. He spread the ball to seven different receivers and kept the Bears on their heels to take the focus off an inept Titans' ground attack that produced just 20 yards.
The 35-year-old Collins completed 30 of his 41 pass attempts for a 108.7 rating as Chicago dared the Titans to run against eight or nine defenders on the line. So Collins took advantage of the man-to-man coverage to post his first touchdown pass since October 5 and stretch his streak of games without an interception to four.
"There are some things I could have done better," said Collins, who led Tennessee to its 12th win in a row dating back to 2007. "Overall, we found a way to win. I give the Bears a lot of credit. They put a lot of people in the box and stopped our run, and they did a great job of it. They forced us to throw the ball, but we were able to make the plays we needed to make."
Tight end Bo Scaife was able to make plays, hauling in a career-high 10 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, while Justin Gage hauled in four passes for 47 yards and a score. Scaife leads the team in receiving yards and has taken the tight end spotlight away from offseason addition Alge Crumpler.
Crumpler, who had three catches for 35 yards in the win, only has 16 receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown in 2008.
Tennessee's defense held Chicago to 243 total yards and hasn't allowed more than 21 points in a game this season. Players like linebacker Keith Bulluck, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and defensive back Cortland Finnegan have played exceptionally well so far in the unbeaten season.
The club's blue-collared approach and gritty determination have the Titans' spirits high, and it's obvious other teams are gunning to be the first one to take them out.
"Little do they know we're not trying to go undefeated," said Bulluck, who shook off a rib injury to make his 106th straight start. "We're trying to win as many games so we get home-field position in the playoffs."
The Titans currently have a three-game lead over Pittsburgh, New England, the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens for home-field advantage. The last time this franchise captured the top seed in the AFC playoffs was back in 2000, when Tennessee had an NFL-best 13-3 record.
NOTES: White scored his NFL-leading 11th touchdown of the season and the 18th of his career on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter. He had 14 yards on 10 carries, while Johnson added just eight yards on 14 carries...Sunday's win gave Tennessee six straight regular season road victories, setting a new franchise record...Head coach Jeff Fisher improved to 129-104 since taking over in 1995.
INJURIES: Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch missed his second straight game with a groin injury and Haynesworth was limited in action on Sunday because of illness. Cornerback Nick Harper went down with an ankle injury, while wideout Justin McCareins suffered a concussion.
WEEK 11: The Titans will try to beat Jacksonville for the second time this season when they take a trip to Florida this Sunday. They beat the Jaguars, 17-10, in the season opener at LP Field on September 7. Johnson logged 127 total yards, including 93 on the ground, with a receiving touchdown in the triumph. That was the day quarterback Vince Young went down with a knee injury and opened the door for Collins, who has been perfect ever since. Young has been healthy for weeks, but Fisher said Collins is the man as long as Tennessee keeps winning. The Titans have won three of their last four against Jacksonville and will try to establish their ground game against a streaky run defense and inch closer to home-field advantage. Of Tennessee's final seven opponents, only the Jets, Steelers and Colts have winning records.
COLTS' MANNING SHOULD HAND GAME BALL TO JENNINGS
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a lead with less than five minutes to go in last Sunday's battle with the Indianapolis Colts, but didn't see Indianapolis Colts cornerback Tim Jennings hiding in the flats. Jennings stepped in front of Roethlisberger's errant pass and recorded perhaps the biggest interception of his career and saved Indy's season, for now.
Jennings had an interception earlier this year in a big win over Baltimore, and set up Peyton Manning and the offense in excellent field position on Sunday. Manning quickly hooked up with backup running back Dominic Rhodes on a 17-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to put the Colts ahead for good at 24-20 and keep their playoff hopes alive in a tightly-contested AFC.
Keiwan Ratliff and Jennings, playing in place of injured starters Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden, each intercepted passes that were converted into touchdowns against Pittsburgh. Safety Melvin Bullitt later picked off Roethlisberger on a tipped pass in the end zone to seal the win for the Colts, who didn't gain any ground on the 9-0 Titans in the AFC South standings, but a loss would have made postseason chances even tougher. Indianapolis has won two straight against division leaders (New England, Pittsburgh) and is 4-2 in its last six games.
"We work on that every Friday and Saturday," Bullitt said of the tip drill. "Coach Dungy doesn't leave an aspect of the game out of practice, and as you can see, it came in handy for us. We got the victory and who knows what would have happed if we hadn't gotten the ball."
A loss is what might have happened, Mr. Bullitt. So he and the rest of the Indianapolis defense better count their lucky stars they escaped the Steel City with a still-subpar 5-4 record. The Colts' pass defense was tested early and often and allowed 271 yards in a winning effort, but the three turnovers were key in what could be a turning point in the season. The win kept the Colts within the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens and Jets for playoff positioning.
Manning, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, is at the head of the table and tied a season high with three touchdown passes on a cold, windy afternoon. His efforts were needed in order to give the Colts confidence for the remainder of the season, especially with Houston, San Diego and Cleveland on the horizon. Dungy knows putting together wins will be the key to success.
"Somewhere along the line we have to get on a streak," Dungy said. "We can't really worry about everybody else. We have to get ourselves playing better. I think today was a step in the right direction."
Indianapolis is certainly playing better and making strides. And it also helps when Super Bowl XL MVP Manning is starting to look like his days of old with his three TD passes and no interceptions in the game, something he has done just twice this year. Manning and company must continue their strong second half of the season, and it started on a positive note in Pittsburgh. In order to achieve their seventh consecutive postseason appearance, the five-time defending AFC South champs must once again ride the right arm of Manning.
NOTES: Reggie Wayne caught six passes for 114 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown on a tipped pass, against the Steelers...Marvin Harrison left the game briefly with a head injury, but was able to return and ended with 37 yards on three receptions...Running back Joseph Addai ended with 34 yards on 12 carries and seems to be back at full strength following a hamstring problem...Rhodes had 28 yards on seven carries and 24 yards on just two catches...Safety Antoine Bethea led the team with 11 stops Sunday...Indy defensive end Dwight Freeney had a pair of sacks Sunday as the Colts snapped a streak of three games without one.
INJURIES: There were no significant injuries on Sunday, but linebacker Freddy Keiaho returned to action after missing the New England game and recorded 10 tackles. Wayne injured his ankle and was able to return, while Hayden missed a fifth straight game Sunday.
WEEK 11: Indianapolis will close out its season series with Houston this Sunday with a showdown at Lucas Oil Stadium. Manning's five-yard touchdown pass to Wayne with just under two minutes to go capped a furious comeback and lifted the Colts to a 31-27 triumph over the Texans on October 5 at Reliant Stadium. Indianapolis rallied with 21 points in a 2:10 span of the fourth quarter for the win. The Colts and Texans are meeting for the 14th time, with Indianapolis owning a 12-1 series advantage.
HOUSTON HAS PROBLEMS WITH ROSENFELS
With starting quarterback Matt Schaub out for some time with a leg injury, the reigns of the Houston Texans offense have been handed over to veteran gunslinger Sage Rosenfels. A backup his entire career, Rosenfels started five games a year ago in place of an injured Schaub and won four of them. He threw for 1,684 yards with 15 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions for a passer rating of 84.8.
Schaub, though, came back healthy and ready for a productive 2008 campaign and had the Texans on track with three straight victories after an October 26 decision over Cincinnati. But he went down with an injury in a loss at Minnesota and Rosenfels got the starting nod in Sunday's 41-13 disaster versus Baltimore, which posted 22 points in the final quarter. Rosenfels passed for 294 yards and a touchdown, but threw four costly interceptions to put his team behind the eight ball.
Rosenfels was making his second start of the season. He led the Texans to a 17-point lead against Indianapolis on October 5 before his fourth-quarter turnovers allowed the Colts to rally for a win. It was pretty much the same Sunday.
"I did the best I could (but) I made too many mistakes," Rosenfels said. "I blame myself for the mistakes I made, but I can't do it all. I'm probably trying to be too aggressive and trying to make too many things happen."
Sounds like Rosenfels is a bit defensive about his horrific performance. That's just too bad, because he's going under center this week at previously- mentioned Indianapolis, which will be waiting to improve on its postseason positioning with the overmatched Texans in town.
Rosenfels definitely can't do it alone, and penalties must be limited after the Texans racked up 76 yards on 10 fouls versus the Ravens. Baltimore also racked up 16 points on turnovers, if you include a safety on a holding call in the end zone.
With or without Rosenfels under center, the Texans (3-6) can pretty much close the door on a playoff berth. Houston had trouble running the football as Ryan Moats, who was recently promoted from the practice squad, led the team's ground attack with 34 yards on seven carries. Productive rookie running back Steve Slaton had an off day with seven yards on four carries, leaving much of the offense in the quarterback's hands. Slaton did have a 58-yard touchdown called back because of a holding penalty, however. He entered the game ranked third in the league among rookies in rushing with 538 yards.
According to head coach Gary Kubiak, Slaton was worn down and struggled last week in practice.
The option to share the ball between Slaton, Moats and Ahman Green produced just 60 total rushing yards.
"Everybody has to be accountable, from the 53 men in this locker room to the coaches upstairs," said cornerback Dunta Robinson. "Every guy has to be held accountable. Until that happens, we're going to be in this same situation. Until every man looks himself in the face and looks at himself in the mirror, we're going to be in this same situation."
Robinson had three tackles and a tipped pass for a Houston defense that never showed up on Sunday. The Ravens didn't pass for many yards (171), but they racked up 162 on the ground thanks to Willis McGahee's 112 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Houston next faces an Indianapolis team that has struggled to find any room running the football, even with Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes in the backfield. The Texans can't take that lightly, otherwise Peyton Manning will kill them passing to Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.
The Colts are coming off a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in which they intercepted Ben Roethlisberger three times, two of which led to touchdowns. Indy probably feels Rosenfels is ripe for the picking, so to speak.
NOTES: Texans star wide receiver Andre Johnson finished with 66 yards on seven receptions against Baltimore. He has 62 and 66 yards in each of his last two games after four straight weeks with at least 131 yards receiving...Wideout Kevin Walter chipped in 85 yards and a score on four catches...Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans posted a game-high 11 tackles on Sunday. It was only his third game this season with 10 or more stops...Defensive end Mario Williams, who has eight sacks this season, had a streak of two straight games with a sack come to an end.
INJURIES: Houston weakside linebacker Morlon Greenwood injured his ankle on Sunday and will be day-to-day this week. Greenwood's X-rays were negative. The Texans are already without linebacker Zac Diles, who went down with a broken leg a week earlier. Rookie Xavier Adibi is expected to start against the Colts on Sunday if Greenwood is unable to go. Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye was sidelined versus Baltimore because of a high ankle sprain and could miss time this week.
WEEK 11: The Texans will wrap up their 2008 season set with Indianapolis on Sunday and trail the all-time series by a 12-1 margin. Houston squandered a 17-point lead in a 31-27 loss to the Colts back on October 5 at Reliant Stadium, as Manning's five-yard touchdown pass to Wayne with just under two minutes left capped the comeback. Rosenfels completed 21-of-33 passes for 246 yards with a touchdown and an interception that day. He can only hope history doesn't repeat itself for a floundering Houston team.
INSUBORDINATE BEHAVIOR LEADS JAGS TO VICTORY
Most people in the working world would love to take a shot at their boss. As Homer Simpson put it in reference to killing Mr. Burns, "Kill my boss? Dare I live out the American dream?
Jaguars middle linebacker Mike Peterson was ready to throw some fists with Jack Del Rio last week after the head coach called out his top defender in a team meeting for celebrating a sack while trailing against the winless Cincinnati Bengals. Peterson was sent home and fined for insubordination for challenging Del Rio to a fight the middle linebacker would have won in a matter of seconds.
Del Rio is no slouch either, but these aren't his days of grace when he used to sport No. 55 for the Minnesota Vikings. The head coach didn't stop there. He took away all loud music and games in the locker room and even shuffled seating assignments, hoping the switch would help team chemistry. Peterson was eventually brought back in a wise decision, but did not play in Sunday's much-needed 38-14 win over Detroit that lifted the Jags to 4-5.
Del Rio was asked if Peterson would play this week versus the unbeaten Tennessee Titans, and said he would have to see if the numbers work out. Del Rio may be acting too much like a nun teaching high school calculus, since Peterson leads the team in total tackles with 49. Del Rio would be stupid not have Peterson in the lineup with Tennessee's vaunted ground attack making a stop at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium this week. The Jaguars are just 20th against the run this season, allowing 113.1 rushing yards per game.
Jacksonville needs a victory this week against the unbeaten Titans on the docket, otherwise a 4-6 mark would extinguish playoff hopes. Maybe the win over the winless Lions will prove to the NFL world Del Rio has not lost this team and that his players are still focused on the ultimate goal of reaching the playoffs for a second straight season.
Meanwhile, Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew found the end zone three times against the Lions to match a career high and finished with 70 yards on 11 carries. Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor combined for 150 rushing yards, with Taylor becoming the 18th player to reach the 11,000-yard milestone for a career with 80 on 18 touches. It was nice to see the Jags get their ground game back in order once again after several mediocre performances this season.
NOTES: Quarterback David Garrard passed for 238 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in Sunday's win. He was sacked only once after being taken down 11 times over the previous three weeks...Jones-Drew owns a team-high nine touchdowns this season and seven rushing scores in the last five games... Cornerback Rashean Mathis posted his third interception of the season on Sunday and 24th of his career...Wideout Matt Jones has five or more receptions in eight of the first nine games of the season...Jacksonville finished with seven sacks against Detroit.
INJURIES: There were no significant injuries to record on Sunday. Defensive tackle John Henderson did not play against the Lions. Jacksonville especially needs Henderson on the front line this week versus rival Tennessee.
WEEK 11: Jacksonville will be seeking revenge on Sunday against a Titans team that handed the Jaguars a 17-10 loss in the season opener on September 7. Rookie Chris Johnson registered 127 total yards, including 93 on the ground, with a receiving touchdown. Johnson and LenDale White will see plenty of action, while Titans veteran quarterback Kerry Collins has been protecting the football and playing efficiently. Tennessee leads the all-time series, 15-12.
